US3910219A

US3910219A - Connecting structure for ocean-going push-barge

Info

Publication number: US3910219A
Application number: US476689A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hiromu Ono; Yoshikiyo Kanefusa
Original assignee: Aoki Construction Co Ltd
Current assignee: Aoki Construction Co Ltd
Priority date: 1973-10-05
Filing date: 1974-06-05
Publication date: 1975-10-07
Anticipated expiration: 1992-10-07
Also published as: CA1018015A; HK12778A; BR7406214D0; GB1437744A

Abstract

A connecting structure for ocean-going push-barge combination, wherein a plurality of connecting pins are provided at the bow and both sides of a pusher boat in a manner slidable back and forth, and corresponding numbers of holes or ports for receiving and holding connecting pins therein are provided in the wall of a longitudinally, deeply notched stern of a barge where the bow and the sides of the pusher boat enter, the pusher boat and the barge being rigidly but separably joined together by insertion into the receiving and holding ports of the connecting pins depending on the relative drafts of the pusher boat and the barge to form a single seagoing unit.

Description

United States Patent [191 Ono et al. Oct. 7, 1975 [54] CONNECTING STRUCTURE FOR 3,512,495 5/1970 Fletcher 1. 114/235 R O (;Q PUSH BARGE 3,735,722 5/1973 Hooper 114/235 R [75] Inventors: Hiromu Ono, Nishinomiya;

Yoshikiyo Kanefusa, Kawanishi, both of Japan [73] Assignee: Aoki Construction Company Limited, Osaka, Japan [22] Filed: June 5, 1974 [21] Appl. N0.: 476,689

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 5, 1973 Japan 48-111356 Mar. 20, 1974 Japan 49-31289 [52] U.S. Cl 114/235 R [51] Int. Cl? B63B 21/64 [58] Field of Search 114/235 R, 77

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,345,970 10/1967 Long 114/235 R Primary ExaminerTrygve M. Blix Assistant ExaminerSherman D. Basinger Attorney, Agent, or FirmLewis H. Eslinger; Alvin Sinderbrand [57] ABSTRACT A connecting structure for ocean-going push-barge combination, wherein a plurality of connecting pins are provided at the bow and both sides of a pusher boat in a manner slidable back and forth, and corresponding numbers of holes or ports for receiving and holding connecting pins therein are provided in the wall of a longitudinally, deeply notched stern of a barge where the bow and the sides of the pusher boat enter, the pusher boat and the barge being rigidly but separably joined together by insertion into the receiving and holding ports of the connecting pins depending on the relative drafts of the pusher boat and the barge to form a single seagoing unit.

5 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 1 of4 3,910,219

US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 2 of4 3,910,219

US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 3 of4 3,910,219

US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 4 of4 3,910,219

CONNECTING STRUCTURE FOR OCEAN-GOING PUSH-BARGE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an oceangoing push-tug for pushing ships, barges, etc., and, more particularly, it is concerned with a connecting structure for the oceangoing pusher-barge combination, wherein both pusher boat and barge are rigidly joined and united together to form a single seagoing unit.

As an expedient for the marine transportation of commodities and materials, the so-called pushtowing or push-tug-system has recently been introduced and adopted with giant strides. The reason for this remarkable tendency may be ascribed to the following: (I) a low construction cost; (2) less number of crew; (3) a greater tonnage for transportation than that afforded by a self-navigating barge (a freighter or cargo boat having in itself a driving power) in respect of the same draft; (4) a faster navigating speed than the'towing system by about 30%; and (5) the least difference in its steering performance from that of the selfnavigating boats.

In spite of such advantages the pusher boat provides, however, the push-tug system now in fashion has some vulnerable points in its connecting structure or mechanism with the consequence that the navigation on the rough sea has been extremelydifficult or even impossible.

