US2803841A

US2803841A - Telescoping brows

Info

Publication number: US2803841A
Application number: US194699A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alexander M Wellens
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-11-08
Filing date: 1950-11-08
Publication date: 1957-08-27
Anticipated expiration: 1974-08-27

Description

8 1957 A. M. WELLENS 2,803,341

TELESCOPING BROWS Filed Nov. 8, 1950 /3 INVENTOR.

Alexander M We/Iens El /g6 Attorneys nited States Patent Ofitice 2,8935 Patented Aug. 27, 1957 TELESCOPING BROWS Alexander M. Wellens, Seattle, Wash.

Application November 8, 1950, Serial No. 194,699

Claims. (Cl. 14-71) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), see. 266) This invention relates to a gangplank which is adapted to accommodate itself to changes in the level of a vessel relative to that of a dock. Such changes may be due to action of the tides or to the loading of the vessel.

Gangplanks commonly in use are hazardous to persons using them at either high tide or low tide because at these tidal conditions the gangplank is inclined at either a very large or very small angle with the horizontal and the gangplank steps are unlevel and unsafe. Also, the gangplank at low tide, if fastened at its upper end to a ship, extends over a large portion of the dock and interferes with dock operations in the vicinity of the gangplank. At high tide the end of the gangplank, if fastened at its lower end to the dock, projects above the level of the deck of the ship to an excessive extent and elevating means are required for lifting persons or cargo from the deck to the gangplank.

The invention has as one of its principal objects the provision of a gangplank that automatically adjusts itself to changes in the tides and various other conditions that affect the level of a floating vessel.

Additional objects will appear in the description to follow.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the gangplank of my invention showing particularly the means for attaching the gangplank to a bull rail on the one end and a barge on the other end;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of an end of the gangplank shown attached to the coaming of a vessel by means of the ship mount of my invention, a view of which is shown partly in cross-section;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of an end of the gangplank taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 1 and showing a view of the bull rail mount of my invention attached to a section of a bull rail;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of an end of the gangplank taken along the line 4--4 in Fig. 1 and showing a crosssectional view of the barge mount of my invention; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the gangplank taken along the line 5-5 in Fig. 1 and showing the division of the gangplank into a step portion and a brow portion, and also showing the arrangement of guide and thrust rollers.

As previously indicated, the automatically adjusting gangplank of the present invention is constructed to accommodate itself automatically to changes in the level of a vessel relative to that of a dock due to changes in tidal conditions or loading of the vessel. This feature of the invention is achieved by the use of an extensible-contractible gangplank having at least two sections. The movement of one section relative to another is facilitated by the use of guide rollers and thrust rollers interposed between them. One end of the gangplank is mounted on a vessel and the other end on a dock by mounting means preferably constructed to allow motion of the main body of the gangplank both about vertical axes fixed relative to the dock and vessel, respectively, and about horizontal axes fixed relative to the dock and vessel, respectively. By dock is meant any dock in the ordinary sense or pier or wharf or the like.

Prior art gangplanks are known which are extensible and contractible such as that shown in U. S. Patent No.

2,448,335 but such prior art gangplanks usually have not been securely anchored both at the vessel end and the dock end simultaneously and have thus suffered from the disadvantages of requiring constant attention to accommodate them to tidal changes.

Reference is made to the drawing where there is shown a specific embodiment of the invention. As is apparent from Fig. l the gangplank is made up in sections 10 and 11, each provided with

brackets

12 and 13 on which are carried guide rollers 14 and thrust rollers 15. As best shown in Fig. 5 the tread surface of the gangplank sections is preferably divided longitudinally into a step portion 29 and a brow portion 21. The step portion is adapted for safer use of the gangplank when the gangplank is inclined at a relatively steep angle, whereas the brow portion is adapted for convenient use when the gangplank is inclined at a relatively slight angle. For convenience and strength in construction, steps 22 run the full width of the gangplank, the brow portion 2.3 cccupying approximately half the width of the steps' with a satisfactory tread material such as wood or heavy gauge wire screen preferably crossed at regular intervals by ribs or cleats 24 to provide sure footing. Railings 25 are preferably made of standard piping mounted in sockets 26 attached to the gangplank sections as best shown in Figs. 1 and 5. The railings are shaped, as shown in Fig. l, to afford a convenient and safe means of support for persons using the gangplank under different tidal and weather conditions and the railings on the two main sections of the gangplank overlap sufficiently that even at full extension the entire length of the gangplank is guarded. Hooks 27, Figs. 1 and 2, are provided for convenience in lifting the gangplank by means of chains or crane hoist hooks.

