NO344408B1

NO344408B1 - Pipe cradle

Info

Publication number: NO344408B1
Application number: NO20180261A
Authority: NO
Inventors: Liam Heffernan
Original assignee: Lift Up As
Priority date: 2018-02-20
Filing date: 2018-02-20
Publication date: 2019-12-02
Also published as: NO20180261A1

Description

Pipe cradle

The present invention relates to a pipe cradle for accommodating several pipes and/or cables, according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

Background

A fish farming plant generally comprises a number of fish cages and a common facility for storage of equipment for the plant. A common facility may be on shore, but the plant is often so far from shore that a barge is used. Such a facility or barge is referred to as a main barge or feed barge, and comprises equipment for controlling the whole plant, not just for the feeding. A number of pipes and cables, for instance for feeding, electrical power to lights, cameras and other equipment being arranged at each fish cage, are running in the water from the main barge to each cage.

When the plant is running there will be dead fish and remains of feed, faeces and other waste falling to the bottom of each cage. To maintain optimal conditions in the fish cage, this is removed for instance with a system from Lift UP AS. The waste may be transported from each fish cage to the main barge for accumulation and possibly processing, and these pipes will also be running in the water between the main barge and each cage.

It is thus a problem with the number of pipes and cables running in the water from each cage to the main barge. It is often needed to dock each net cage with boat, for instance when changing or maintaining the net bag, or when transporting or treating the fish in the net cage. The pipes and cables both limit the access to the area as such and to each net cage because the boat may harm the pipes and/or parts of the boat, such as the propeller, may get tangled in the pipes.

By "pipe" or "tube" it is in the context of this application meant both stiff pipes of plastic and steel, and flexible pipes, pipes and tubes which may be coiled, and pipes being so flexible that they collapse when no fluid is flowing through them.

Correspondingly, by "cables" or "wires" it is meant both stiff and flexible cables and wires. Cables are preferably not meant to enclose liquid or gas.

It is known to bundle several pipes to one, as described in US 3813477, and to attach pipes and cables to other systems, for instance a system for removal of waste as described in GB 2507077. It is also known to use a closed pipe cradle for bundling tubes, such as two semi-circles attached to each other, however in all these systems a number of screws must be removed in order to open the cradle and remove/replace or even add a tube. It is not possible to remove only a tube without opening or removing the whole cradle. During one year of operation most tubes and cables must be replaced at different intervals due to tear and wear. The known cradles makes the replacement of pipes and cables more time- and labour consuming, and it is therefore not optimal for the intended use.

Object of the present invention.

A main object of the present invention is to solve the above said problems, and create better access to the fish farming plant and each net cage as such. Further it is an object that the stretch and loads exerted on the pipes and cables should be reduced, and thereby that the operation time should be extended. Finally it is an object that it should be possible to install the invention on existing net cages and farming plants.

Details of the invention

The objects are met by a pipe cradle according to the characterizing part of patent claim 1.

The invention relates to a pipe cradle for accommodating several pipes and/or cables. The cradle comprises a housing having a thorough hole for accommodating a longitudinal pipe, and at least two arms for accommodating pipes and/or cables. The arms are protruding in opposite directions from the housing, perpendicular to the axial direction of the hole.

One pipe is arranged in the thorough hole, and other pipes are arranged on the other arms. The pipes are running in parallel and the cradle may be mounted at the ends of the pipes but is preferably mounted somewhere between the ends. When the pipe cradle is used in a fish plant at sea, it is typically arranged between a fish cage and a main barge, and the pipes may be feeding pipes, waste pipes or power cables etc. In a preferred embodiment the cradle is arranged at equidistant intervals (for example every 20 m) along a main pipe stretching from the barge to the cages. By using a pipe cradle according to the invention, the plurality of tubes and pipes in the water will be collected in arranged gates, and the access to the plant and each net cage will be sufficiently increased. An additional advantage of gathering the pipes together is to allow for easy access for the boats and working vessels operating around the fish cages whereby they avoid damaging the pipes with the propellers by unintentionally driving over the pipes or hoses floating loose in the water. Further, stress and tension on the pipes will be transferred to the cradle and the other pipes/cables and thus wear and tear will be reduced.

