US3541987A

US3541987A - Water vehicle with elevated deck

Info

Publication number: US3541987A
Application number: US762917A
Authority: US
Inventors: William Barkley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-09-26
Filing date: 1968-09-26
Publication date: 1970-11-24
Anticipated expiration: 1987-11-24

Description

United States Patent 4/1969 Primary Examiner-Andrew H. Farrell Attorney-Huebner and Worrel 1,344,903 6/1920 Koiransky.................

ABSTRACT: A water vehicle including a flat bottom hull supported above the water on depending legs connected to a pair of pontoons. The legs are of taperedtconstruction with a broad base pivoted to the hull and a narrow ankle portion joined to their respective pontoons. A stabilizing weight is connected to the hull and the pontoons. Sliding panels on the legs provide for additional buoyancy. Adjustable devices between the hull and the legs are adapted to swing the legs outwardly for lowering the hull to provide greater stability and for disposing the legs and pontoons above water for maintenance purposes.

10 4 wa 2 4 H 0 b2 M .J H l n K B4 8 C In S E ..J 3 D m m L D n u D. E m m S m A T m m mm v A m m E m n V m m Tm D m m m mmm i ow n msm I. 8 i u n E mg 1 r m m rm m n n An u A WF m m\rTm m 4 E8 n k e wmma L m m m mumm mm w mam e uh W3C7SN mmm MU V U m o w R m M m N. m am a n e NHme h .C m um c s n 3 l AFP W8 UhF U 2 I 1]] 1 1]] l 8 2 2 7 22% M mum M I [[l 1 Patented Nov. 24, 1970 WILL/AM BARKLEY lNVENTO/P ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 24, 1970 3,541,987

I WILLIAM BAR/(LEV 72' .74., 4 INVENTO/P MwM A TTORNEVS WATER VEHICLE WITH ELEVATED DECK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION supporting the decks in elevationally spaced relation to the.

water. While such solutions have met with some degree of success, they are not completely satisfactory because of inherent limitations upon the use of the water vehicle. For example, in the case ofa barge elevationally supported above the water on floats the'barge cannot move into shallow water as a normal flat-bottomed barge.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore anohject of the present invention to provide an improved water vehicle.

Another object is to provide a-water vehicle of simple and improved construction, having adjustable floats selectively positionable for increased stability of the vehicle.

Another object is to provide a substantially stable foundation on water for personnel and equipment.

Another objectis to provide a' water vehicle having floats and legs providing additional buoyancy.

Another object is to' provide a water vehicle with legs providing an increasing liftingeffect when high swells in the water are encountered.

Another object is to provide a watervehicle supported on floats by legs which present a minimal area at the water-air interface for minimizing resistance to movement of the vehicle through the water.

Another object is to provide a water vehicle supported on legs which are movable relative to a main deck of thevehicle to allow easy maintenance of the vehicle'without the use of adry dock.

Another object is to provide a water vehicle which includes a flat-bottom barge el'evationally supported above the water supported above the water on depending legs. The legs are ofv tapered construction with a broad base pivoted to the hull and a relatively narrow ankle portion joined to respective pontoons. The legs are of an open-work construction to provide a supporting structure which is substantially wave transparent for stability ofthe vehicle .when at anchor. Sliding panels are adapted to close off the lower portions of the legs to provide additional buoyancy and stability as the vehicle encounters high swells while under way. A stabilizing weight is connected to the hull and the pontoons and is normally disposed at a substantial depth in the water. Adjustable devices, such as hydraulic rams or the like, interconnect the hull and the legs and are adapted to swing the legs outwardly for lowering the hull to provide greater stability. The various parts are dimensioned for disposing the legs and the pontoons above water to place the hull in a floating position for the purposes of maintenance and to allow the barge hull to move into shallow water as a normal flat-bottomed barge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF-THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of a water vehicle embodying the principles ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the water vehicle.

FIGS. 3 through 6 are schematic end views of the water vehicle illustrating the several dispositions of the hull and pontoons thereof.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view showing the manner of interconnecting the hull and pontoons for adjustability.