In actual use on a barge, for example, as shown in Fig. 1, one end of the gangplank is articulatedly attached to the bull rail 29 of a dock 31 by means of a dock mount generally indicated at 33. The dock mount 33 includes an angle iron section or bull rail clamp piece 35 firmly held against the bull rail by chains 37 or the like adapted to be pulled tight against the bull rail and hooked into place on books 39. A swivel tread plate 41 is rotatably pinned by pin 43 to clamp piece 35 and is guided in its swivel motion by pin and slot connection 45-47, Fig. 3. The main body of the gangplank is hinged to swivel plate 41 by detachable hinge pins 49 passing through corresponding aligned openings in pad eyes 51 and lugs 53 extending from the swivel plate 41 and the gangplank proper, respectively.

The other end of the gangplank is shown in Fig. 1 articulatedly attached to a deck 55 of a barge or the like by means of a barge mount generally designated 57. The barge mount may be of any construction adequate to permit sufiicient articulation for the use of the invention and is shown as conveniently made of a Wooden base member 59 surmounted by a metal frame 61. This frame is provided with eyes 63 by which the'm'ount can be firmly anchored to the deck 55 with the aid of detachable links 65 and conveniently placed pad eyes 67 attached to the vessel. The amount further includes an eye bolt 69 arranged by means of nuts 71, washer 73 and a spherically shaped socket 75 to permit relative swivel motion about a generally vertical axis between the eye bolt and the deck 55 with base 59 fixed thereto. The eye bolt is adapted to be hinged to the main body of the gangplank by means of detachable pin 77 passing through aligned openings in lugs 79 extending from the upper section of the gangplank. This connection permits relative motion between the gangplank and the barge about a normally generally horizontal axis.

When using'the gangplank between a ship and a dock the barge mount 57 is disconnected from the main body ofthe gangplank by simply removingthePh .7 91. replaced by a means for attaching the gangplank to a ship designated generally as a ship mount 81 in Fig. 2. Thk hip m unt .81 oanbe constructed inany manner fiql fi t permit of ,not relative displacement between but only ,articulationbetween, the vgangplankproper and the vessel. Ihi s articulationpreferably. involves relative motion between the gangplank proper ;and.- the.,-vessel about both a generallyr,horizontalwaxis,and a generally yercal axis 1 Conveniently, ,as shownin Fig. 2,,- the ship mount; can be .blliltup fromschannelsections, plate, and, the like, It preferably, includes hook-like portions 83 adaptedto hangsecurely ,on the coaming 85 of the 19. 11: .portions 83, can be implemented .with ps (not shown);ifanecessarytq insure firm engage: With.;the .coaming. The ship, mount, further ina hook-shaped swivelneye bolt member 87 provided-,at lone endwith nuts 89,,washer 91, and spherical bearing 101, alllto. 'facilitateswiveling, and at its other end with; an eye portion adapted to receive the detachable pin; 77 which now-again passes through the openings in lugs to hinge together the gangplank proper and the amo ntt H I L IQfQClliifiifl-ihfi use of a gangplank inparallel-to-ship position, instead of in a position extending-directlytransversely oif the; side ,.,some ships are provided with turntable, platforms projecting out, beyond the side of. the vessel similarto that shown in the, aforementioned Patent lflo, 2,448,335. For use ith shipshaving such a turn: table platform the-ship mount ofthis. invention is .pro- Yided with ,eyes 105 t hingethe mount to such a platform: In such usage the. gangplank -would be swung so that the swivel, tread plate 4lywould assume a position approximatelyr 90f from; that shown in Figs. v1 and .3 so that the pin 45,-would be near one end of the slot 47 and ,,the- ;long dimensionof the plate 41 would extend transverse to the bull rail instead of parallel thereto as best shown in Fig. For. safety, to increasethe tread area -of.the tread; plate adjacent the docksurface the hinged extension plate 107 .isprovided which, in. this configuration,i,s lifted to a horizontalposition as shown in phantomline in Figs. l and 3. When the gangplank is.;.s wung through 90",, counterclockwise, .for example, from; the position shown in-Fig..,3, vthe extension plate 107,-,then rests oni-the bull rail and while ofiering additional stepping surface also provides apossibly dangerous unguarded-regionadjacent the water side of .the. bull rail .To. guard., -this region one, of the removable wU- shaped rail .se.ctions,109 is removed from the sockets 111 where-it, is normally held :by;friction pinsorcotter pins. {not shown, .but attached by. smallichains to :the stanchions to prevent loss) and inserted in sockets 115 in the. extension plate,107. ,Thepossibly dangerous open area:;between the newly-placed rail section 109.as shown in. phantom;'line.in Figs; 1 and 3. and the remaining .U-shaped -rail section 117 is spanned by arope or the like 119, also shown in phantom in these figures.

