US3589299A

US3589299A - High-line cable support

Info

Publication number: US3589299A
Application number: US883857A
Authority: US
Inventors: David John Ingram
Original assignee: General Electric Co PLC
Current assignee: General Electric Co PLC
Priority date: 1968-12-13
Filing date: 1969-12-10
Publication date: 1971-06-29
Anticipated expiration: 1988-06-29
Also published as: DE1961838C2; NL6918718A; NL160768B; FR2026126B1; GB1226440A; DE1961838A1; NL160768C; FR2026126A1

Abstract

A cable support for a high-line load transfer arrangement, especially for use in transferring goods between two ships at sea, comprising a pivoted arm capable of being raised and lowered, the arm providing a first effective high point for the cable when in the raised position, and being such that when it is lowered, following its engagement with a load transfer trolley, the effective high point is transferred to the vicinity of trolley thereby reducing relative movement between the load and the landing area.

Description

United States Patent Inventor David John Ingram Kent, England Appl. No. 883,857 Filed Dec. 10, 1969 Patented June 29, 1971 Assignee The General Electric and English Electric Companies Limited London, England Priority Dec. 13, 1968 Great Britain 59,449

HIGH-LINE CABLE SUPPORT 13 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 104/114, 2 14/13 Int. Cl B611) 7/02, B611) 7/04 Field of Search 104/ 1 12,

[56] References Cit-ed UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,225,702 12/1965 Hill 104/114 3,361,080 1/1968 Born 104/114 3,494,443 2/1970 Huff Hines 214/12 Primary Examiner- Arthur L. La Point Assistant ExaminerD. W. Keen Almrne vKirschstein, Kirschstein. Ottinger & Frank PATENTED JUNZSIBII 9,599,299

SHEET 1 OF 5 'INVENTOR AV'D T. INGRAM PATENTED M29197! 3, 589 299 SHEET 2 OF 5 INVENTOR, PAVW J. INQRAM PATENTED JUN29 Ian 3 5 9,299

SHEET 3 UF 5 1 INVENTOR DAVID T. INGRAM BY 1 nmm; m #m AT T o R N t (S HIGH-LINE CABLE SUPPORT This invention relates to load transfer arrangements for transferring articles between two stations, and which are of the kind incorporating a support cable which is carried by a winch at one of the stations and is arranged to extend to a connecting member at the other station to provide a support for a transfer trolley designed to carry a load as the load is being transferred.

Such high-line transfer arrangements, as they are commonly referred to have application, for example, for the transshipment of cargo and stores between two ships at sea or between a ship and a fixed station such as a lighthouse or oil drilling rig.

The high points at the ends of the support cable should, of course, be maintained at a sufficient height during transfer to allow for the sag at the center of the cable, which may be substantial and vary considerably where transfer is being effected between ships due to rolling and other movement of the ships and variations in the distance between them.

However this can lead to difiiculties during loading and unloading, due to swinging movement of the load and variations in the vertical distance between the high point and the landing area at which loading and unloading is required to take place, resulting from pitching and rolling movement of the ships.

An object of the present invention is to provide a form of cable support whereby the loading and unloading processes are facilitated.

According to the invention a cable support for a load transfer arrangement of the kind referred to comprises an outwardly extending arm capable of up and down pivoting movement, and carrying or associated with support means for the support cable located inwards from the free end of the arm, together with means at the free end of the arm for receiving and engaging a transfer trolley, the arrangement providing a first effective high point inwardly spaced from the end of the arm when the arm is in the raised position, and being such that as the arm is lowered towards a landing area with the trolley engaged the effective position of the high point is transferred outwards relative to the arm to the vicinity of or beyond the trolley.

During transfer the arm will be in the raised position, the high point of the support cable thus being the first effective high point; however for loading and unloading with the trolley engaged, the arm is arranged to be lowered, the transfer of the effective high point to the vicinity of the trolley resulting in the effective high point being moved closer to the load support point, thereby reducing the relative movement between the load and the landing area, and thus facilitating the loading or unloading process.

A cable support in accordance with the invention is conveniently fitted to a receiving ship to which cargo and stores are arranged to be transferred from a supply ship. However such a support may also be fitted to a supply ship, and in some cases to a fixed station such as a lighthouse or oil-drilling rig. The support means may be provided on the pivoted arm itself although for some applications it may be located at a fixed position separate from the arm as will subsequently be described.