Each arm of the pipe cradle comprises a first element protruding away from the housing, and a second element connected to and protruding from the first part, at an angle. The first element will support the pipe, and the second element will prevent the pipe from unintentionally falling off the arm, and for supporting multiple pipes on one arm. The angle between the first and second element is preferably between 60 and 120 degrees, more preferably 90 degrees. If the angle is too large, the pipe may fall off the arm, and on the contrary, if the angle is too small, it will be difficult to insert pipes onto the arm.

A surface of the first element of the arm, facing and supporting the pipe, should preferably be curved, more preferably curved corresponding to the pipe in order to support the pipe optimally. If the pipe does not have a circular cross section, then the surface of the arm should not be curved, but be shaped corresponding to the shape of the pipe. If the arm is shaped corresponding to the pipe, the surface of contact between the arm and pipe will be very small, and this might result in high tear and wear of the pipe. The same regards the inner surface of the thorough hole in the housing. In embodiments where several pipes and/or cables are arranged on one arm, the surface should be shaped correspondingly.

In a preferred embodiment, the housing is made of two parts, wherein each part comprises a part of the thorough hole and at least one arm. The parts are preferably hinged together, where the hinge is arranged between the arms, and the rotation axle is parallel to the axial direction of the hole. At an end of the housing, opposite the hinge, the parts are attached to each other for instance by nuts and blots, cabinet catch or any other suitable means. This will be obvious to a person skilled in the art.

The housing may preferably be longitudinal in such a way that the pipe accommodated in the thorough hole will be supported by a surrounding channel, not just a ring. In this way tear and wear of the pipe will be reduced, and the pipe cradle will resist twisting. The same regards to the arms, they should preferably be designed to support the pipes at a distance to reduce tear and wear.

Further, the first elements of the arms are arranged tangential to the hole in the housing, in such a way that the pipes accommodated in the hole and on the arms will be supported at the same level. The second element of each arm is protruding radially in the same direction as the housing. This means that the surface of contact between the first elements of each arm and a pipe accommodated thereon, and the surface of contact between the housing and the pipe in the thorough hole, should be in the same plane. When the pipe cradle is used to bundle pipes of the same size floating in the water, it is obvious that they should be supported at the same level, otherwise the pipe cradle must either lift or suppress some of the pipes. The second element of each arm prevents pipes from falling off the arms, and thus they must protrude in the same direction as the hole, in order to accommodate parallel pipes.

When the pipe cradle is used at sea, it must withstand waves and rough weather, and to further prevent the pipes from falling off the cradle, it may be an advantage to fasten closing-organs between a distal end of the second element of the arms and the housing. In another embodiment, one may arrange a closing-organ between a distal end of the second elements of each arm.

The closing organ may be any suitable means, such as rubber band, latch or rope. It should withstand all forces from the surroundings and the pipes, but yet be easy and fast to open when a pipe or cable in the pipe cradle should be removed. This will be obvious to a skilled person.

In the description above it should be understood that not only one but several pipes and/or cables may be arranged on one arm at the same time. The thorough hole may also accommodate more than one pipe and/or cable. In a preferred embodiment the largest pipe should be arranged in the thorough hole in the housing, as the pipe cradle will be attached to this pipe, and the path of this pipe will be defining the gate where bundled pipes and cables are running. Further, the pipe accommodated in the housing should resist any forces acting on the pipe cradle, for instance forces trying to twist the cradle.

A preferred material of the pipe cradle is plastic having buoyancy in water, preferably having a density of 0,9. When the pipe cradle is used to bundle pipes in the water, it will also give buoyancy to the pipes, and thus reduce tension and stress to the pipes.

Example

The invention will now be described with the help of the enclosed figures, showing a pipe cradle according to the present invention. The different parts of the figure are not necessarily in scale to each other, as the figures are merely for illustrating the invention.

The following description of an exemplary embodiment refers to the figures, and the following detailed description is not meant or intended to limit the invention. Instead, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Reference throughout the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the subject matter disclosed. Thus, the appearance of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout the specification is not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

The invention will in the following be described with reference to the enclosed figures, where

Figure 1 shows a cross section of the pipe cradle, and

Figure 2 shows the pipe cradle in perspective.

