US3171378A

US3171378A - Ship with elastic structure parts, preferably tug

Info

Publication number: US3171378A
Application number: US224284A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lehmann Guenther Wolfgang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-09-14
Filing date: 1962-09-14
Publication date: 1965-03-02
Anticipated expiration: 1982-03-02

Description

March 2, 1965 a. w. LEHMANN 3,171,378

SHIP wrm Eus'nc STRUCTURE PARTS, PREFERABLY 'ruc Filed Sept. 14. 1962 (T T l E; L;

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b" it INVENTOR r v 4), M4

GUENTHER W. LEHMANN AGENT United States Patent Ofitice 3,171,373 Patented Mar. 2, 1965 3,171,378 SHIP WITH ELASTIC STRUCTURE PARTS, PREFERABLY TUG Guenther Wolfgang Lehmann, 98 Duke of Gloucester Sh, Annapolis, Md. Filed Sept. 14, 1962, Ser. No. 224,284 8 Claims. (Cl. 11465) Tugs are usually equipped with genders, particularly at the bow in order to absorp the impact when the tug contacts the hull of a ship.

Fenders consist usually of rubber tires or hawser work wound around the bow and at the sides of a tug, mostly above the waterline. When towing submarines it is required to extend the shock absorbing area substantially below the waterline in order to prevent damage to tug and submarine in view of the bulging shape of submarines below the waterline. Tugs with a specially designed rubberhose have been equipped in that way and the rubberhoses are attached to the hull by rope and shackles. Since these rubberhoses are outside the actual hull of the tug, an irregular surface produces eddies and an unfavorable ships resistance when the tug is cruising at high speed to the towing scene.

It is the objective of this invention to provide adequate shock absorbing qualities of the hull where required and at the same time to provide a smooth surface similar to a regular hull shape. This problem is solved in accordance with this invention when the hull section forward of the collision bulkhead is built entirely of rubber or similar shock absorbing material with the same shape as an ordinary hull and by providing specially designed attachment means between the elastic and the solid portion of the hull.

The above and other features of the invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description of certain preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein FIG. 1 is a inboard section of the bow;

FIG. 2 is a cross section of FIG. 1 along lines A-A;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 shows a raked bow with an upper elastic bow portion.

A tug 1 has a bow 2 built of rubber or other shock absorbing material, hereafter called elastic material, attached to a collision bulkhead 3 which is built of steel or wood in customary fashion, hereafter called rigid material, the bulkhead defining a forepeak with the bow.

The bulkhead 3 has tongues 4 which serve as attachment means to similar elastic tongues 5 of the elastic bow 2. Impact force 5 may act in any direction, as shown by longitudinal component 6, a transverse component 7 and a vertical component 8. Transverse and

longitudinal components

6, 7 are transferred by elastic tongues 5 to rigid tongues 4. The vertical component 8 is transferred through elastic deformations of the how 2 and tongues 5 to tips 9 of rigid tongues 4. Solid vertical brackets 10 and elastic vertical brackets 10a are mounted, respectively, between

adjacent tongues

4 and 5 to assure proper transfer of the component 8 and resultant moments.

The lower portion 11 of the how 2 extends well below lower edge 12 of the rigid bulkhead 3 and aft to 13, and cavities 14 in the lower portion of the elastic how 2 contribute to the absorption of impacts when they occur at that area. The portion 15 above the deck 1a may be built also from elastic material with ribs 16 and an elastic flat 17 attached to a solid deck tongue 18. Vertical solid brackets 19, 19a serve as rear attachment means of the portion 15 against the solid tug structure.

Bitts 24 and similar heavy forces transmitting equipment which require solid foundations are mounted on the solid tug structure behind the elastic bow structure 2.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, a ship with a raked how 26 has an upper elastic bow portion 27 extending up to or below the waterline 28 with the hawsepipe 29 in the limits of the rigid hull structure 30.

It is understood that the stern or any other part of a tug may be built of elastic material in the fashion as described, with due consideration to the prevailing shape of the hull.