The pivoted arm, in addition to being mounted for up and down pivoting movement, may be capable of swiveling movement about a nominally vertical axis, which in the case of a ship means an axis which is substantially vertical when the ship is on an even keel. Normally with a ship the support cable will be arranged to extend over the side of the ship, the pivoted arm then being capable of a swiveling movement in the foreand-aft directions.

The pivoted arm may be designed to be employed with a single jackstay type of transfer arrangement, or alternatively with an arrangement of the kind in which the support cable is in the form of a loop designed to effect the traversal of the transfer trolley in addition to providing a support therefor.

The pivoted arm may be arranged to be held in a fixed raised position whilst a load is being transferred if desired or be freely pivotable during transfer in dependence upon cable movement and tension variations. In the latter case the first effective high point will be located at the pivot point of the arm, where the support means is carried by the arm or at the support means itself where this is separate from the arm, but in both arrangements the end of the arm is preferably shaped to receive and engage the trolley, so that as the arm is lowered against the tension in the support cable, the trolley will be held firmly against a stop on the arm thus resulting in the effective high point being transferred to the vicinity of the trolley.

In a modification of this arrangement the arm may project beyond the stop and carry means for engaging the support cable at a region beyond the trolley as it is lowered towards the landing area, thereby transferring the effective high point to that region, the load in such a case conveniently being lowered on to the landing area by paying out the hauling-in cable.

In the case where the arm is held in a fixed raised position during transfer the first effective high point will normally be the point of attachment of the support cable, where this is provided by a jackstay. On the other hand where a looped form of support cable is employed, the arm may carrynear its free end a pivoted flounder plate fitted with a pulley for the support cable, and having its free end shaped to receive and engage the trolley. The flounder plate will normally be free to pivot about an axis parallel the pivot axis of the arm in dependence upon tension variations in the support cable when the arm is in the raised position, the pivot point of the flounder plate then providing the first effective high point, and the arrangement being such that as the arm is lowered following engagement of the trolley by the flounder plate, a stop on the arm engages the flounder plate which is subsequently held against the stop by the tension in the support cable, the flounder plate then effec' tively providing a rigid continuation of the arm, which results in the outward transfer of the high point to the vicinity of the trolley. It will of course be understood that the statement that the arm is held in a fixed raised position means that the arm is held in a fixed position as regards up and down pivoting movement, but not as regards swiveling movement about a nominally vertical axis where this is provided for.

In order to explain the invention more fully a number of different embodiments of it will now be described by way of example with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8 of the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows schematically and not to scale a load being transferred from a supply ship to a receiving ship by means of a high line,

FIGS. 2 to 4 illustrate different stages of operation of one form of cable support in accordance with the invention mounted on the receiving ship,

FIGS. 5 to 7 illustrate different stages of operation of an alternative form of cable support, and

FIG. 8 shows yet another form of support.

In FIG. 1, S represents in diagrammatic form a supply ship in the process of transferring a load L. to a receiving ship R by means ofa trolley 1 carried by a support cable 2 in the form of a loop controlled by winches (not shown) on the supply ship S, the cable passing around a pulley 3 carried by a cable support 4 on the receiving ship R.

An enlarged view of the cable support is shown in FIG. 2, the support comprising an arm 5 pivoted at 6 and capable of up and down movement under the control of a hydraulic piston and cylinder unit 7.

A flounder plate 8 is pivoted to the arm 5 at a point 9 ad jacent its free end, the flounder plate carrying the pulley 3 around which is arranged to be fitted the support cable 2. The flounder plate 8 extends beyond the pulley and is recessed at its end for receiving the projecting ends of the pulley axle 11 on the trolley 1 when the latter has been winched into it as shown. The pivot point 9 of the flounder plate provides the effective high point of the system at the receiving ship end during transfer, the arm 5 being held in a fixed raised position by the piston and cylinder unit 7 during this process.

When the flounder plate 8 has engaged trolley l the arm 5 is arranged to be lowered towards the landing area 12 to facilitate the unloading of the trolley. During the lowering process the flounder plate is engaged by a region 13 of the arm which projects beyond the pivot point 9 as shown in FIG. 3. The plate 8 is held against the projection 13 by the tension in the support cable and effectively forms a rigid continuation of the arm, and thereby causes the effective high point to be transferred to the trolley pulley 1. Further lowering of the arm causes the load L to be deposited on the landing area 12, and it will be seen that by this means the effective high point.is thus brought close to the latter, and relative movement between the load and the landing area as the load is lowered is thereby reduced. FIG. 4 shows the load fully lowered on to the landing area for removal from the trolley 1.