That is to say, in the stormy weather when great waves billow on the surface of the sea, the pusher boat and the barge bring about relative up-and-down motion therebetween. In the conventional system which keeps both pusher boat and barge in a fastened state, while permitting the relative up-and-down motion therebetween to a certainextent, the push-towing is possible so far .as the sea is not so rough, but, when the sea becomes rough and great waves surge over it, the relative motion between the barge and the pusher boat becomes accordingly large with the consequence that the impact force imparted to the connecting device for the boats augments to an extreme degree by the following mathematical equation:

where Q represents the impact force to the connecting device, M is weights of the pusher boat and the barge, and V denotes speed of the boats. In this equation, when the value of V becomes larger, the value of Q increases in proportion to the value V As the result of repetition of such large impact force on the connecting device, the mechanism becomes finally damaged to make it impossible for the boats to continue navigation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With the foregoing defects and problems with the heretofore known push-towing system in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide an oceangoing pusher-barge combination which is free from the defects inherent in the conventional connecting mechanism for the push-towing system.

' It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved connecting structure for an oceangoing pusher boat and a barge to enable the pusher boat to push-navigate the barge most safely even on the rough sea, the connecting structure being constructed in such a manner that the barge is provided at its stern with a large indentation or a concaved recess which permits the bow of the pusher boat to be inserted thereinto, a plurality of connecting pins, for example, three pieces, are provided in the vicinity of the front part of the pusher boat, one at the bow and each of the remaining two at both sides (port and starboard) of the pusher boat near its center part, and a corresponding numbers (three, in this case) of holes or ports for receiving and holding therein the connecting pins are formed in the side wall of the barge at its indented stem at positions corresponding to the connecting pins provided on the pusher boat, whereby the pusher boat and the barge are fixedly connected at the plurality of points, e.g., three, to avoid the relative motion between them as a single seagoing boat.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide the improved pusher-barge combination of the above-mentioned construction, wherein the receiving and holding ports for the connecting pins are provided in a plurality of stages in the up-and-down direction of the longitudinally indented or notched stern wall of the barge, the connection of the pusher boat and the barge being effected by inserting the connecting pins into a selected stage of the receiving and holding ports in the notched stern wall of the barge in accordance with the relative drafts of the pusher boat and the barge due to a state of the cargo loading, i.e., full or empty.

It is other object of the present invention to provide the improved connecting structure for a pusher boat and a barge, wherein a plurality of connecting pins having a tapered tip are provided in the bow and both sides of the pusher boat in a freely projectionable manner, while corresponding numbers of receiving and holding ports having also conforming tapered or conical shape are provided in the longitudinally indented stern wall of the barge at positions corresponding to the connecting pins so as to tightly but separably receive and join them thereinto, whereby the gap or clearance between the connecting pins and the holding ports is completely eliminated to avoid the undesirable relative motion between the pusher boat and the barge, to remove repeated, strong impact of small amplitude to be imparted to the connecting mechanism owing to the small gap therebetween during the navigation on the rough sea, and to prevent the connecting structure and various instruments and appliances installed in the pusher boat from damages as well as unpleasantness felt by the crews on their bodies.

The foregoing objects of the present invention together with the detailed construction and functions of the connecting structure for the oceangoing push-tug will become more apparent and understandable from the following description of a few preferred embodiments thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing a state of the oceangoing pusher-barge combination in the fullloaded barge;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view showing a state of the oceangoing pusher-barge combination in the empty barge;

FIG: 3 is a top plan view showing a connection of the pusher boat and the barge;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the oceangoing pusher-barge combination when the barge is fullloaded;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the oceangoing pusher-barge combination when the barge is emptyloaded;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view partly in crosssection showing a device for simultaneously inserting and retracting the connecting pins into and fromvthe receiving and holding ports on both sides of the boatbarge hulls, in the state of the connecting pins yet to be inserted into the receiving and holding ports;

FIG. 7 is also a side elevational view partly in crosssection showing the device for simultaneously inserting and retracting the connecting pins in the state of the connecting pins having been inserted into the receiving and holding ports in the barge hull;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the connecting pins and the receiving and holding ports for the pusher-barge combination;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view, partly enlarged, showing the coupled state of the tapered connecting pin and the receiving and holding port;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view, partly enlarged, showing the tapered connecting pin and the receiving and holding port prior to their being coupled; and

