US2930495A

US2930495A - Method and apparatus for loading a water vessel

Info

Publication number: US2930495A
Application number: US722112A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rudolph A Matheisel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1958-02-04
Filing date: 1958-02-04
Publication date: 1960-03-29
Anticipated expiration: 1977-03-29

Description

March 29, 1960 MATHE|5EL 2,930,495

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING A WATER VESSEL Filed Feb. 4, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

ENTOR RUDOLPH A. m fi-I EISEL I} BY 70%..

ATTORNEYS March 29, 1960 R. A. MATHEISEL 2,939,495

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING A WATER VESSEL Filed Feb. 4, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1.; FIG. 2 29 INVENTOR RUDOLPH A. MAT/'lE/SEL I I! ATTORNEYS United States Patent 6 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING A WATER VESSEL Rudolph A. Matheisel, Baltimore, Md.

Application February 4, 1958, Serial No. 722,112

(Filed under Rule 47(b) and 35 U.S.C. 118) '4 Claims. (Cl. 214-15);

The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for loading a water vessel and more particularly to a method of and apparatus for loading a water vessel through a top hatch.

In smaller water vessels such as seaplanes, a serious problem arises as to how to load them when afloat. A seaplane could carry its own loading apparatus; however, detrimental weight would be added which would affect the seaplanes flying performance. It is known that a loading crane mounted on a barge can be used to load a seaplane but frequent damage results to the seaplanes structure by the collision of the barge with the seaplane during rough seas.

In the present invention, the disadvantages of the loading systems described above are overcome'by providing a loading apparatus which is not carried by the seaplane but the apparatus is floated out to the seaplane and directly secured thereto. The loading apparatus comprises a mast having a loading crane rotatably mounted on one end and a ballast tank fixed to the other end. A pivotal connection is provided on approximately the center of the mast to allow the mast to be pivotally secured to the seaplane. The ballast tank is flooded with sea water and the crane is self-rotated about the pivotal connection into a vertical position for loading through the top hatch of the seaplane. In this manner, the loading apparatus moves up and down with the seaplane thus avoiding any possible damage to the structure of the seaplane as a result of rough seas.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a method of and apparatus for loading a water vessel while afloat which will not add detrimental weight to the vessel when it is not being loaded.

Another object is to provide a method of and apparatus for loading a water vessel while afloat which avoids any damage to the structure of the vessel from the loading apparatus during rough seas.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus for loading a water vessel while'afloat which has a minimum number of elements and is simple and inexpensive to produce.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus for loading a water vessel while afloat which is pivotally attached to the vessel'and is selferecting into a loading position.

A final object is to provide a method of loading a water vessel while afloat which requires a minimum amount of time and only a small work force.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a plan view of the loading apparatus of the present invention is a horizontal position and attached to a seaplane.

Fig. 2 illustrates a front elevation view of the loading apparatus of Fig. 1 in a vertical position and attached to the seaplane.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation view of Fig. 2 with the for ward part of the seaplane removed.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts through- 5 out the several views, there is shown in Fig. 1 the loading apparatus 10 in a horizontal, towing position and pivotally attached to a seaplane 11 by a pivotal connection 12. The loading apparatus 10 comprises a mast 13 having a ballast tank 14 fixed on one end and a boom 15 rotatably mounted on the other end. A float tank 16 is provided to support the boom end of the mast 13 during floating and towing operations. The tank 16 has a yoke 17 fixed to its upper surface to receive the mast 13 in the horizontal position shown in Fig. l. a

A self-propelled barge 18 is used to tow the loading apparatus 10 which is floatingly supported on

tanks

14 and 16 to the seaplane 11. The barge 18 approaches the seaplane 11 in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 1.

Referring to the mast, a collar 19 is fixed thereto at approximately its center. Collar 19 has a pintle 21 fixed thereto which is one-half of the pivotal connection 12. The other half of the pivotal connection 12 is a fitting 22 which is mounted on the side of the seaplane 11 and receives the pintle 21 when the apparatus 10 is towed into the position shown in Fig. 1. Locking means, such as

guy wires

23 and 24, are provided on the seaplane 11 to lock the pintle 21 into pivotal engagement with the fitting 22.