The arm 5 and the piston and cylinder unit arrangement are conveniently carried by a supportingarrangement which permits the arm to be swiveled through a limited angle in the foreand-aft direction, for example about an axis perpendicular to the deck D and represented by the line S, but the supporting arrangement, which can be of any suitable construction, has been omitted from the drawing for simplicity.

FIGS. 5 to 7 illustrate a modified arrangement designed for use with a jackstay shown at 14. This arrangement also incorporates a pivoted arm 15 capable of being raised and lowered by a hydraulic piston and cylinder unit 17. The jackstay, which is designed to support a trolley 21, is arranged to be secured to the arm 15 at a point 22 near the end, the trolley being traversable across the jackstay be means of hauling cables 23 connected to winch drums (not shown) on the receiving and supply ship. FIG. 5 shows a load L approaching the receiving ship, the arm 15 being held in the raised position as in the previous embodiment. During the transfer process the effective high point is the point of attachment 22 of the jackstay 14.

When the trolley 21 reaches the terminal position at the end of the arm 15 the arm is arranged to be lowered, a projecting portion 24 of the arm then engaging the projecting ends of the trolley pulley axle 25 as in FIG. 6, the effective high point being thereby transferred to the trolley pulley 26, again reducing relative movement between the load and the landing area as the load is lowered (FIG. 7) facilitating the unloading process.

Another arrangement for use with a single jackstay is shown in FIG. 8. This arrangement also employs a pivoted arm in the form of a boom and which, during the transfer process, is permitted to pivot freely in dependence upon the tension in the jackstay 36, the latter passing under a pulley 37 near the free end of the arm, over another pulley 38 carried by a fixed bracket 39 adjacent the pivot point 40 of the arm, to a suitable attachment point (not shown).

The pulley 37 rests on the jackstay 36 so that as the tension in the jackstay increases and decreases the arm is raised and lowered, the effective high point being provided by the pulley 38, as at position A.

The arm carries, just outboard of the pulley 37, a stop 41 against which the load-carrying trolley 42 is arranged to be winched. When the trolley is in this position the arm is arranged to be lowered, for example by means of a cable 47 against the tension in the jackstay, the effective high point being thereby transferred to the pulley 37. The end of the arm beyond the pulley is angled upwards and carries a sheave 48 which is normally held out of contact with the jackstay. However on lowering the arm to a position B the sheave 48 engages the jackstay and the effective high point is transferred to the sheave. Further lowering of the arm against a stop 50 brings the load L just above the landing area 12 as at C, and the load is lowered on to the landing area by paying out the haul-in cable 49 slightly.

It will be appreciated that whilst the jackstay 36 in the arrangement illustrated passes over the pulley 38 which thus provides the first effective high point, it may in some cases be attached to the arm itself, the pivot point of the arm then providing the effective high point.

Whilst the arrangements described have been particularly described with reference to a receiving ship it will be appreciated that a similar pivoted arm may be employed on a supply ship for facilitating the loading of the trolley, the arm being capable of being pivoted downwards to bring the effective high point nearer the landing area and then being capable of being pivoted upwards for example by a hydraulic piston and cylinder unit to raise the effective high point for effecting the actual transfer process.

In addition it will be appreciated that the whole support unit may itself be carried by a movable mounting capable of being raised and lowered, for example in guides, under the control of a suitable power-driven operating means, the raising of the unit giving an increase in the height of the traversal high point above the landing area, and the lowering of the unit when the arm has been pivoted downwards bringing the trolley downwards to a convenient loading position.

I claim:

1. A cable support for load transfer arrangements comprising an outwardly extending arm capable ofup and down pivoting movement said arm having a raised position in which it is inclined upwards from the pivot, and associated with support means for the support cable located inwards from the free end of the arm, together with means at the free end of the arm for receiving and engaging a transfer trolley, the arrangement providing a first effective high point inwardly spaced from the end of the arm when the arm is in the raised position, and being such that as the arm is lowered towards a landing area with the trolley engaged the effective position of the high point is transferred outwards relative to the arm to at least the vicinity ofthe trolley.