v e i n,

In use, Withitsi oneend articulatedly attached. to a dock ,andits other end similarly attached. toa vessel thegangplank extendsorcontracts by the mere rolling of one section along the other with concomitant rotation about the generally horizontal; axes of the articulated joints to accommodate for differences in level of the ,vessel .and dock. This accommodation of the gangplank is automatic and requiresno attention since neither end can be displacedrelative to the body to. which it is attached, The rate at which theldifference in level between a vessel and a dock isnormally sov slow that no .difficulty; is experienced by personnelstepping from one section of the gangplank to the overlappingsection since during such a smallinterval of time no appreciable extensionor contraction of the gangplank will occur.

Although the aforedescribed specific embodiment illustrees arrs erte term girth? in e ti n. it be parent that other embodiments can be made within the teaching of the invention. For example, gangplanks can be made using more than two overlapping sections. In such cases, of course, the remote ends of the extreme sections are attachedto the dock and vessel respectively, while the intermediate sections extend sufficiently to enable the gangplank as a whole to span the required distance. Alternative mounting means can be used for attaching the ends of the gangplankto the dock and the vessel. For example, either or both of such means can be. replaced by mounts which would provide for rotation of the ends of the gangplank relative to the bodies to .which they are attached about normally horizontal axes only, instead of about both horizontal and vertical axes......,

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present inventionlarepossiblein thelight of the above teachings. It is thereforezto-be understood that within the. scope .ofthe: appended claims the invention can be practicedotherwise than .as specifically described. Theinvention describedhereinmay be manufactured and.used byorfortheGovernment of the United States of- America. forgovernmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed'is; i ,v 1.. Atdeviceofthe character described comprising an extensible gangplank, means for articulatedly connecting one end of said gangplank .to a vesselmeans for articulatedly connecting the other end of said gangplank to a dock, and means for preventing translational motion of said other endrelative to said dock. .2. A device of the character described comprising an extensible contractible gangplank, means for articulatedly attaching-oneend, ofsaidgangplank to a vessel for relative motion therebetween about a normally horizontal axis, means for articulatedly attaching the other end of said gangplank .to a dock for relative motion therebetween aboutanormally horizontal axis, and means for preventing translational motion of said other end relative to said dock. U .3.,In combination a dock, an extensible-contractible gangplank, a vessel, means articulatedly attachingone end ofsaid gangplank to said dock, means articulatedly attaching the other end of said gangplank, to said vessel, and means preventing translational motion of said firstmentioned, end of said gangplank relative to said dock.

4,.In. combination a dock, an extensiblecontractible gangplank, a vessel, means articulatedly attaching one end. ofsaid 'gang'plankto said dock for motion therebetween about both anormally, horizontal axis and a normally verticali axis, means preventing translational motion .Ofsaidendofsaid gangplankrelative tosaid dock, and mean'sfarticulatedly attaching the other end of said gangplank to a. vessel for, motion therebetween about both a normallyhorizontalaxis anda normally vertical axis.

'5..A .deviceof the character, described comprising an extensible-,contractible gangplank, means for, articulatedly attaching; one endsof said gangplank to a dockand for preventingtranslational displacement of said end relative to said dock, and, means for articulatedly attaching theother endiof, said gangplank to a vessel and for preventingtranslational displacement of said other end relative to said vessel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNr rED STATES PATENTS 229,528 ,Eisher July 6, 1880 290,348 Olsen 1 D ec. 18, 18 83 579,813 Wylie Mar. 30, 1897 2,448,335 Wallace Aug. 31, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 26,427 Great Britain 19 06