RU2617878C2 - Connector circuit - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: machine building.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a connector assembly for the mooring circuit for a ship. The connector circuit comprises a housing (36) through which the circuit passes (14). The circuit is supported with ratchets (24, 26) which are mounted on holders (34, 36). The holders contain upper ends (35) which are pivotally mounted on the housing (38) and have free lower ends (44) held by the cams (50) on the locking pawl (52). The lower ends (51) of the locking pawls pivotally mounted to the housing, the upper ends (60) are free. A hydraulic actuator (70) comprises pins (58) that engage the upper ends of the locking pawls to prevent divergence in the side brackets and pawls as long as the upper ends (60) of locking pawls are not raised.

EFFECT: invention expands the range of devices to connect circuits for a ship, therefore the operation is simplified.

3 cl, 5 dwg

Description

BACKGROUND

A vessel or other floating body is usually moored to the seabed by means of a chain that passes through the chain connector on the floating body and stretches down to the seabed. Although several chains can be used to moor a vessel, the tension in each chain can be very high, such as 2000 tons. Previously, tension in had to be reduced before the chain could be disconnected, and greater forces were required. The force required to disconnect the tensioned chain must be moderate. In addition, the circuit connector should be of moderate size. A moderate-sized chain connector that makes it possible to urgently disconnect the chain using only moderate force, such as not more than 5% of the chain tension, to disconnect would be very valuable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one embodiment, a chain connector is provided that supports a chain that can be subjected to very high tension, such as 2000 tons, and which allows the chain to detach from a floating body or the like by applying only a moderate releasing force, such as 50 tons. The chain extends through the housing, and one of the chain links is supported by ratchets. The ratchets are mounted on first levers in the form of holders that contain upper ends pivotally connected to the chain holder body and which contain free lower ends. The chain connector also contains a pair of second levers, or locking dogs, which contain lower ends forming cams that hold or release the lower ends of the holders. Locking dogs comprise upper ends that are held together by pins. When the pins rise, they release the upper ends of the locking dogs. This allows the upper ends of the locking dogs to move apart so that the cams on the lower ends of the locking dogs release the holders so that they move apart and release the ratchets to release the chain.

Ratchets are pivotally supported on the holders. Ratchets have concave upper ends that receive the convex lower ends of alternating chain links to distribute the load.

New features of the invention are set forth in detail in the attached claims. The invention will become more apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a circuit connector with an unsupported circuit passing through a passage therein.

Figure 2 is an isometric view of the circuit connector of Figure 1, with the upper part of the housing removed for clarity, and with a supported circuit.

Figure 3 is a side sectional view of the connector of Figure 1, with the left side of Figure 3 taken on the center line of the connector and the right side taken in front of the locking dogs.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the circuit connector of FIG. 3.

Figure 5 is a side view of the circuit connector of Figure 4.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Figure 1 shows a chain connector 10 according to the invention, which comprises a passage 12 through which a chain 14 usually extends. A chain connector 10 is usually mounted on a floating body, such as a ship, with a chain extending down to the seabed and anchored thereto, to limit ship drift. However, the chain is useful in many different applications. Sometimes the chain needs to be disconnected from the chain connector to enable replacement of the mooring support, maintenance, or to allow the ship to drift or float away from its mooring location. In this case, the chain may be under high tension, such as 2000 tons. The present chain coupler is designed to disconnect the stretched chain from the chain connector using moderate force, such as 10% of the chain tension for a moderate length chain connector.

Figure 3 shows that the chain is supported by the upper ends 22 of the ratchets 24, 26. The ratchets are pivotally mounted around the axles 30, 32 on the holders 34, 36. The holders contain the upper ends 35 pivotally mounted on the housing 38 of the chain connector around the axles 40, 42. The holders contain lower ends 44, which are protected from displacement from the axis 46 of the connector by means of cams 50, which are formed on the locking dogs 52, 54 (Figure 1). Each of the locking dogs contains a lower end that forms a cam 50 and includes an upper end 60. When the pin 56, 58 moves up and to the side from the upper ends 60 of the locking dogs, then the upper ends of the locking dogs can freely move apart from each other in positions shown in figure 1. When the locking dogs diverge to the sides, their cams 50 release the holders 34, 36, and the holders also diverge to the sides. Moving the holders from each other to the position of FIG. 1 moves the ratchets 24, 26 away from the chain so that the chain can freely move down through the passage 12 of the housing.

