WO2008082196A1

WO2008082196A1 - Temporarily fixable carriage device and sheet bonding method using the same

Info

Publication number: WO2008082196A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/006957
Authority: WO
Inventors: Seong-Jong Han; Jong-Ung Choi; Young-Jun Park; Dong Bae Lee
Original assignee: Samsung Heavy Ind. Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2006-12-29
Filing date: 2007-12-28
Publication date: 2008-07-10
Also published as: KR100795946B1

Abstract

A temporarily fixable carriage device is designed for carrying an insulation sheet which is to be bonded to heat insulators attached to inner wall surfaces of a ship cargo compartment. The carriage device includes a frame placed on the heat insulators across a target bonding region defined between the heat insulators, first and second fixing units mounted to opposite end portions of the frame for removably fixing the frame to the heat insulators, and a supply reel unit rotatably mounted to the frame for holding a sheet roll around which the insulation sheet is wound.

Description

TEMPORARILY FIXABLE CARRIAGE DEVICE AND SHEET BONDING METHOD USING THE SAME

Technical Field

[1] The present invention is directed to a temporarily fixable carriage device and, more particularly, a temporarily fixable carriage device for use in carrying and bonding an insulation sheet to heat insulators attached to the inner wall surfaces of a ship cargo compartment. The present invention also relates to a sheet bonding method using the temporarily fixable carriage device.

[2]

Background Art

[3] In a ship cargo compartment for storing cargoes at an ultra low temperature, heat insulators capable of adapting themselves to a broad range of temperature variations, coping with a thermal stress and a thermal shrinkage and preventing infiltration of heat into the cargo compartment need to be attached to the inner wall surfaces of a ship cargo compartment.

[4] Conventionally, insulation sheets such as triplex insulation sheets or the like are bonded to an inter-insulator channel region (hereinafter referred to as a "target bonding region") extending in lattice-like directions between heat insulators. When bonding the insulation sheets to the target bonding region, an adhesive agent such as epoxy matrix composite or the like is used to assure permanent bonding of the insulation sheets.

[5] In this regard, the insulation sheets are transported to a job site in the form of a sheet roll. In the job site, the sheet roll is unwound into a strip shape and bonded to the target bonding region in the form of a separate sheet.

[6] The sheet bonding operation is performed while an operator takes one of different postures including a flat posture, a horizontal posture, a vertical posture and an overhead posture. The operation performed in these postures is as hard and difficult as it may cause musculoskeletal disorders to the operator. For this reason, there is a need to perform the sheet bonding operation in a rapid, simple and easy manner.

[7] In the conventional sheet bonding operation, there is available no means for fixing the sheet roll to the heat insulators around the target bonding region in one of the different postures.

[8] For this reason, a worker ought to carry out an inconvenient task of unwinding the insulation sheet from a sheet roll placed on a ground floor and spreading it over the target bonding region. Furthermore, the worker has to perform tasks of measuring the size of the target bonding region, severing the insulation sheet into the measured size, bringing the severed insulation sheet to the target bonding region, temporarily fixing the insulation sheet and bonding the insulation sheet to the target bonding region. In a complex working environment within a cargo compartment, these tasks are very inefficient and inconvenient for the worker to perform.

[9]

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[10] In view of the above-noted problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a temporarily fixable carriage device that can be quickly fixed to and removed from heat insulators attached to inner wall surfaces of a ship cargo compartment and, therefore, can be easily used in performing various tasks within the ship cargo compartment.

[11] Another object of the present invention is to provide a sheet bonding method capable of bonding an insulation sheet to a target bonding region in an easy and efficient manner through the use of a temporarily fixable carriage device.

[12]

Technical Solution

[13] In one aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a temporarily fixable carriage device for carrying an insulation sheet which is to be bonded to heat insulators attached to inner wall surfaces of a ship cargo compartment, comprising:

[14] a frame placed on the heat insulators across a target bonding region defined between the heat insulators;

[15] first and second fixing units mounted to opposite end portions of the frame for removably fixing the frame to the heat insulators; and

[16] a supply reel unit rotatably mounted to the frame for holding a sheet roll around which the insulation sheet is wound.

