US2357494A - System and means for transporting ships - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 5, 1944. s. BASILE SYSTEM AND MEANS FOR 'I'RANSPORTING SHIPS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 11, 1942 I W r n 3% an m m d H v d E 4 .I S i a H 2:2: u EEK m @Efifi a x a M n Sept 5, 1944. s. BASILE SYSTEM AND MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING SHIPS Filed June 11, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Bl e F- Q nib a 5 HH HIIII 011 Q mnwm muulnm uuw -l hm hm ,S'alva iore .Baszile Sept; 5, 19445. s. BASIL: I 4 2,357,494

SYSTEM AND MEANS FOR TRANSPOR'I'ING SHIPS Filed June 11, 1942 a Shets-Sheet 5 0 Q j a l & I I.

Sal vaiore Basile Patented Sept. 5, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,357,494 SYSTEM AND MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING SHIPS Salvatore Basile, Bloomfield, Conn.

Application June 11, 1942, Serial No. 446,659

1 Claim.

- provision of means for supporting and removing a ship from one body of water and transporting it to another body of water under self contained driving mechanism.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of means for removing a ship from the water and directing it from the main track to a switch track. v

A still further object of this invention resides in the particular construction of the ship receiving canal,

Aside from the aforesaid objects this invention resides in the particular association and construction of the main and switch tracks of the transportation systems for the ship cradle.

In addition to the objects heretofore mentioned, this invention resides in the particular construction of the ship cradle.

One of the salient features of this invention resides in the provision of means for supporting a ship in the cradle.

With these and other objects in view this invention resides in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of elements to be hereinafter more particularly set forth in the specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claim and, while this disclosure depicts my present conception of the invention, the right is reserved to resort to such departures therefrom as come within the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the ship receiving canal showing the main and switch tracks associated therewith.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view approximately on line 9-9 of Fig. 1 showing the switch track.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken approximately on line 33 of Fig. 1 through the ship canal and showing the cradle therein supporting a. ship.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view of the cradle showing a ship supported therein.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the cradle disposed in the canal which has a portion of its near wall broken away for clarity.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic plan view of the ship cradle driving mechanism.

Fig. '7 is a sectional view through one of the electrically operated gates of the cradle.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view through the cradle showing the passageway therethrough.

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view through one of the ship bracing jacks.

Fig. 10 is a side view of the canal gate.

Fig. 11 is an end view of a canal gate mounted on the supporting track therefor.

In the present illustration of this invention the letter B designates railroad tracks extending into a concrete canal I 2 preferably having a grade of one percent slope into the water and closed by gates I3 slidably disposed on tracks I4. However, it is Within the purview of this invention to employ other suitable types of gates wherein the outer or stream end of the canal can be closed to permit pumping water therefrom.

Disposed landwardly of the canal adjacent thereto or at selected points on the main track are movable switch tracks A driven by suitable self contained pow-er transmitting means, herein shown as consisting of motors I connected to suitable reduction gears 2 mounted on I-beams 3 which in turn support other I-beams 4 on which is rigidly secured steel rails 6 adapted to carry the weight of a ship cradle l6, forming a part of this invention, and a ship 29 supported therein, said ship cradle is driven by suitable power plants, capable of propelling the same, housed in water tight compartments IT at the four corners of the cradle. Connecting the aforesaid compartments are water tight passages l8 having water tight windows 25 while leading from said passages are winding stairs l9 which permit entrance into outwardly extending observation or control cabins 20 disposed at the top of each corner of the cradle.

The cradle is supported on a plurality of strong railroad trucks 28, the wheels of certain of which are connected to the power plants by any well known driving mechanism, the same preferably driving wheels on the four sides of the cradle however, the driving mechanism may be disposed about the cradle at any points thereof found to best meet the demands of the invention.

Disposed at the opposite ends of the cradle are suitable sliding doors 2|, the same preferably being of arcuate configuration and adapted to operate on tracks 22 carried by the cradle so as to telescope within the end walls of the cradle when open.

Formed in the outer side walls of the cradle and communicating with the power plant compartments are suitable water tight doors 24 whereby entrance of the crew is permitted.

Secured to the opposed inner walls of the cradle is a plurality of telescoping ship props 26 preferably of the hydraulic type and provided with cushion heads adapted to bear against the sides of a ship without damaging the paint thereon.

The cradle is constructed of beams, girdles and trusses 21 of any approved construction whereby the bottom of the cradle will be of open type without sacrificing rigidity and strength of the same, the salient feature of said construction being that the cradle will take in water from the bottom when conveyed into the canal to float a ship therein for proper bracing between the cradle walls and discharge the water as it is propelled landward. The switch tracks A preferably operate across the tracks B at right angles so as to align therewith to permit the cradle thereon containing a ship to be shifted to either side of the tracks A and in order to automatically stop the switch track A in alignment with the track B, suitable stop means indicated by the numeral 9 are provided.

In order to prevent the cradle from leaving can rapidly be transported from one body of water to another with little trouble and small expense and, through the simplicity of construction of the associated units, the system can be built at a reasonable price.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A ship transporting cradle comprising concrete side walls having longitudinally extending passages therein, windows in the outer side walls of the passages, doors in the outer side walls of the passages; front and rear concrete decks formed integral with the side walls and having their inner ends terminating inwardly of the ends of the side walls to provide an open bottom between the side walls, spaced beams connecting the side walls within the open bottom therebetween and slanting downwardly therefrom to l a longitudinal line passing through the cradle the main track at its outer or stream end, wheel to form a substantially V-shape open bottom, laterally extending passages extending through the end decks and communicating with those passages in the side Walls, control cabins extending outwardly from the corners of the side walls and having passages leading into those passages of the side walls, sliding gates mounted on the decks with their inner end disposed in slots within the ends of the side walls, wheeled trucks supporting the cradle, and power transmitting means carried by the cradle and connected to certain of the wheeled trucks.

SALVATORE BASILE.

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