FIG. 11 is also a cross-sectional view, partly enlarged, showing the tapered connecting pin and the receiving and holding port when they are about to be coupled.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 which indicate the connection or coupling between a selfnavigating pusher boat A and a cargo-loading, dummy barge B having no self-propelling mechanism, the stern Ba of the barge B is provided with a deep indentation or concaved notch C to allow the bow of the pusher boat A to enter into The pusher boat A is provided near the center part a of the left side (or port side) of the hull with a connecting pin 1 which is made projectionable and retractible by a hydraulic cylinder 2. The boat is also provided near the center part b of the right side (or the starboard) of the hull with another connecting pin 4 which is made projectionable and retractible by another hydraulic cylinder 5. Further, the boat A is provided in the vicinity of its bow d with a connecting pin 7 which is made projectionable and retractible by a hydraulic cylinder 8.

On the other hand, the barge B is provided at the left side thereof with a receiving and holding port 3 near the stern D at a position corresponding to the connecting pin 1 so as to receive and hold the same therein. In the same way. the right side of the barge is provided with another receiving and holding port 6 near the stern E at a position corresponding to the connecting pin 4 so as to receive and hold the same therein. Further, in the vicinity of the innermost part C of the longitudinally, deeply notched stern C of the barge B, there is provided a receiving and holding port 9 to receive and hold therein the connecting pin 7 provided at the bow d of the pusher boat A.

The basic structure for the pusher boat-barge connection according to the present invention is therefore to rigidly join the pusher boat A and the barge B together at a plurality of points (in the above-described embodiment, it is at three points). However, the state of the connection should naturally be different according to the cargo loading on the barge, i.e., whether it is full-loaded or empty-loaded.

In order therefore to maintain adequate joining between the pusher boat and the barge depending on the state of the barge loading, i.e.-, relative drafts of the pusher boat and the barge, the receiving and holding ports formed in the wall of the deeply notched stern are provided in at least the upper and lower lines as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

As is apparent from FIGS. 1 and 4, when the barge B is in its fully loaded state, hence deep draft, the connecting pin 1 at the left side thereof is held by the receiving and holding port 3, the connecting pin 4 at the right side thereof is held by the receiving and holding port 6, and the connecting'pin 7 at the bow thereof is inserted and held by the receiving and holding port 9, whereby the pusher boat A and the barge B are joined together at the three points.

On the other hand, when the barge B is in an emptyloaded state as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the connecting pin 1 at the left side is inserted and held by a receiving and holding port 3' for the empty loading formed below the receiving and holding port 3, the connecting pin 4 at the right side is inserted and held by a receiving and holding port 6 for the empty-loading formed below the receiving and holding port 6, and the connecting pin 7 at the bow thereof is inserted into a receiving and holding port 9' for the empty loading provided below the receiving and holding port 9 for the full loading and held therein by means of the cylinder 8.

In the above-described connecting structure for the pusher boat and the barge according to the present invention as shown in FIGS. 1 through 5 inclusive, the connecting

pins

1 and 4 at both left and right sides are inserted and retracted independently of the other by the separate, individual actuating

cylinders

2 and 5.

It is however possible that both connecting

pins

1 and 4 are simultaneously operated by a common cylinder as indicated in FIGS. 6 and 7.

According to this embodiment, the left side connecting pin 1 is connected to a piston 11 by way of an end arm 1, a connecting arm 16, and another connecting arm 15' which is secured at one end of a piston rod 12 for the piston 11, while the right side connecting pin 4 is connected to the piston 1 1 by way of an end arm 4', a connecting arm 16' and the other end of the connecting arm 15. The left side connecting arm 16 and the right side connecting arm 16 are pivotally connected at their one end to both ends of the connecting arm 15 by means of

pivot pins

18 and 18, while the end arms 1' and 4' of the connecting

pins

1 and 4, respectively, are pivotally connected at the other end of the connecting

arms

16 and 16 by means of

pivot pins

20 and 20.