In the figures it is shown a pipe cradle comprising a housing 1 having a thorough hole 2 for accommodating a pipe or cable. The pipe cradle further comprises two arms 3, each having a first element 3a perpendicular to the axial direction of the hole 2, and a second element 3b protruding perpendicular to the first element.

The arms 3 are fastened to the bottom of the housing 1, as a tangent to the hole 2, and the second element 3b is protruding upwards on each side of the housing. The upper surface of the first element 3a is in line with the lower circumference of the hole 2, and thus any pipes and/or cables supported in the cradle will be supported at the same level.

The housing is longitudinal, and the thorough hole 2 has the shape of a channel. The arms 3 do not protrude from the housing opposite each other, as one arm is protruding from one end of the housing, and the other arm is protruding from the other end of the housing.

The housing is made of two parts connected to each other by a hinge 4 having a rotation axis parallel to the axial direction of the hole, and bolts 5 and nuts 6 at the opposite end of the housing. The hinge 4 is arranged between the first element 3a of the arms, and the bolts and nuts are arranged at the upper part of the housing 1.

A hole 7 is made at the distal end of the second element of each arm, to fasten closing organs (not shown) in order to close the opening between the end of the arm and the housing. Thereby any pipes and/or cables supported on the arm can not fall off.

When the pipe cradle is used to bundle pipes and/or cables, the bolts 5 and nuts 6 are released, and the two parts of the housing 1 are pivoted, which creates access to the thorough hole 2 in the housing. The most suitable pipe, such as the largest pipe or the pipe having the longest operation time, is inserted into the hole 2, and the parts are pivoted back until the hole is closed and the bolts 5 may engage the nuts 6 again. Then further pipes and/or cables are arranged on the arms of the housing. If considered necessary, a closing organ is arranged between the upper ends of the second element of each arm. When a pipe or cable should be removed, the process is repeated.

When a pipe cradle according to the invention is used to bundle pipes and tubes in a fish farming plant at sea, the pipe inserted into the hole 2 in the housing 1, is preferably the largest pipe, usually a pipe for removal of waste from the bottom of the fish cages. When the plant has a common system for removal of waste from several fish cages, such a pipe normally has a diameter of 200 – 250 mm. On the arms 3 it is usually arranged other tubes running to and from the main barge, such as feeding pipes having a diameter of 90 mm, air pipes having a diameter of 30-50 mm, and of course power cables with a diameter of ca 30-35 mm. The pipe cradle is suitably dimensioned to these pipes, and should be arranged at about 20 m distance from each other. The pipes will then be bundled at defined pipe gates and kept in the surface of the water.

The example above is given to illustrate the invention and should not be used to interpret the following claims limiting as the scope of the invention is limited by the following claims. Modifications and amendments of the invention, being obvious to a person skilled of the art, should also be included in the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. Pipe cradle for accommodating several pipes and/or cables, comprising a housing (1) having a thorough hole (2) for accommodating a longitudinal pipe, and at least two arms (3) for accommodating longitudinal pipes and/or cables, wherein the arms (3) are protruding in opposite directions from the housing (1), perpendicular to the axial direction of the hole (2), characterized in that each arm (3) comprises a first element (3a) protruding away from the housing, and a second element (3b) connected to and protruding from the first part at an angle, wherein the first element (3a) of each arm is arranged tangential to the hole (2), and that the second element (3b) of each arm is protruding radially in the same direction as the housing (1).

2. Pipe cradle according to claim 1, characterized in that the angle is between 120 and 60 degrees, more preferred 90 degrees.

3. Pipe cradle according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the housing (1) is made of two parts, wherein each part comprises a part of the thorough hole (2) and at least one arm (3), and that the parts of the housing are hinged to each other.

4. Pipe cradle according to claim 3, characterized in that the hinge (4) is arranged between the arms (3), and the rotation axis is parallel to the axial direction of the hole (2).

5. Pipe cradle according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a surface of the first element (3a) is curved.

6. Pipe cradle according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a closing organ is arranged between a distal part of the second element of an arm and the housing.

7. Pipe cradle according to claim 6, characterized in that a closing organ may be arranged between the distal parts of the second elements of two arms.

8. Pipe cradle according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is made of a material having density equal or less than water.