WO2002079025A1

WO2002079025A1 - Device for a hoistable deck for cars

Info

Publication number: WO2002079025A1
Application number: PCT/SE2002/000425
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tore Bark
Original assignee: Tts Ships Equipment Ab
Priority date: 2001-03-14
Filing date: 2002-03-11
Publication date: 2002-10-10
Also published as: SE524634C2; SE0100861D0; SE0100861L

Abstract

The present invention relates to an arrangement (1) for a hoistable car deck (2) for ships (3) or other places where it is wished to be able to change the level of the car deck (2) in question with the help of hoisting cables (4-7) that are driven by means of a driving device (8). A common drive pulley (9) driven by the aforementioned driving device (8) is attached to a set of cable pulleys (10), which comprises a number of cable pulleys, each of which is provided with a groove for its hoisting cable (4-7) and accommodates a number of turns of the cable, in conjunction with which the aforementioned common drive pulley (9) exhibits a diameter exceeding the diameter of the set of cable pulleys and is connected to the aforementioned driving device (8) for the purpose of producing a driving efect on the set of cable pulleys (10). Gearing is achieved in this way.

Description

Device for a hoistable deck for cars.

The present invention relates to an arrangement for a hoistable car deck for ships or other places where it is wished to be able to change the level of the car deck in question with the help of hoisting cables that are driven by means of a driving device. A previously disclosed solution for achieving the hoisting of car decks to desired levels consisted essentially of a driving device that was connected to each of the corners of a car deck platform for the purpose, in conjunction with driving, of achieving hoisting of the platform to the desired hoisting level.

The driving device in this previously disclosed solution consisted of a hydraulically actuated jigger winch, i.e. a single-acting or double-acting hydraulic cylinder, which is equipped with pulley wheels at the piston rod end, over which the lifting cables are double-wound.

The disadvantages of hydraulic actuation are, on the one hand, that hydraulic oil escaping from leaks or fractured pipes finds its way onto the load deck in the ship and, on the other hand, the high installation costs associated with the routing of pipework in the ship.

The solution previously disclosed in SU 659 448 takes up a lot of space and is not suitable for installation in a car deck, for example, because the thickness of such a car deck would be almost the same as the load height that the car deck would permit to be loaded. In fact no gearing effect is achieved with this previously disclosed solution, and the input and output cable drums are the same, with the result that no gearing effect is achieved.

Also, car decks have been hoisted to desired levels with the help of mobile, diesel-engined lift trucks, which have been driven in under the respective platform and, by the actuation of a scissor mechanism, have brought about the hoisting. This requires the ship in question to carry such lift trucks on board to the ports visited by the ship. The environment in the ship was not very good after a while after driving such diesel-engined trucks in the cargo areas of the ship. This previously disclosed solution was also personnel- intensive .

The principal object of the present invention is thus, in the first instance, to solve the aforementioned problems reliably and effectively by simple means.

The aforementioned object is achieved by means of an arrangement in accordance with the present invention, which is characterized essentially in that a common drive pulley driven by the aforementioned driving device is attached to a set of cable pulleys, in that the set of cable pulleys comprises a number of cable pulleys and exhibits a separate cable pulley for each of the aforementioned hoisting cables, each of which is provided with a groove for its hoisting cable and accommodates a number of turns of the cable laid on top of one another, in conjunction with which a lifting point for each hoisting cable is situated at each corner of a car deck panel, in conjunction with which the aforementioned common drive pulley exhibits a diameter exceeding the diameter of the set of cable pulleys and is connected to the aforementioned driving device for the purpose of producing a driving effect on the set of cable pulleys so that the tractive force is geared down at the expense of the stroke length. The present invention is described below as a number of preferred illustrative embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a diagrammatic side view of a ship which exhibits a number of car decks; Fig. 2 shows a view through the cross section of the ship;

Fig. 3 shows a diagrammatic top view of the ship showing the car decks; Fig. 4 shows a top view of a number of panels together forming a car deck;

Fig. 5 shows a side view of a car deck with its various panels hoisted to different levels;

Fig. 6 shows a diagrammatic perspective view of a car deck panel in partial section;

Fig. 7 shows a similar view of the aforementioned panel without the guide grooves illustrated;

Fig. 8 shows a side view of the drive arrangement for the car deck; Fig. 9 shows a view through a cross section of the same;

Figs. 10-12 show different driving devices in conjunction with the drive arrangement in question;

Figs. 13-15 show the cable route and the cable attachment to the respective lifting points of the car deck.