[17] In another aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a method for bonding an insulation sheet to heat insulators attached to inner wall surfaces of a ship cargo compartment, comprising the steps of:

[18] mounting a temporarily fixable carriage device to the heat insulators across a target bonding region, the carriage device designed to carry a sheet roll;

[19] mounting a sheet gripping device to the heat insulators across the target bonding region in a spaced-apart relationship with the carriage device;

[20] unwinding the insulation sheet from the sheet roll onto the target bonding region and fixing a tip end of the insulation sheet to the target bonding region;

[21] positioning an automatic gluing machine on the target bonding region between the carriage device and the sheet gripping device; [22] transferring the sheet roll to the automatic gluing machine and removing the carriage device from the heat insulators; and [23] causing the automatic gluing machine to move forward, while allowing the automatic gluing machine to apply glue to the insulation sheet and press the insulation sheet against the target bonding region. [24]

Advantageous Effects

[25] The temporarily fixable carriage device of the present invention provides an advantage in that it can be quickly fixed to and removed from heat insulators around a target bonding region by virtue of a simple clamping or unclamping operation, i.e., a one-touch operation.

[26] Furthermore, due to the provision of a supply reel to which a sheet roll can be mounted by a one-touch operation, the temporarily fixable carriage device of the present invention provides an advantage in that it is capable of improving the environment of a sheet bonding operation, shortening the time required in performing the operation and eventually increasing the productivity of a ship.

[27]

Brief Description of the Drawings

[28] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a temporarily fixable carriage device in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

[29] Fig. 2 is a partially cut-away plan view of the temporarily fixable carriage device shown in Fig. 1.

[30] Fig. 3 is a left side view of the temporarily fixable carriage device shown in Fig. 1.

[31] Fig. 4 is a front elevational section view of the temporarily fixable carriage device shown in Fig. 1, illustrating a state that the device is installed in place.

[32] Fig. 5 is a right side view of the temporarily fixable carriage device shown in Fig. 1.

[33] Figs. 6 through 11 show a state that the temporarily fixable carriage device shown in

Fig. 1 is in use.

[34]

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[35] A preferred embodiment of a temporarily fixable carriage device in accordance with the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[36] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a temporarily fixable carriage device in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a partially cut-away plan view of the temporarily fixable carriage device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a left side view of the temporarily fixable carriage device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front elevational section view of the temporarily fixable carriage device shown in Fig. 1, illustrating a state that the device is installed in place. Fig. 5 is a right side view of the temporarily fixable carriage device shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 6 through 11 show a state that the temporarily fixable carriage device shown in Fig. 1 is in use.

[37] As used herein, the terms "vertical toggle clamp" and "horizontal toggle clamp" refer to mechanical devices that can perform clamping and unclamping operations merely by rotating a vertical handle lever and a horizontal handle lever.

[38] For example, each of the vertical toggle clamp and the horizontal toggle clamp includes a vertical handle lever or a horizontal handle lever rotatable within an extent of 1 to 180 degrees, an "L"-like latch connected at one end to the vertical handle lever or the horizontal handle lever and spread apart at the other end in a "Y" -like shape, the latch having a generally "L"-like end portion, a pair of "T"-like hinge brackets attached to outer surfaces of the "L"-like end portion of the latch, and a plurality of hinges or couplers provided in the "T"-like hinge brackets.

[39] Referring npw to Fig. 1, a temporarily fixable carriage device 100 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is used in bonding an insulation sheet 3 to an object bonding region 2 that extends in lattice-like directions between heat insulators 1 attached to a ship cargo compartment. The temporarily fixable carriage device 100 serves as both a straddling device removably fixed to the heat insulators 1 arranged along opposite sides of the object bonding region 2 and a sheet supply device for supplying the insulation sheet 3 wound around a sheet roll 3 a.

[40] To this end, the temporarily fixable carriage device 100 includes a frame 110 that can be placed over the corner portions of neighboring heat insulators 1 across the target bonding region 2. The temporarily fixable carriage device 100 further includes first and second fixing units 120 and 130. As clearly shown in Fig. 2, the first fixing unit 120 is mounted to one lateral portion of the frame 110 and biased toward one of the neighboring heat insulators 1 by means of a plurality of first springs. The second fixing unit 130 is mounted to the other lateral portion of the frame 110 and biased toward the other of the neighboring heat insulators 1 by means of a horizontal toggle clamp and a plurality of second springs.

[41] Although the biasing force of the second fixing unit 130 is generated by use of the below-mentioned horizontal toggle clamp 131 in the illustrated embodiment, it is needless to say that a well-known turnbuckle may be used to generate the biasing force of the second fixing unit 130.