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the connections shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing the sliding panels and actuating linkages therefor. I

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a water vehicle lt l'embodying the principles ofthe present invention which includes a hull 12 supported on depending legs 14, the lower ends of which are attached to pontoons 16. A stabilizing weight 18 is connected to the hull 12 by a cable 20 and powered winch 22, as shown in FIG. 3, for raising and lowering the weight. The weight 18 is also connected to the pontoons l6'by cables 24 which can be connected to remotely controlled winches, not shown, in the pontoons. The pontoons are provided with remotely controlled power driven water screws 26 for propelling the vehicle through water. The hull 12 can also be provided with a power driven water screw 28 for propelling the hull when the latter is in floating position on the water, as will later appear.

, The hull 12 can take the form of a flat-bottomed barge with a deck 30 which supports a superstructure 32 adapted to house personnel and equipment. Mounted on the superstructure are a pair of motor driven winches 34. Connected to each of the winches-are the ends of a pair of pull lines or cables 36. Each cable 36 is trained over a pulley'or sheave 38' mounted for rotation on the superstructure and a roller 40 rotatably mounted in a bracket 42 secured to the deck 30 at the lateral edges of the hull 12. The outer ends of the cables 36 are secured to the depending legs 14 by U-shaped connectors 44. or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the legs 14 are adapted to be adjustably positioned with respect to the hull 12. To this end, the legs 14 are suitably hinged or pivotally connected to the hull at the lateral edges thereof for swinging about apivotal axis designated by referencenumeral 46. Referring also to FIGS. 1 and 2, each leg 14 is of substantial longitudinal extent and includes a plurality ofspaced vertical posts 48 interconnected'b'y a plate 50. and cross braces 52 providing a lower open work construction. Each post has a generally triangular configuration with an upper broad base 54 and a lower ankle portion 56 of relatively narrow transverse extent, the pontoon 16 being fixed to the latter. The triangular configuration of'the posts provides substantial strength and the open work construction provides a degree of transparency to broad side waves when the water vehicle is at anchor. When the vehicle is under way, the ankle portions present a minimum of area transversely of the direction of movement of the vehicle for minimizing resistance to such movement.

To effect swinging of the legs 14, interconnecting the hall 12 and selected leg posts 48 are a plurality of hydraulic rams 58'suitably spaced along the-sides of the hull, there being at least a pair of such rams on each side. Inviting attention to FIGS. 7 and 8, each hydraulic ram includes a cylindrical casing 60 housed in a recess 62 in the hull and pivoted thereto, as at 6 4. Reciprocally mounted within the casing is a connecting rod 66 the exterior or distal end of which carries a collar 68 with a central opening 70 in which a locking pin 72 is adapted to be slidably received, the pin being suitably supported for sliding and actuated by an hydraulic ram 74 mounted on a respective leg post 48. The rods of the hydraulic rams 58 are thus releasably locked to the legs 14. Upon appropriate actuation of the hydraulic rams 58, the legs can be disposed as shown in FIG. 4 for greater stability of the water vehicle with the hull 12 still elevated, or the hull can be lowered to the position shown in FIG. 5 in which it is floating in the water.

When the rams 58 are actuated to retract the rods 66, the legs are in their normal sea state position or attitude, as shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, additional means can be provided for holding the legs in such attitude and can take the form of tangs 68 individually fixed to selected posts 48. Each tang has an aperture 70' in which a locking pin 72 is adapted to be received, the pin being suitably mounted on the hull l2 and actuated by an hydraulic ram 74.

With the legs 14 disposed as shown in FIG. 5, the connecting rods 66 of the hydraulic rams 58 are in their fully extended positions and can be disconnected from the legs by actuation of the hydraulic rams 74 for withdrawing the locking pins 72 from the collars 68. The rods can then be retracted and the legs and pontoons raised to upright positions. as shown in FIG. 6, by operation of the winches 34, the brackets 42 serving to engage the respective legs and limit movement thereof beyond such positions. With the legs and pontoons disposed out ofthe water, necessary maintenance can'be performed easily and readily without resort to a dry dock. Also, the hull 12 can serve substantially as a self-propelled flat-bottomed barge in shallow water or be towed in such water in the absence of a water screw 28. Maintenance on the underside of the hull can be performed with the legs positioned as shown in FIGS. 3 and/or 4.