An arrangement 1 for a hoistable car deck 2 , which is intended for use on board ships 3 or at other places where there is a requirement to be able to change the level A, B, C, etc. ... of the car deck 2 in question with the help of a number of hoist cables 4-7 that are driven by means of driving device 8, 108, 208, 308 of a desired kind, has a common drive pulley 9, 109, 209, 309 driven by the aforementioned driving device 8, 108, 208, 308 attached to a set of cable pulleys 10. In accordance with the present invention the aforementioned set of cable pulleys 10 comprises a number of cable pulleys 11, 12, 13, 14, which are equipped with grooves 15, 16, 17, 18 each intended for its own hoisting cable 4-7, and which accommodate a number of turns of cable; see Fig. 9. In conjunction with this, the aforementioned common drive pulley 9, 109, 209, 309 exhibits a diameter D which exceeds the diameter d of the set of cable pulleys.

The aforementioned common cable pulley 9; 109; 209; 309 is connected to the aforementioned driving device for the purpose of producing a driving effect on the set 10 of cable pulleys in the desired direction 19, 20.

The aforementioned drive pulley 9; 109; 209; 309 exhibits a diameter D exceeding the diameter d of the set of cable pulleys and is connected to the aforementioned driving device 8; 108; 208; 308 for the purposed of producing a driving effect on the set of cable pulleys 10 so that the tractive force is geared down at the expense of the stroke length.

A lifting point 21-24 for each hoisting cable 4-7 is located for this purpose at each corner 25-28 of a car deck panel 2A, which, when arranged together side-by-side 29, 30 in a large number, form an aforementioned car deck 2. Each lifting point 21-24 either has a single run of cable between the car deck panel 2A and the attachment 31-34 to the hull 35 of the ship or to some other attachment point. Alternatively, the lifting points can have multiple cable runs.

In the illustrative embodiment shown here it has two cable runs with a lifting height H of 2.2 . There are thus 4.4 m of cable in each lifting cable. The drive pulley preferably consists of a drive cable pulley 9 driven by means of a winch cable 36, which leads to a winch 37 driven by a coupled motor 8 and is illustrated in Figs. 7 and 12 as an illustrative embodiment. The possibility is now afforded of achieving a compact solution in respect of a hoistable car deck through the present invention, the function of which, when actuated by the motor 8 shown in Fig. 7, is to cause the traction cable 36 to be wound around the winch 37 for a number of turns laterally or around the drive cable pulley 9 for a number of turns viewed in the vertical sense, i.e. on top of one another, depending on the direction in which the motor 8 is caused to rotate. In conjunction with this the set of cable pulleys 10 rotates in a corresponding direction 20, 19 so that the associated cable 4-7 is wound respectively on and off the associated single-grooved cable pulley 11-14. The aforementioned drive pulley can, as an alternative, be executed as drive belt pulley 109, which is driven by means of a drive belt 38, a drive chain or similar, as shown in Fig. 11 in the drawings. Illustrated in Fig. 10 as an additional alterative is the drive pulley executed as a toothed drive disc 109, which is driven by means of a pinion, for example a worm 39, directly from a motor 108 or via a gear.

Driving of the aforementioned motor 8, 108, 208, ' 308 is achieved preferably by means of electricity from the ship's own generating plant.

The aforementioned drive pulley 9 can exhibit a diameter D of ca. 2 metres, and the set of cable pulleys 10 in this case exhibits a diameter d which lies between ca . 0.2 and 0.4 metre.

Because the tractive force is geared down at the expense of the stroke length, the winch is small and compact. The drive pulley 9, the set of cable pulleys 10 and the driving device 8 are thus accommodated lying internally in a hollow space 40 in the aforementioned car deck panel 2A of the aforementioned car deck 2 that is movably adjustable respectively in a vertical direction 41, 42. Alternatively, it is possible to cause the various drive components to be accommodated by the fixed parts of the ship, for example its hull.

The drive pulley 9, which consists of a drive cable pulley, preferably exhibits space for ca. turns of cable 36 at the same time on the aforementioned drive cable pulley in matching cable grooves 43, while the set of cable pulleys 10, which exhibit a separate cable pulley 15-18 for each of the aforementioned hoisting cables 4-7, in this case provides space for ca. six turns of cable laid on top of one another.

Hoisting of the car deck panel 2A is executed in principle with several lifting points, the usual number being four, six or eight lifting points, of which the examples are shown with four lifting points. If a different number is selected, the associated number of items of equipment is naturally changed to a corresponding degree, a fact which should be readily appreciated. Since only a single winch is now used, it is possible to ignore the need for equipment arranged to prevent uneven pulling.