[42] When fixed in place, the first and second fixing units 120 and 130 allow the temporarily fixable carriage device 100 to bear a payload, i.e., the weight of a load- applying body mounted to the top surface of the frame 110. In order to mount the load- applying body to the frame 110, a plurality of bolt-receiving holes is formed on the top surface of the frame 110 and the base portion of the load- applying body. A plurality of bolts is inserted into the bolt-receiving holes and tightened by means of nuts to fixedly secure the load- applying body to the frame 110.

[43] One example of the load-applying body is a supply reel unit 140 mounted to the top surface of the frame 110. The supply reel unit 140 is adapted to rotatably hold a sheet roll 3 a so that the insulation sheet 3 can be unwound from the sheet roll 3 a. In this regard, it is preferred that the supply reel unit 140 has a weight smaller than the payload that can be borne by the frictional contact between the first and second fixing units 120 and 130 and the heat insulators 1.

[44] Using the combination of the frame 110 and the first and second fixing units 120 and

130, the temporarily fixable carriage device 100 is capable of carrying any equipment and devices having a payload bearable by the first and second fixing units 120 and 130 as well as the supply reel unit 140.

[45] The temporarily fixable carriage device 100 is used in combination with an automatic gluing machine (AMG) 300. The automatic gluing machine 300 is an automated apparatus that applies epoxy glue or urethane glue to the target bonding region 2 and bonds the insulation sheet 3, e.g., a triplex insulation sheet, to the target bonding region 2 when building a cargo compartment of an LNG carrier. The automatic gluing machine 300 is installed above the target bonding region 2 between the heat insulators 1.

[46] As can be seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the frame 110 includes a horizontal plate member

112 for supporting the supply reel unit 140 or the like, a vertical plate member 111 extending downwardly from the frontal edge of the horizontal plate member 112, two pairs of guide rails 113 and 114 respectively attached to the opposite lateral end portions of the horizontal plate member 112 for guiding lateral movement of the first and second fixing units 120 and 130 within a predetermined stroke, a pair of spring rests formed in one lateral end portion of the horizontal plate member 112 for supporting the first springs 121 of the first fixing unit 120, and a clamp mounting bracket 116 formed in the other lateral end portion of the horizontal plate member 112 for holding the horizontal toggle clamp 131 of the second fixing unit 130.

[47] In this regard, the horizontal plate member 112 is provided with a cutout portion 117 formed in the rear end portion thereof. The cutout portion 117 allows an operator to easily confirm the operating state of the horizontal toggle clamp 131 with naked eyes and also allows the operator to easily grip and operate the horizontal toggle clamp 131.

[48] As best shown in Fig. 3, the respective guide rails 113 and 114 have an "L"-like cross section and face each other in a spaced-apart relationship. A first sliding block 125 of the first fixing unit 120 and a second sliding block 137 of the second fixing unit 130 are slidably fitted to the pairs of the guide rails 113 and 114. [49] The supply reel unit 140 includes a first movable disc 155, a second fixed disc 165 spaced apart from the first movable disc 155 and a side toggle clamp 141 for moving the first movable disc 155 toward or away from the second fixed disc 165. In this connection, the side toggle clamp 141 includes a side handle lever 143 and an operating shaft member 144 connected to the side handle lever 143 at one end and op- eratively coupled to the first movable disc 155 at the other end. The operating shaft member 144 is reciprocated by the clamping and unclamping operation of the side handle lever 143.

[50] Referring again to Fig. 2, the first fixing unit 120 includes a plurality of first springs

121 supported on the spring rests 115 of the frame 110, a first sliding block 125 slidably fitted to the corresponding pair of guide rails 113 and formed into an inverted "L"-like cross section for engagement with the corner portion of the corresponding heat insulator 1, the first sliding block 125 having a plurality of spring receiving recesses on one surface thereof, and a stopper bolt 126 slidably inserted into a bolt receiving hole of the first sliding block 125 at one end and fixedly secured to the frame 110 at the other end in such a manner that the first sliding block 125 can make sliding movement toward or away from the corresponding heat insulator 1 within a limited stroke with no possibility of separation from the guide rails 113.

[51] The second fixing unit 130 includes a horizontal toggle clamp 131 slidably fitted to the clamp mounting bracket 116 of the frame 110 by means of a fastening nut 134. The horizontal toggle clamp 131 is configured to reciprocate an operating shaft member 133 in response to a clamping or unclamping operation of a horizontal handle lever 132. A spring pressing plate 135 is connected to the tip end of the operating shaft member 133. The spring pressing plate 135 is slidably fitted to the corresponding pair of the guide rails 114 at its opposite ends. The spring pressing plate 135 is provided with a plurality of spring receiving recesses for receiving one end portions of the second springs 136. The other ends of the second springs 136 are received within the spring receiving recesses of the second sliding block 137.