The disconnection process is carried out by starting the drive device, preferably a hydraulic jack 70 (FIG. 1), which comprises a cylinder 72 mounted on the housing and a piston 75, which can be forcedly moved up. The upper end of the piston holds two pins 58. As shown in FIG. 3, each pin 58 lies at the upper end 60 of one of the locking dogs 52, 54.

Combinations of holders and locking dogs allow the chain to be released by using only moderate force, such as a 50 ton upward force exerted by jack 70. Instead of using holders 34, 36 combined with locking dogs 52, 54, it is possible to use very long holders. However, it is important to minimize the size of the circuit connector, and the presence of locking dogs limits the height of the circuit connector. The fact that the chain can be released under high tension makes it possible to disconnect without first reducing the chain tension.

The housing has a central plane 90 (FIG. 5), and the chain contains aligned links, such as 92, which have the largest width along the central plane, and contains alternating perpendicular links, such as 94, which have the largest width along the plane, which is perpendicular to the central plane . Ratchets (FIG. 3) have concave upper surfaces 95 that are curved around two axes to distribute the downward force of the chain link over a wide area. Ratchets engage only the aligned links 92. The ratchets are rotated to move away from the chain by means of the aligned links 92 of the chain pushing the ratchets down while pulling the chain. The levers 102 that engage the housing surface 104 are pivotally mounted on the holders and help control the position of the holders.

Thus, the invention provides a chain connector that makes it possible to detach from a chain that is under high tension (in the order of 2000 tons) by applying only a moderate force that is less than 10% and preferably less than 5% of the chain tension. The chain connector includes ratchets mounted on holders that include upper ends pivotally mounted to a control housing. The lower ends of the holders are prevented from diverging to the side by means of cams that are located on the locking dogs. The locking dogs contain upper ends, which are supported near the axis of the housing by means of pins on the jack. The jack can be controlled to pull the pins up out of engagement with the locking dogs to allow the holders and dogs to move apart and thereby free the chain.

Thus, the invention provides a moderate chain connector that can be detached from the chain when the chain is under high tension. The connector includes holders with upper ends that are pivotally mounted on the housing, and with free lower ends of the holders. The connector also includes locking dogs with lower ends that are pivotally mounted on the housing, and with free upper ends. The lower ends of the locking dogs form cams that release the free lower ends of the holders so that they diverge to the sides when the upper ends of the dogs are released to diverge. The ratchets that engage the links have upper surfaces that are curved around two perpendicular axes to provide a large area of engagement with the links.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated in the materials of this application, it should be noted that modifications and changes can be easily made by those skilled in the art, and therefore it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such changes and equivalents.

Claims (11)

1. A circuit connector containing a housing (36) made with at least a partially vertical passage (12) for passing the chain; a pair of holders (34, 36), each of which contains an upper end (34) pivotally mounted on the housing around a separate axis (40, 42) of the holder, each holder containing a lower end (44), a pair of ratchets (24, 26), each of which is connected to one of the holders and each of which is made with the possibility of engagement with the chain to maintain it, while each ratchet is made with the possibility of disconnection from the chain to release it; a pair of locking dogs (52), each of which contains a lower end (44) pivotally mounted on the housing, each dog having a free upper end (60), each dog forming a cam (50) that engages the lower end of one of the holders so that when the upper ends of the dogs are free to go apart, they free the lower ends of the holders so that they go apart; a drive device (70) mounted on the housing, the device comprising a pair of pins (58), each of which engages one of the upper ends of the locking dogs to prevent the upper ends of the locking dogs from diverging, while the driving device is movable to release the upper ends of locking dogs. 2. The circuit connector of claim 1, wherein the housing has a central plane, wherein the locking dogs are movable in the central plane when said dogs are rotated, and said chain comprises alternating aligned links (92) and perpendicular links (95); wherein a section of the chain, which is located in said passage for the chain, contains aligned links that are located in the central plane; each ratchet has a concave surface (94) for engagement with a chain that is curved to make surface contact with the lower end of one of the aligned links. 3. The circuit connector according to claim 1, in which: the drive device comprises a hydraulic cylinder (72) mounted on the housing below the height of the free upper ends of the locking dogs, and the piston (74) contains a lower part located in the cylinder and a vertically sliding upper end, the upper end of the piston carrying a pair of pins (58), each of which is located at one of the upper ends (60) of the dogs when the said locking dogs are not pulled apart to prevent the locking dogs from diverging to the sides until the pins are lifted.

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