On the other hand, a small connecting arm 17 for the leftside and another small connecting arm 17 for the right side pivotally fitted at their one end on the

respective fulcrums

21 and 21 provided at certain position on the cylinder are pivotally connected at the other end thereof to the central position of the connecting

arms

16 and 16 by means of

pivot pins

19 and 19, respectively. Length of the small connecting

arms

17 and 17 is made half a length of the connecting

arms

16 and 16.

Incidentally, the

ports

22 and 23 are for feeding lubricant into the guide path for the connecting

pins

1 and 4, and the receiving and holding

ports

3 and 6 to enable the connecting pins to smoothly slide along the guide paths and the portsfor their intromission and withdrawal. v

The connecting pins of the above-described structure is operated in the following fashion.

When a pressurizedfluid (either liquid or gas is sent into the cylinder from a fluid passage port 13, the piston 11 moves toward a fluid passage port 14, whereupon the connecting rod 5 secured at oneend of the piston rod 12 opposite the piston 11 also moves along with it. Since the small connecting arms 16 and 16a for both left and right sides rotate on the pivot of the

fulcrums

21 and 21, respectively, the loci of both pivot pins and 20a are as represented by a straight line X-X in FIG. 6, and the left side connecting pin 1 and the right side connecting pin 4 are thus caused to project outwardly along the line X-Xv to be inserted into the respective receiving and holdingports 3 and 6 as shown in H6. 7.

.The connection of the pusher boat; A and thebarge B can be released by the reverse operation to the above. That is, when the pressurized fluid is sent into the cylinder 10 throughthe fluid passage port 14, the piston 11 moves toward the fluid passage port 13, whereupon the left side connecting pin 1 and the right side connecting pin 4 withdraw from the respective receiving and holding

ports

3 and 6 andthe pusher boat A and the barge B are thus separated.

The advantage to be derived from this simultaneous connecting system is such that,.while the piston 11 is positioned near the fluid passage port 13, the shifting speed of the connecting pins land 4 along the direction of the line X-X is faster than the shifting speed of the piston 11, and, as the piston is going to be close to the fluid passage port 14, the shifting speed of the connecting

pins

1 and 4 on the straight line X-X" becomes slower than the shifting speed of the piston 11, in the course of which thethrusting force of the connecting

pins

1 and 4 augments to ultimately attain the infinity, so that even if a large external force is imparted to both connecting

pins

1 and 4, sufficiently large inserting and retracting force counter to such external force can be obtained with the connecting pins.

in still another embodiment of the connecting structure according to the present invention, the connecting pins and the corresponding receiving and holding ports are shaped in a tapered form as shown in FIGS. 9, 10, and 11 so as to obtain more rigid and tight coupling between the connecting pin and the receiving and holding port free from any gap or clearance between them to minimize undesirable vibrations and shocks caused by such gap to the pusher boat A and the barge B as combined.

Referring now to the drawing, three tapered connecting pins -1, 4, and 7 are provided at the bow and both sides of the pusher boat A, and the corresponding numbers of the receiving and holding

ports

3, 6, and 9 are formed in the wall of the concaved notch at the stern of the barge B at the positions corresponding to those of the connecting

pins

1, 4, and 7. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, each of the tapered connecting

pins

1, 4, and 7 is connected to one end of a piston rod 24 of each of the

cylinders

2, 5, and 8, and is made freely slidable back and forth along the guide path 25.

The inner surface F of each of the tapered receiving and holding

ports

3, 6, and 9, and the outer surface G of each of the tapered connecting

pins

1, 4, and 7 may be as it is, or be coated with an elastic material such as rubber, neoprene, or the like, although the connecting pin and the receiving and holding port are formed in such a manner that, in their engaged state, there exists no gap or clearance between them.