[52] The second sliding block 137 has the same shape as that of the first sliding block 125 set forth earlier. The second sliding block 137 is slidably fitted to the corresponding pair of guide rails 114, with the second springs 136 retained between the spring pressing plate 135 and the second sliding block 137. A stopper bolt 138 is inserted into the bolt receiving hole of the second sliding block 137 at one end and connected to the operating shaft member 133 at the other end so that the second sliding block 137 can be slid within a predetermined stroke.

[53] The stopper bolts 126 and 138 set forth above allow the first sliding block 125 and the second sliding block 137 to be slid along the corresponding pairs of guide rails 113 and 114 within a limited stroke. This eliminates the need to additionally provide separate spring guide bolts within the first and second springs 121 and 136 of the first and second fixing units 120 and 130, eventually simplifying the structure of the first and second fixing units 120 and 130.

[54] As shown in Fig. 4, the supply reel unit 140 is designed to rotatably hold the sheet roll 3 a in such a manner that the insulation sheet 3 can be unwound from the sheet roll 3a in a later process. The supply reel unit 140 includes a pair of spaced-apart support bases 145 and 146 installed upright on the top surface of the frame 110.

[55] The support base 145 serves to movably support a clamping module 150 of the supply reel unit 140, while the support base 146 functions to rotatably support a rotating shaft module 160 of the supply reel unit 140. The clamping module 150 is moved toward or away from the rotating shaft module 160 by clamping or unclamping the side toggle clamp 141 within a limited angular extent (e.g., 1 to 180 degrees).

[56] The side toggle clamp 141 is coupled to the top end portion of the support base 145.

The operating shaft member 144 of the side toggle clamp 141 extends toward the rotating shaft module 160 and the side handle lever 143 of the side toggle clamp 141 lies on the outer side of the support base 145. The clamping module 150 is attached to the tip end of the operating shaft member 144.

[57] The clamping module 150 includes a compression spring 151 fitted to the operating shaft member 144 of the side toggle clamp 141 so that it can be compressed and released in response to the clamping and unclamping operation of the side toggle clamp 141, a bearing bush 152 connected to the operating shaft member 144 through the compression spring 151, a ball bearing 153 fitted around the bearing bush 152, a first hub 154 rotatably coupled to the operating shaft member 144 through the ball bearing 153, a first movable disc 155 fixedly secured to the first hub 154 for unitary rotation therewith, and a stopper bolt 156 attached to the tip end of the operating shaft member 144 for preventing removal of the first hub 154.

[58] The stopper bolt 156 is threadedly coupled to a stopper washer. The compression spring 151 is fitted around the stopper bolt 156 and retained between the stopper washer and the bearing bush 152. The first hub 154 has a chamfered circumferential surface 154a that assists in inserting the first hub 154 into the bore of a core sleeve 3b of the sheet roll 3 a.

[59] The rotating shaft module 160 is rotatably supported on the top end portion of the support base 146 for rotation about an axis coinciding with that of the clamping module 150. More specifically, the rotating shaft module 160 includes a bearing block 161 fitted to the support base 146, a ball bearing 162 retained within the bearing block 161, a take-up shaft 163 rotatably fitted into the ball bearing 162 at one end, a second hub 164 coupled to the other end of the take-up shaft 163, and a second fixed disc 165 fixedly secured to the second hub 164 for unitary rotation therewith. [60] Just like the chamfered circumferential surface 154a of the first hub 154, the second hub 164 has a chamfered circumferential surface 164a that assists in inserting the second hub 154 into the bore of the core sleeve 3b of the sheet roll 3a. The sheet roll 3a is held between the first movable disc 155 and the second fixed disc 165 with the aid of the first hub 154 and the second hub 164 inserted into the bore of the core sleeve 3b of the sheet roll 3 a.

[61] A tension adjusting mechanism 170 is provided to apply a frictional force to a friction contact portion 174 of the take-up shaft 163. As is apparent in Fig. 5, the tension adjusting mechanism 170 includes a fixed friction jaw 172 and a swingable friction jaw 171 hingedly coupled to a pivot pin 179 for making swing movement relative to the fixed friction jaw 172.

