WO1998019906A1

WO1998019906A1 - Connection device between a ship's two parts

Info

Publication number: WO1998019906A1
Application number: PCT/NO1997/000290
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dag O. Aavitsland
Original assignee: Aavitsland Dag O
Priority date: 1996-11-06
Filing date: 1997-11-05
Publication date: 1998-05-14
Also published as: NO964703L; NO964703D0; AU4887497A

Abstract

Connection device for releasable connection of two independently floating parts of a ship, whereby the one part has propulsion abilities and the abutment surfaces of the parts comprising connection devices extending vertically and transversally, the connection devices thereby being arranged near the bottom and deck of the hulls and comprising several sets of couplings, each of which comprising a male part and a female part connected to respectively the rear and front hull near respectively the bottom and the deck, locking plugs being provided through holes (13) in flanges extending forwardly in the deck of the rear hull and corresponding holes (14) in the deck of the underlying front hull, whereby the male parts respectively the female parts comprising respectively piercing plugs (10) and receivers (11) and that the receivers (11) comprising two coaxial steel rings having intermediate sleeves (15) of elastic material allowing flexibility between the axes of the piercing plugs and the receivers.

Description

Connection device between a ship ' s two parts

The present invention is related to a connection device for releasable connection of two parts of a ship.

With the developments of ships having two parts, strict demands arise to the connection of the two parts. One of the parts hear may comprise machinery and equipment for operation, navigation and control functions, whereas the other part may comprise equipment for loading functions, both parts, however comprising ballast tanks and ballast equipment.

A provision for practical use is that releasing and connecting the two parts should be quickly and with high security. A ship arriving in a harbour should be able to release its operational part from the loading part, thereby leaving the loading part in the harbour, whereafter the operational part may be connected to another loading part already being loaded. These operations should be performed quickly and with high safety even by harsh weather and sea conditions. The above described objective is achieved with the connection device according to the present invention as defined by the features stated in the patent claims.

The drawing discloses in figure 1 in a perspective view the loading part of a divided ship hull as seen towards the stern, figure 2 discloses a schematical view of the operational part of the ship as seen towards the stern, figure 3 discloses schematically operational part seen against the bow with the connection according to the invention, figure 4 discloses a detail of the front portion of the operational part comprising connection devices near the deck, figure 5 discloses schematically the load part seen from the stern with the connection parts to the operation part, figure 6 discloses a detail from the aft deck of the loading part with the connection devices and figure 7 discloses chematically the connection between the piercing plug and receiver when these are moved out of the alignment with each other.

The operation part is formed as a catamaran with two hulls 1 and 2 and with a deck 3 connecting the hulls. The front vertical sides 7 of the hulls are adapted for connection to corresponding rear vertical sides 6 on the load part 4 whereas the stern 5 extending rearwardly between the sides 6 in assembled connection extend between the hulls 1 and 2 of the operation part to a common termination where the deck 3 of the operation part abuts the rearward part 5 of the load part, In this way a connection of the two substantial function for a ship is achieved, on one hand the load part which may have different shapes, such as adapted for tank or bulk ships or quite different types, and on the other hand the operational part itself with propulsion, navigation and control equipment. In this way loading and unloading of the load part may be performed independently of the operation part, whereas the operation part transports a new load part during the time the previous load part is unloaded and loaded again and possibly is picked up by other operation parts, depending on schedule planning. For safe connection of the two parts, however, it is essential that the two parts very easily may be brought into engagement with each other and that they thereafter may be likewise easy released from each other. On the other side is essential that the two parts when they are connected to each other, provide one unit as to function and strength.

To achieve this the operational part preferably is equipped with piercing plugs 10 arranged in the sides 7 whereafter conical guidings 8 are arranged near the top of the sides 7.

On the other side the sides 6 on the load part comprise near the bottom rings or receivers 11 for receipt of the piercing plugs 10. Furthermore, the plane side 6 of the load part comprise at uppermost portion corresponding conical parts 9 for connection with the conical guidings 8 of the operation part.

For connection the operation part is lifted by ballasting so much that it can be brought above the stern 5 of the load part 4, the operation part thereby being inclined towards the load part. When the two pairs with sides 6 and 7 are abutting each other, the plugs 10 on the one part will mesh into the receivers 11 on the other part. In this position the operation part is ballasted in such a way that the stern of the operation part is lowered and the piercing plugs 10 guided down and into engagement with the receivers 11, whereby the receivers provide a possibility of an inclination of the plugs by arranging flexible receivers between the piercing plugs 10 and receivers 11. Elastic sleeves 15 are arranged in the openings of the receivers 11, preferably two concentric sleeves with intermediate elastic material, such as neoprene allowing angular movement of the axes of the piercing plugs 10 in relation to the axes of the receivers 11 when connec- ting an releasing the piercing plug 10 from the receivers 11.

Thereafter the stern of the operation part is lowered down to the stern of the load part whereafter the front part of the operation part is lowered until the plugs 10 come into engagement with the receivers 11 and simultaneously the conical connections 8 are brought into meshing relationship with corresponding conical connections 9 on the side 6 of the load part. In this way the two parts are secured to each other, as the operation part with its deck 3 lies substantially against the upperside of the stern 5 of the load part. By lowering the operation part, the protruding flanges with couplings 13 of the operation part will be aligned with the couplings 14 in the deck of the load part above the couplings 8, whereafter the couplings 13 and 14 will be connected to each other as the piercing plugs 10 are moved into the receivers 11. As an additional securement the load part may be locked to the operation part even near the stern, preferably with a locking device acting horizontally in the transversal direction with a locking device 12 on the operation part and the corresponding locking device 16 on the load part, where one or more piercing plugs 10 on the one part are displaced into locking position in a corresponding number of receivers 11 on the other part after the load part being brought into position in the operation part.

Claims

Patent Claims

5 1. Connection device for releasable connection of two independently floating parts of a ship, whereby the one part has propulsion abilities and the abutment surfaces of the parts comprising connection devices extending vertically and transversal- ly, CHARACTERIZED IN the connection devices being arranged near o the bottom and deck of the hulls and comprising several sets of couplings, each of which comprising a male part and a female part connected to respectively the rear and front hull near respectively the bottom and the deck, locking plugs being provided through holes ( 13 ) in flanges extending forwardly in the deck of the rear hull s and corresponding holes (14) in the deck of the underlying front hull, whereby the male parts respectively the female parts comprising respectively piercing plugs (10) and receivers (11) and that the receivers ( 11 ) comprising two coaxial steel rings having intermediate sleeves (15) of elastic material allowing 0 flexibility between the axes of the piercing plugs and the receivers .

2. Device according to previous claim, CHARACTERIZED IN the female parts near the bottom of the rear hull being piercing plugs ( 10 ) and that the female parts near the bottom of the front 5 hull being receivers (11) in flanges protruding rearwardly.

3. Device according to previous claims, CHARACTERIZED IN the male parts respectively the female parts near the deck of the rear respectively the front hulls being piercing plugs (10) respectively receivers 11.

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