After the pintle 21 is positioned in the fitting 22,

guy wires

25 and 26 on the seaplane 11 are fixed in a taut relation to the tank 16. A guy wire 27 is fixed at one end to the seaplane 11 and is fixed at its other end to the boom end of the mast 13 in the horizontal position shown in Fig. 1. Wire 27 has slack therein for a purpose to be discussed hereinafter.

The upper surface 28 of the ballast tank 14 which is fixed on one end of the mast 13 has an air valve 29 (see Fig. 2) mounted thereon. A water valve 31 is provided on the under surface 32 of the tank 14. An air line 33 and a Water line 34 are connected from the

valves

29 and 31, respectively, to a remote control box 35 mounted on the mast 13. A compressed air line (not shown) from the seaplane is connected to the control box 35 to supply compressed air to the air line 33 when needed. By means of the water valve 31 and air valve 29, the ballast tank 14 can be flooded with water 36 to sink the ballast tank end of the mast 13 or the water 36 can be blown out by the compressed air through the air valve 29 to allow the tank 14 to become buoyant and rise to the surface of the water. An air vent 37 is provided on the upper surface 28 of the tank 14 to allow the air within the tank 14 to exhaust as the water 36 rises in the tank 14.

It is thus seen that to rotate the mast 13 from the horizontal position shown in Fig. 1 to the vertical position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the ballast tank 14 need only be flooded with water to unbalance the mast and cause it to rotate about the pivotal connection 12 in a counterclockwise direction, when looking at Fig. 3. The guy wire '27 is of such a length that the boom end of the mast 13 can only rotate about the connection 12 until the mast 13 is in a vertical position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and the wire 27 is taut. In this position a support 40 is fastened between the mast 13 and eaplane 11 to help maintain it in a vertical position.

The boom 15 is rotated on the mast 13 by a motor and suitable gearing 38 mounted on the end of the mast 13. The motor 38 is controlled by push buttons 39 suspended by cable 41. The boom 15 has

pulleys

42 and 43 mounted on the under side thereof. A motorized winch 44 is fixed on the mast 13 and has one end of a cable 45 fastened thereto. The other end of the cable 45 passes over

pulleys

42 and 43, supports a pulley hook 46,

3 1 andis attached to the end of the boom 15 at 47. The motorized winch 44 is controlled by push buttons 48 suspended by cable 49. Power is .supplied to the motorized winch: 44-. by;,;the;seaplaneis auxiliary power via the cable 51. U

As :bestshown in Fig. 2, the boom 15 i can "be rotated so .as -ltoiloadstores througlna tophatch '52 inithe. sea:

plane' llaor -can berotatedto; the dotted ,lineposition showmxto picks-up rstoresfromra ship, barge or the.like..

It is readily.v seen thatiby a relativelyusimple means .of

attachingw thermast-13;to?.the seaplane nthere is little chance of damage to the. structure of the seaplane when the "water becomes rough:

The mastsmay bezlocated and erected at anyone of nection fixed to an intermediate partvof said mast for at-.

tachment to said water vessel, saidmast being normally positioned horizontally adjacent a side of said, vessel and. .7

fastenedto the vessel :by said connection, a ballast tanks. fixed .onnone end of. said mast,.means;mounted-on the other end of said mast for liftingstores; means connected to said ballast tank for admitting pressurized gases into.

said ballast tank, means connected to said ballast tankv for admitting and exhausting water into and from said ballast tank, and vent means connected to said ballast tank, whereby upon entry of water into said tank, said tank sinks into the water and causes said mast to rotate about said pivotal connection-ito'a vertical, operative position. 1 2. The mast of claim 1 and further comprising a pin rality of guy wires for holding said mast in taut vertical position adjacentsaid :water vessela.

3.'The mast of :claim 2, \.wherein said lifting means is rotatably'mounted on said other end of said mast, and means mounted-on.rsaidf'mastfor s-Iotatingsaid lifting means.

4. The method ofloading-a water vessel having a top hatch comprising the steps of: floating a mast having a lifting means. and'a balanced ballast on its respective ex:

tremities to .said water "vessel, 'pivotally. connecting said.v

mastat its center tosaid vessel, flooding said ballast and thereby rotating said lifting means to a vertical operative positionand securingsaid mastin-a taut attitude adjecent said vessel.

Adams Dec. 8,11953