It is furthermore understood that the herein described composite structure of elastic and solid material may also be applied to any other hull area and extension thereon. A composite structure built in accordance with this invention, preferably with reference to an elastic bow structure, will have a beneficial effect in case of collisions, resulting in minor damages to ships involved in an accident.

Existing tugs or ships may easily be equipped with an elastic bow by simply removing a bow portion forward of the collision bulkhead and replacing it with an elastic structure as described herein.

While the invention has been described and illustrated in connection with certain preferred embodiments, it will be understood that many variations and modifications may occur to those skilled in the art, particularly after benefiting from the present teaching, without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A vessel comprising a hull including a main portion and a how, a collision bulkhead mounted transversely of said hull and defining a forepeak with the how, the main hull portion and the bulkhead being of rigid material, and the bow, at least above the vessels waterline, being of elastic material, a plurality of vertically spaced rigid tongues extending from said bulkhead towards said elastic bow, rigid vertical brackets mounted between the rigid tongues, a plurality of vertically spaced elastic tongues extending from the elastic bow towards said bulkhead, said rigid and elastic tongues being in registry, and registering ones of said said tongues being connected to each other, and elastic vertical brackets mounted between the elastic tongues.

2. The vessel of claim 1, wherein the rigid tongues extend into the elastic tongues for connection therewith.

3. The vessel of claim 1, wherein the rigid and the elasltic tongues extend about equidistantly into the forepea 4. The vessel of claim 1, wherein the elastic bow comprises a lowermost portion with an extension below and aft of the collision bulkhead.

5. The vessel of claim 4, wherein the lowermost bow portion defines cavities within its body.

6. The vessel of claim 1, wherein the elastic bow extends about to the waterline of the vessel, and further comprising a hawsepipe mounted in the rigid main hull portion adjacent the elastic bow portion.

7. The vessel of claim 1, further comprising a deck extending transversely of the main hull portion to the collision bulkhead, a rigid deck tongue extending from the deck over the forepeak, a pair of rigid upright brackets rising above the deck, each of said upright brackets being mounted adjacent opposite sides of the main hull portion, said elastic bow portion rising above said deck and being aflixed to said upright brackets, an elastic flat deck portion extending inwardly of the last-named bow portion in registry with the rigid deck tongue, and a plurality of elastic vertical ribs extending inwardly of the last-named bow portion to the rigid deck tongue.

8. A vessel comprising a hull including a main portion and a bow, a collision bulkhead mounted transversely of said hull and defining a forepeak with the bow, the main hull portion and the collision bulkhead being of V a I rigid material, and the bow down to about the vessels waterline being of elastic material, the rigid main hull 7 portion extending forwardly of the collision bulkhead Donovan t Oct. 25', 1910 Haase Oct. 15, 1929 4 V r r Waller Dec. 28, 1943 Baggerud .4; Feb. 27, -1951 Rutledge May 24, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain V V AD. 1899 Great Britain May 17, 1939 Great Britain Jan. 21, 1941 France June 6, 1908 Switzerland Feb. 17, 1930 Germany Feb. 21, 1957

Claims

8. A VAESSEL COMPRISING A HULL INCLUDING A MAIN PORTION AND A BOW, A COLLISION BULKHEAD MOUNTED TRANSVERSELY OF SAID HULL AND DEFINING A FOREPEAK WITH THE BOW, THE MAIN HULL PORTION AND THE COLLISION BULKHEAD BEING OF RIGID MATERIAL, AND THE BOW DOWN TO ABOUT THE VESSEL''S WATERLINE BEING OF ELSTIC MATERIAL, THE RIGID MAIN HULL PORTION EXTENDING FORWARDLY OF THE COLLISION BULKHEAD ADJACENT THE VESSEL''S WATERLINE, AND A HAWSEPIPE MOUNTED IN THE FORWARDLY EXTENDING RIGID MAIN HULL PORTION.