To redispose the hull 12 in an elevated position, the procedure relative to the legs 14 is reversed. The winches 34 are operated to lower the legs from the positions shown in FIG. 6 to the positions shown in FIG. 5, after which the rods 66 ofthe hydraulic rams 58 are fully extended for alignment of the openings 70 in the collars 68 with their respective locking pins 72. To effect such alignment more easily, each cylindrical casing 60 has associated therewith a limit stop 76 and a pair of guides 78 mounted on the hull as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Connected to the casing 60 at a point spaced from its pivotal connection 64 is a tension spring 80 which urges the casing against the stop 76 and between the guides 78. The hydraulic ram 58 can then be actuated to swing the legs to the depending positions shown in FIG. 3 or to any intermediate positions such, for example, as shown in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 9, the posts 48 are provided with upwardly diverging slide ways or

channels

82 and 84. Slidably mounted in the channels 82 are a plurality of panels 86, a similar number of panels 88 being slidably mounted in the channels 84. Thus, when the

panels

86 and 88 are slid downwardly, the lower edges thereof are made to engage each other and/or the pontoon l6 and close off the open work portion of each leg. It will be appreciated, of course, that the lower and side edges of the sliding

panels

86 and 88 have associated therewith gaskets or other suitable sealing material for providing a substantially watertight chamber when the panels are in their lowermost positions. Such disposition ofthe panels, combined with the upward divergence thereof, provides additional buoyancy for a greater lifting effect, particularly in rough water with high swellsv Also, the panels can be provided with check valves, not shown, adjacent to their lower edges to allow water to drain from a chamber when it is above water.

The sliding of the

panels

86 and 88 can be effected in any suitable manner. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9, each panel 86 has pivoted thereto one end of a link 90, the other end of the link being pivotally connected by a pin 92 to an actuating bar 94 suitably mounted for reciprocal linear sliding movement. Also pivotally connected to the pin 92 is one end of a link 96, the other end of the link being pivoted to a stationary part of a leg. Each pair of

links

90 and 96 constitute a toggle linkage, the toggle linkages being operative when the bar 94 is moved in onedirection to slide the panels 86 to their lowermost positions, reverse movement of the bar raising the panels to the positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Each actuating bar 94 is operatively connected to an hydraulic ram 98 or the like for reciprocal actuation thereof. A somewhat similarly constructed actuating linkage, designated generally by reference numeral 100, serves to slide the panels 88 up and down, as desired.

The sliding panels arenormally in a raised position when the water vehicle is at anchor. With the panels up, the effective area of the legs subject to the forces of wind and broadside waves is kept to a minimum and the stability of the vessel is thereby increased. Additionally, any force or action which moves either of the pontoons upwardly causes a proportional shift in the position of the stabilizing weight which serves to counteract the upward movement. When in transit or under way with the panels in the lowered positions, the additional buoyancy provided thereby as the vehicle encounters high swells causes the vehicle to move upwardly or rise as previously described. However, the stabilizing weight acts to counter such upward movement so that the rise of the vehicle is gradual.

The water vehicle of the present invention is preferably designed so that each pontoon has a reserve buoyancy equal to about one-sixth of its displacement and the stabilizing weight to have a weight in water approximately equal to the reserve buoyancy of one pontoon. The indicated reserve buoyancy is desired to position the pontoons in the water with the waterline or water air interface in the vicinity ofthe ankle portions 56 so as to counteract surface wind and wave forces and reduce resistance to movement ofthe vehicle when under way. It will be appreciated, of course, that the smaller the reserve buoyancy, the smaller the stabilizing weight can be. In effect, then a fairly large weight, that is, the total weight of the water vehicle, its load and the stabilizing weight, is controlled by use of a relatively smaller weight, the stabilizing weight. If desired, the stabilizing weight 18 can be replaced with an undersea research vehicle of suitable weight or the water vehicle can be designed to carry a heavier research vehicle.

OPERATION The operation of the water vehicle of the present invention is believed to be clearly apparent and is briefly summarized at this point. In a normal sea state'situation, the water vehicle legs 14 are positioned as shown in FIG. 3 with the sliding panels in their raised positions and the stabilizing weight lowered to a considerable depth in the water. In transit, the same conditions prevail, the water level or water air interface being in the vicinity ofthe ankle portions of the legs. However. in rougher water accompanied by high swells, the legs are unlocked by actuation of the hydraulic rams64' and are swung outwardly by the rams 58 to obtain a broader supporting base and lower the center of gravity of the water vehicle, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, to provide greater stability. When at anchor, the sliding panels are maintained in their raised positions but are lowered to water chamber forming positions for additional buoyancy during transit.

