WO1999047412A1

WO1999047412A1 - Equipment concerning mooring of floating units

Info

Publication number: WO1999047412A1
Application number: PCT/NO1999/000088
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tor A. Pedersen
Original assignee: Pedersen Tor A
Priority date: 1998-03-17
Filing date: 1999-03-15
Publication date: 1999-09-23
Also published as: NO981181D0; AU2964699A; NO981181L

Abstract

A reel (3) for coiling a mooring line (6), said reel (3) rotating on a reel axle (4) and, meshing with the latter, a tensioning device (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19) and a run-out brake (20, 21, 22, 23).

Description

EQUIPMENT CONCERNING MOORING OF FLOATING UNITS

The present invention relates to a mooring device for floating units such as boats which are moored to a quay or the like. The present solution consists of a device to take up the slack, release the line and keep it taut when the boat moves along with the tide or due to other influences. Boats moored at quay will often have a mooring line from the bow and a line from the stern, each attached to a mooring point on the quay. When mooring a boat, it is either the length of the mooring lines which is adjusted in such a manner that the boat can move with the tide, or the lines are kept taut and crew members stay on board to adjust the length of the line as the tide changes. Large vessels have a windlass with automatic monitoring of the slack or tautness of the line to take up slack and give rope as needed.

Using a mooring line of non-adjustable length has the drawback of, at times, allowing the boat too much movement in relation to the quay, with the consequences this may have for the traffic of goods and crew between the boat and the quay. A solution involving crew members to monitor the slack or tautness of the lines as necessary is an expensive solution. Automatic tightening and releasing equipment on the windlass is relatively costly and therefore only warranted for large vessels.

There exists no solution which would be appropriate for small boats such as yatchs and pleasure boats, and small fishing boats.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device which can automatically tighten or release mooring lines for boats in accordance with the necessary variations in length due to tides or weather conditions, and at the same time keeping the lines taut. This is obtained with the help of a reel for the mooring line, mounted and rotating on a reel axle, the latter being supported on either side of the reel by a first bracket and a second bracket respectively, and further, meshing with the reel axle, are provided a tightening device and a run-out brake, the mooring line running out from the reel between pulleys.

Further details of the invention appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment and from the claims.

Figure 1 is a vertical cross section of the invention.

Figure 2 shows the horizontal cross section of the invention along a line A- A according to figure 1.

Figure 3 shows the horizontal cross section of the invention along a line B- B according to figure 1.

Figure 4 illustrates the invention viewed from above. Figure 5 illustrates a first bracket. Figure 6 illustrates a second bracket.

The device of the invention consists of a bottom tray 1 and a first bracket 2 fastened to the tray 1 with the help of spacers 2.1. A reel 3 is rotating on a reel axle

4. The reel 3 is composed of a wheel consisting of two plates held together by a core of lesser diameter, thus forming between the plates a groove 5 in which a mooring line 6 is coiled. One extremity and contact point of the reel axle 4 is placed in the first bracket 2 while the opposite extremity is in a second bracket 7 which is itself fastened to the bottom tray 1 with the help of feet 8 at one end. The second bracket 7 is positioned on the opposite side of the reel 3 from the bottom tray 1. The second bracket 7 is fixed to the bottom tray 1 at two points which are diametrically opposite the feet 8. These two points constitute one of the extremities of each of two pulley axles 9. The opposite extremity of each pulley axle 9 is fixed to the bottom tray 1. A pulley 10 is provided and rotating on each pulley axle 9.

The second bracket 7 is shaped with two wings 11 and a split tail 12. Between each wing 11 and the first bracket 2, spring boxes 13 are provided, each mounted on a first spring axle 14. These spring boxes 13 are mounted in such a manner that when the box rotates, a spring is released or tightened depending on the rotating direction. Provided on each spring box 13, a first cogwheel 15 meshes with a corresponding second cogwheel 16 itself mounted on the reel 3. 3 Mounted on a second spring axle 17 and situated between the first bracket 2 and the second bracket 7 at the point where the tail 12 splits, a stabilizer box 18 is positioned. This stabilizer box 18 is of similar construction to the spring boxes 13 and is provided with a third cogwheel 19 mounted in the same manner as the first cogwheels 15 are mounted on the spring boxes 13. The third cogwheel 19 meshes also with the second cogwheel 16 on the reel 3.