The speed of the hoist may also vary marginally with the present invention, although since this variation in speed is extremely marginal, it is of no significance to the operation of the present equipment.

The function of the invention should have been appreciated from the foregoing and with reference to the examples shown in the drawings. Actuation of the motor 8 shown in Fig. 7 causes the traction cable 36 to wind up around the winch 37 for several turns laterally or around the drive cable pulley 9 for several turns of cable viewed vertically, i.e. on top of one another, depending on the direction in which the motor 8 is caused to rotate. In the corresponding direction 20, 19 the set of cable pulleys 10 thus rotates so that the associated cable 4-7 is wound respectively on and off the associated cable pulley 11-14. Control of the car deck panels 2A is achieved with the help of columns or other stable uprights which are included in the hull of the ship at the corners of the aforementioned panels 2A, and previously disclosed pivoting locking devices 44 are arranged on pillars 35¹ in order to retain the aforementioned panel 2A in the intended set carrying or control position, see Fig. 5, while having the capability of being drawn past the aforementioned locking device 44 in the upward direction 41.

The invention is naturally not restricted to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Modifications are possible, especially with regard to the nature of the various component parts, or by the use of equivalent technology, but without departing from the area of protection afforded to the invention as defined in the Patent Claims.

Claims

P a t e n t C l a i m s

1. Arrangement (1) for a hoistable car deck (2) for ships (3) or other places where it is wished to be able to change the level (A, B, C) of the car deck (2) in question with the help of hoisting cables (4-7) that are driven by means of a driving device (8; 108; 208; 308), characterized. in that a common drive pulley (9; 109; 209; 309) driven by the aforementioned driving device (8; 108; 208; 308) is attached to a set of cable pulleys (10) , in that the set of cable pulleys (10) comprises a number of cable pulleys (11- 14) and exhibits a separate cable pulley (11-14) for each of the aforementioned hoisting cables (4-7), each of which is provided with a groove (15-18) for its hoisting cable (4-7) and accommodates a number of turns of the cable laid on top of one another, in conjunction with which a lifting point (21-24) for each hoisting cable (4-7) is situated at each corner of a car deck panel (2A) , in conjunction with which the aforementioned common drive pulley (9; 109; 209; 309) exhibits a diameter (D) exceeding the diameter (d) of the set of cable pulleys and is connected to the aforementioned driving device (8; 108; 208; 308) for the purpose of producing a driving effect on the set of cable pulleys (10) so that the tractive force is geared down at the expense of the stroke length.

2. Arrangement in accordance with Patent Claim 1, characterized in that the respective lifting point (21-24) has a single run of cable between the car deck panel (2A) and the attachment (31-34) to the hull (35) of the ship or to some other attachment point.

3. Arrangement in accordance with Patent Claim 1, characterized in that the respective lifting point (21-24) has multiple runs of cable between the car deck panel (2A) and the attachment (31-34) to the hull (35) of the ship or to some other attachment point . . Arrangement in accordance with one or other of the foregoing Patent Claims, characterized in that the drive pulley consists of a drive cable pulley (9) driven by means of a winch cable (36) .

5. Arrangement in accordance with one or other of the foregoing Patent Claims 1-3, characterized in that the drive pulley (209) is executed as drive belt pulley, which is driven by means of a drive belt (38) .

6. Arrangement in accordance with one or other of the foregoing Patent Claims 1-3, characterized in that the drive pulley (109) is executed as a toothed drive disc, which is driven by means of a pinion (39) directly from a motor (108) or via a gear.

7. Arrangement in accordance with one or other of the foregoing Patent Claims 1-6, characterized in that the drive is provided by means of electricity.

8. Arrangement in accordance with one or other of the foregoing Patent Claims 1-7, characterized in that the drive pulley (9), the set of cable pulleys (10) and the driving device (8) are accommodated internally in the respective car deck panel (2A) of the aforementioned car deck.

9. Arrangement in accordance with one or other of the foregoing Patent Claims 1-8, characterized in that the drive pulley (9) exhibits a diameter (D) of ca. 2 metres, and in that the set of cable pulleys (10) exhibits a diameter (d) of between ca. 0.2 and 0.4 metre.

10. Arrangement in accordance with Patent Claim 9, characterized in that the drive pulley (9), which consists of a drive cable pulley, exhibits space for ca. six turns of cable (36) on the aforementioned drive cable pulley (9) , while the set of cable pulleys (10) , which exhibit a cable pulley for each of the aforementioned hoisting cables (4-7), also provides space for ca. six turns of cable.