In preparation for maintenance on the legs and pontoons or for operation in shallow water, the legs are unlocked and the hydraulic rams 58 and the winches for the

cables

20 and 24 are appropriately actuated for disposing the weight and legs as shown in FIG. 5, the resulting slack in the cables 36 being taken up by a suitable operation of the winches 34. The hydraulic rams 74 are then actuated to withdraw the pins 72 and disconnect the hydraulic rams 58 from the legs after which the winches 34 are actuated to pull the legs to upstanding positions, as shown in FIG. 6. The rods 66 of the hydraulic rams 58 are retracted and the water vehicle is then ready for operation in shallow water or for necessary maintenance.

To return the water vehicle to the attitude shown in FIG.-3, the winches 34 are reverse actuated to lower the legs and pontoons to the positions shown in FIG. 5 with the pontoons floating on the surface. The hydraulic rams 58 are then actuated to extend the rods 66 thereof after which the hydraulic rams 74 are actuated to insert pins 72 in the collars 68 for latching the rods to the legs. The winches connected to the

cables

20 and 24 are then actuated to lower the stabilizing weight 18 and the rods 66 are retracted to swing the legs downwardly and gradually elevate the hull l2 above the water surface. With the broad bases 54 ofthe leg posts 48 in engagement with the hull 12, the rams 74' are actuated to insert the locking pins 72' in the apertured tangs 68' for locking the legs in place.

There has thus been provided a water vehicle positionable to attain greater stability under prevailing conditions in which maintenance can be performed without the necessity of going into a dry dock.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment. it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.

lclaim:

l. A water vehicle comprising a plurality of buoyant pontoons adapted to float in water. a l'loatable hull to which the pontoons are connected for relative movement and for supporting the hull in elevationally spaced relation above the water, and means for moving the pontoons relative to the hull for lowering the hull to a floating position on the water. said pontoons being connected to the hull by buoyant tapered legs to provide additional buoyancy to assist the pontoons in supportingsaid hull in its elevated position.

2. The vehicle of claim 5 in'which each leg has a substantially wave transparent lower open work construction, and movable elements associated therewith positionable to close off the open work construction to provide said additional buoyancy.

3. The water vehicle of claim 1 in which each pontoon is joined to its leg by a relatively narrow ankle portion which presents a minimum of area transversely of the direction of movement of the vehicle through the water for minimizing resistance to movement of the vehicle. each leg having an upwardly diverging configuration from said ankle portion to a substantially wider upper base portion providing an upwardly increasing volumeand lifting effect in rough water with high swells. I

4. The water vehicle of claim 3 including a stabilizing weight suspended below the hull from the pontoons for automatic adjustable positioning relative to the hull during said movement of the pontoons.

5. A water vehicle comprising a floatable hull portion, a pair of legs hinged to the sides of the hull portion each adapted to swing between a depending position and laterally outward positions, a pontoon connected to each of the legs for supporting the hull portion elevationally above a body of water when each of the legs is in said depending position, and means for swinging the legs to laterally outward positions for the purposes of stability and maintenance. each of said legs being of buoyant tapered configuration with a relatively broad base end pivoted to the hull portion and a relatively narrow ankle end joined to the associated pontoon.

6. The water vehicle of claim Sin which each leg has sliding panels positionable thereon to create a substantially water tight chamber for providing additional buoyancy.

7. A water vehicle comprising a hull having opposite sides; a pontoon on each side of the hull and spaced from its respective side ofthe hull substantially the same distance as the other pontoon. the hull being sufficiently buoyant to support the vehicle including the pontoons when the latter are elevated above the water and the pontoons having an aggregate buoyancy sufficient to support the vehicle including the hull when the hull is elevated above the water; and means interconnecting each of the pontoons and its adjacent side of the hull correspondingly operable to raise the pontoons for support of the vehicle on the hull, to lower the pontoons to water engagement to support the 'vehicle on the hull and the pontoons and to raise the hull to support the vehicle on the pontoons. said pontoons being connected to their respective sides of the hull by pivoted legs which are buoyant, said legs being raised from the water when the hull is raised, being raised from-the water when the pontoons are raised but being'in the water for maximum vehicle support when both the pontoons and the hull are in water engagement.

8. A water vehicle comprising a hull floatable in a body of water; a pair of pontoons; and a pair of tapered legs individually pivotally mounting said pontoons on the hull for movement between a plurality of adjusted positions relative to the hull for disposing the hull upon and in elevationally spaced relation to the water, said legs being buoyant to provide additional floatation to assist the pontoons in supporting the hull when disposed in its elevated position.