On the surface of the second bracket 7 which is facing the reel 3, two rotating friction wheels 20 are mounted on the second bracket 7 with their circumference in contact with the reel axle 4. The circumference of the friction wheels 20 is provided with a barb system which functions in conjunction with spring-loaded cogs on the reel axle 4 so that the reel 3 drives the friction wheels 20 when rotating in one direction only. Aligned with the centre of the reel axle 4 and the centre of rotation of the friction wheels 20, and on the outside of one of the friction wheels 20, a brake wheel 21 is provided, the circumference of said brake wheel 21 being in contact with the circumference of the friction wheel 20 closest to it. Acting on the brake wheel 21, a brake 22 is adjustable with the help of an adjusting device 23. The pressure applied by the brake wheel 21 to the friction wheel 20 and the reel axle 4 can be adjusted with the adjusting device 23 built like an adjustable spring, the details of which are not illustrated on the figures. The brake wheel 21 may be crescent shaped in order to obtain an alternating braking moment.

The device of the above-described invention operates in the following manner when the mooring line 6 is partly coiled on the reel 3 and said mooring line 6 runs between the wheels 10 and extends on to a mooring point on the quay.

When the tide is going out, the weight of the boat pulls the mooring line 6 out of the reel 3, while the spring boxes 13 and the stabilizer 18 keep it taut, as their internal spring devices are wound up by the rotation of the reel axle 4 transferred by the second cogwheel 16 to the first cogwheels 15 and the third cogwheel 19. The barb system on the friction wheels 20 and the spring-loaded cogs of the reel axle 4 will brake the speed of the unwinding mooring line. When the tide comes in, the wound-up spring moment in the spring boxes 13 and in the stabilizer box 18 will take the slack of the mooring line up. The reel axle 4 will then rotate in the opposite direction and the spring-loaded cogs will not mesh with the barbs provided on the circumference of the friction wheels 20. Due to the operation of the device of the invention, mooring lines have always the appropriate tautness and length, and the movements of the boat are kept in check.

Claims

5CLAIMS

1. Device for the mooring of floating units, characterized by a reel (3) for a mooring line (6), said reel (1) rotating on a reel axle (4) supported on either side of the reel (3) by a first bracket (2) and a second bracket (7) respectively, and where, at the mesh point with the reel axle (4), a tensioning device (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19) and a run-out brake (20, 21, 22, 23) are provided, and where the mooring line (6) runs out of the reel (3) between wheels

(10).

2. The device for the mooring of floating units of claim 1, characterized in that at least one spring box (13) mounted on a first cogwheel (15) is provided on a spring axle (14) which is itself fastened to the first bracket (2) and to the second bracket (7), this being in mesh with a second cogwheel (16) mounted on the axle of the reel (3), and a stabilizer box (18) mounted on a third cogwheel (19) which is also in mesh with the second cogwheel (16).

3. The device for the mooring of floating units of claim 1, characterized in that at least one rotating friction wheel (20) is mounted on the second bracket (7) and is, with its circumference, in contact with the reel axle (4), said circumference of the friction wheel (20) having a barb system which meshes with spring-loaded cogs provided on the reel axle (4) to drive the friction wheel (20) when the reel axle (4) rotates in one direction, and where the moment of momentum of the friction wheel (20), as it is driven by the reel axle (4), may be altered by a brake wheel (21), a brake (22) and an adjusting device (23).

4. The device for the mooring of floating units of claim 3, characterized in that the brake wheel (21) may be of circular shape.

5. The device for the mooring of floating units of claim 3 , characterized in that the brake (21) may be crescent shaped.