2. A cable support according to claim 1, wherein the pivoted arm is also capable of swiveling movement about a nominally vertical axis.

3. A cable support according to claim 1 incorporating means for holding the pivoted arm in a fixed raised position whilst a load is being transferred.

4. A cable support according to claim 3 for a support cable in the form of a jackstay including means for attaching the jackstay to the arm at a point spaced from the pivot.

5. A cable support according to claim 3 for a looped form of support cable, wherein the arm carries near its free end a pivoted flounder plate fitted with a pulley for the support cable, and having its free end shaped to receive and engage the trolley.

6. A cable support according to claim 5, wherein the flounder plate is normally free to pivot about an axis parallel the pivot axis of the arm in dependence upon tension variations in the support cable when the arm is in the raised position, the pivot point of the flounder plate then providing the first eflective high point, and the arrangement being such that as the arm is lowered following engagement of the trolley by the flounder plate, a stop on the arm engages the flounder plate which is subsequently held against the stop by the tension in the support cable, the flounder plate then effectively providing a rigid continuation of the arm, which results in the outward transfer of the high point to the vicinity of the trolley.

7. A cable support according to claim 3, wherein the arm projects beyond the support means, and said projecting portion is shaped to engage, the trolley so that the lowering of the arm against the tension in the support cable towards said landing area causes the effective high point to be transferred from said support means to the point of engagement of the projecting portion with the trolley.

8. A cable support according to claim I, wherein the pivoted arm is capable of pivoting movement whilst a load is being transferred in dependence upon cable movement and tension variations.

9. A cable support according to claim 8, wherein the end of the arm is shaped to receive and engage the trolley, so that in use, as the arm is lowered against the tension in the support cable towards said landing area with the trolley engaged, the trolley is held firmly against a stop on the arm, thereby resulting in the effective high point being transferred to the vicinity of the trolley.

10. A cable support according to claim 8, wherein the arm is provided with a stop against which the trolley is held during the lowering of the arm against the tension in the support cable towards said landing area, the arm projecting beyond the stop and carrying engagement means arranged to engage the support cable at a region beyond the trolley during the latter part of said lowering, thereby resulting in the effective high point being transferred to said region.

11. A cable support according to claim 10, wherein the arm carries a pulley located adjacent the stop and arranged to rest on the support cable during the transfer of a load, the arrangement being such that on the lowering of the arm against the tension in the support cable the effective high point is first transferred to the pulley, and then to the region of engagement of the support cable by the engagement means.

12. A cable support according to claim 10 including means for paying-out the hauling-in cable following the lowering of the arm, to lower the trolley further towards the landing area.

13. A cable support according to claim I wherein the support is itself carried by a movable mounting capable of being raised and lowered, and power-driven operating means are provided for effecting the raising and lowering of the mounting relative to the landing area.

Claims

1. A cable support for load transfer arrangements comprising an outwardly extending arm capable of up and down pivoting movement said arm having a raised position in which it is inclined upwards from the pivot, and associated with support means for the support cable located inwards from the free end of the arm, together with means at the free end of the arm for receiving and engaging a transfer trolley, the arrangement providing a first effective high point inwardly spaced from the end of the arm when the arm is in the raised position, and being such that as the arm is lowered towards a landing area with the trolley engaged the effective position of the high point is transferred outwards relative to the arm to at least the vicinity of the trolley.

6. A cable support according to claim 5, wherein the flounder plate is normally free to pivot about an axis parallel the pivot axis of the arm in dependence upon tension variations in the support cable when the arm is in the raised position, the pivot point of the flounder plate then providing the first effective high point, and the arrangement being such that as the arm is lowered following engagement of the trolley by the flounder plate, a stop on the arm engages the flounder plate which is subsequently held against the stop by the tension in the support cable, the flounder plate then effectively providing a rigid continuation of the arm, which results in the outward transfer of the high point to the vicinity of the trolley.

8. A cable support according to claim 1, wherein the pivoted arm is capable of pivoting movement whilst a load is being transferred in dependence upon cable movement and tension variations.

13. A cable support according to claim 1 wherein the support is itself carried by a movable mounting capable of being raised and lowered, and power-driven operating means are provided for effecting the raising and lowering of the mounting relative to the landing area.