Since the connecting pin and the receiving and holding port of the known type are in a cylindrical form, a certain degree of gap or clearance is necessary as an allowance for the insertion. Accordingly, even in their connected state, there inevitably remains such clearance between them, which ensues a certain moving distancebetween the pusher boat and the barge to cause impact therebetween. According to experiences by the applicant, very strong, mincing vibrations or shocks are brought about in the pusher boat and barge combination on the surging ocean, even if the gap between the connecting pin and the receiving and holding port is from 5 to 6 mm which is less than l/ of the connecting pin having a diameter of 1 meter with the consequence that heavy impact is imparted to both pusher boat and barge to damage not only the connecting structure per se but also the hulls and various instruments and appliances installed therein.

According to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, however, as the connecting

pins

1, 4, and 7 and the receiving and holding

ports

3, 6, and 9 are made in a tapered or conical form, each pair of the connecting pins and the receiving and holding ports can be sufficiently press-contacted each other without anyclearance whatsoever between them with the result that there is no possibility of the undesirable impact being caused to the boat and barge combination. That is to say, the impact is a phenomenon which takes place by collision of two moving objects, and, for the collision to take place, a certain moving distance should be presenLHowever, as in the present invention where no clearance exists between the connecting pin and the receiving and holding port, there is no moving distance between the pin andthe port, hence no possibility of the impact taking place between them.

Further, in order to prevent the tapered or conical connecting

pins

1, 4, and 7 from slipping out of the re- I ceiving and holding

ports

3, 6, and 9 by an external force such as waves, etc., a pressure accumulator 26 is provided on each of the

cylinders

2, 5, and 8 so as to constantly impart the hydraulic pressure to the piston.

By thus constructing the connecting structure, the piston rod 24 constantly acts to press-contact the tapered connecting

pins

1, 4, and 7 to the receiving and holding

ports

3, 6, and 9.

Also, as shown in FIG. 11, since the connecting

pins

1, 4, and 7 are in the tapered or conical shape, they can be readily inserted into and coupled with the receiving and holding

ports

3, 6, and 9, even if there arises a difference a between the center line P--P of each of the connecting

pins

1, 4, and 7 and the center line SS of each of the receiving and holding

ports

3, 6, and 9 due to difference in the drafts between the pusher boat and the barge caused by the degree of cargo loading on the barge B and the weight of equipments on the pusher boat A. In more detail, the connecting

pins

1, 4, and 7 move outward in the arrow direction Y by means of the piston rod 24 which is actuated by feeding a pressurized fluid into each of the

cylinders

2, 5, and 8 for each connecting pin, and in the course of the outward shifting of the tapered connecting pins, even when it happens that the tapered end M of the connecting pin touches the corner surface L of each of the receiving and holding

ports

3, 6, and 9, the pin can be easily thrusted into the receiving and holding

ports

3, 6, and

9. Inversely, when the connecting pins are to be separated from the receiving and holding ports, the withdrawal of the pins therefrom can be done very easily, since the conical shape of the pin and the port brings about less frictional resistance between them than that caused between the cylindrical pin and the port.

Thus, according to the above-described embodiments of the present invention, the pusher boat and the barge can be perfectly and n'gidly joined into a single seagoing unit which is free from undesirable vibrations and shocks caused by collision of the hulls of the pusher boat and the barge, whereby not only the connecting structure and various instruments equipped in the pusher boat can be prevented from damages, but also any unpleasantness felt by the crews due to such vibrations and impact can be removed. Particularly, when the connecting pins and the receiving and holding ports of the conical shape are adopted in this connecting system, the gap or clearance between the connecting pins and the receiving and holding ports can be perfectly eliminated, and, moreover, even if there exists a difference in the draft between the pusher boat and the barge, the connecting and separating operations can be carried out without difficulty.

While the present invention has been illustrated and described by way of preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that such are merely illustrative and not restrictive, and that variations and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as recited in the appended claims. For example, the receiving and holding ports which are arranged in two upper and lower lines, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 5, of (3, 6, 9) and (3', 6', 9) may be made in multiple stages as shown in FIG. 8. According to this multi-stages receiving and holding ports, the connecting pins can be inserted into any appropriate port of a level in accordance with the relative drafts of the pusher boat and the barge, hence precise adjustment in the connection depending on the draft becomes feasible.

What is claimed is:

l. A connecting structure for an ocean-going pushbarge combination which comprises:

A. a pusher boat having a bow, sides and a stern, and

a center of gravity located intermediate said bow and stem, said boat including at least three connecting pins respectively located at the bow and both sides thereof; said connecting pin at the bow extending generally axially of the boat in a forward direction and said connecting pins on the sides of the boat extending outwardly therefrom in opposite directions; said pins being slidably mounted in the boat for movement outwardly and inwardly thereof;

B. a barge having a longitudinally extending stern including a notch formed therein which extends extirely through the stern of the barge and has a configuration generally complementary to the bow of the barge to permit entrance thereinto of the bow and both sides of said pusher boat, where said connecting pins are located, while the bow of the boat remains in the water, said stern of the barge having generally vertically extending side walls defining the notch and having a plurality of recesses therein for receiving and holding, said connecting pins, when said pins are protruded from said pusher boat, said receiving and holding recesses being located in groups at positions corresponding to those of said connecting pins, when the boat is received in said notch with the recesses in each group being located in generally vertically spaced alignment; and

C. means in said boat for extending and retracting said pins into and out of the recesses in the barge that are generally aligned therewith, whereby said pusher boat is adapted to be rigidly but separably joined to the barge at a plurality of points on the bow and the two sides thereof to form a single ocean going unit when said pins are extended, while the pins can be released from the barge and reengaged with other recesses therein to accommodate a change in the relative drafts of the boat and barge without movement of the boat out of said notch.

2. The connecting structure according to claim 1, wherein said connecting pins and said receiving and holding recesses are in a cylindrical form.

3. The connecting structure according to claim 1, wherein said connecting pins and said receiving and holding recesses are generally conical in form.

4. The connecting structure according to claim 1, wherein said means for extending and retracting said connecting pins comprises means for extending and retracting the respective 'pins independently of each other.

5. The connecting structure according to claim 1, wherein said means for extending and retracting said connecting pins includes means for extending and retracting at least the pins on the sides of the boat simultaneously with each other.

Claims

1. A connecting structure for an ocean-going push-barge combination which comprises: A. a pusher boat having a bow, sides and a stern, and a center of gravity located intermediate said bow and stern, said boat including at least three connecting pins respectively located at the bow and both sides thereof; said connecting pin at the bow extending generally axially of the boat in a forward direction and said connecting pins on the sides of the boat extending outwardly therefrom in opposite directions; said pins being slidably mounted in the boat for movement outwardly and inwardly thereof; B. a barge having a longitudinally extending stern including a notch formed therein which extends extirely through the stern of the barge and has a configuration generally complementary to the bow of the barge to permit entrance thereinto of the bow and both sides of said pusher boat, where said connecting pins are located, while the bow of the boat remains in the water, said stern of the barge having generally vertically extending side walls defining the notch and having a plurality of recesses therein for receiving and holding, said connecting pins, when said pins are protruded from said pusher boat, said receiving and holding recesses being located in groups at positions corresponding to those of said connecting pins, when the boat is received in said notch with the recesses in each group being located in generally vertically spaced alignment; and C. means in said boat for extending and retracting said pins into and out of the recesses in the barge that are generally aligned therewith, whereby said pusher boat is adapted to be rigidly but separably joined to the barge at a plurality of points on the bow and the two sides thereof to form a single ocean going unit when said pins are extended, while the pins can be released from the barge and reengaged with other recesses therein to accommodate a change in the relative drafts of the boat and barge without movement of the boat out of said notch.

4. The connecting structure according to claim 1, wherein said means for extending and retracting said connecting pins comprises means for extending and retracting the respective pins independently of each other.