[62] The pivot pin 179 is fixed to the top end portion of the support base 146. It is preferred that the fixed friction jaw 172 and the swingable friction jaw 171 are made of engineering plastic or like materials. Each of the fixed friction jaw 172 and the swingable friction jaw 171 has a semicircular friction groove 173 whose radius of curvature is generally equal to the diameter of the friction contact portion 174 of the take-up shaft 163. The fixed friction jaw 172 and the swingable friction jaw 171 are designed to grip the friction contact portion 174 of the take-up shaft 163 when the swingable friction jaw 171 is swung toward the fixed friction jaw 172.

[63] The fixed friction jaw 172 and the swingable friction jaw 171 are interconnected to each other at their free end by means of an elongated closing rod 175 extending through the thickness of the fixed friction jaw 172 and the swingable friction jaw 171. A butterfly nut 177 is threadedly coupled to the closing rod 175 and a compression spring 176 is retained between the butterfly nut 177 and the swingable friction jaw 171 so that it can resiliently bias the swingable friction jaw 171 toward the fixed friction jaw 172. The biasing force of the compression spring 176 becomes greater as the butterfly nut 177 is tightened by the operator. This increases the frictional force between the friction contact portion 174 of the take-up shaft 163 and the fixed friction jaw 172 and the swingable friction jaw 171. If the butterfly nut 177 is loosened, the frictional force is reduced accordingly. In this way, the tension adjusting mechanism 170 can apply a frictional force to the take-up shaft 163 to thereby adjust the tension of the insulation sheet 3 during the process of unwinding the same. This prevents the insulation sheet 3 from being freely unwound by the gravity thereof.

[64] Next, description will be made on the clamping operation of the supply reel unit 140 as configured above.

[65] A sheet roll 3a is first transported to the temporarily fixable carriage device 100. The side handle lever 143 of the side toggle clamp 141 is rotated upwardly in order to mount a new sheet roll 3a to the supply reel unit 140 or to remove a used sheet roll 3a. At this time, the

[66] In response, the first movable disc 155 is moved away from the second fixed disc

165 within a stroke M, thereby leaving a space great enough to receive the sheet roll 3a between the first movable disc 155 and the second fixed disc 165. Then, the sheet roll 3a is loaded into the space between the first movable disc 155 and the second fixed disc 165 so that the first and second hubs 154 and 164 can be inserted into the bore of the core sleeve 3b of the sheet roll 3a.

[67] Subsequently, the side handle lever 143 of the side toggle clamp 141 is swung upwardly to perform a clamping operation. The operating shaft member 144 connected to the side handle lever 143 is moved to compress the compression spring 151 at a toggle stroke M. Thus, the first movable disc 155 of the clamping module 150 is biased against the second fixed disc 165 by means of the compression spring 151. At this time, the compression spring 151 is resiliently yieldable within a displacement extent L to regulate the biasing force applied to the first movable disc 155.

[68] As a result, the first movable disc 155 presses the core sleeve 3b of the sheet roll 3a against the second fixed disc 165, whereby the core sleeve 3b of the sheet roll 3a is engaged with the first and second hubs 154 and 164 at its axial opposite ends so that the sheet roll 3a can be rotated together with the take-up shaft 163. In this way, the sheet roll 3a is rotatably held by means of the temporarily fixable carriage device 100 in a removal-free manner.

[69] The unclamping operation of the supply reel unit 140 for releasing the sheet roll 3a is performed in a reverse order of the clamping operation noted above. During the unclamping operation of the supply reel unit 140, the first movable disc 155 is rapidly returned back to its original position by the resilient expansion force of the compression spring 151. This allows the operator to remove the used sheet roll 3a and mount a new sheet roll 3a to the supply reel unit 140.

[70] Next, the first fixing unit 120 attached to the left portion of the frame 110 is placed on the corner portion of the left heat insulator 1 and, then, the second fixing unit 130 is placed on the corner portion of the right heat insulator 1. In this state, the horizontal handle lever 132 of the horizontal toggle clamp 131 is rotated to perform a clamping operation. In response, the operating shaft member 133 connected to the horizontal toggle clamp 131 is moved toward the right heat insulator 1, thereby allowing the spring pressing plate 135 to compress the second springs 136. As a consequence, the second sliding block 137 is pressed against the right heat insulator 1.

[71] The reaction force generated in this process is transmitted to the first springs 121 of the first fixing unit 120 through the frame 110, whereby the first sliding block 125 of the first fixing unit 120 is pressed against the left heat insulator 1. In this way, the temporarily fixable carriage device 100 is quickly and stably fixed to the neighboring heat insulators 1 through a single clamping operation of the horizontal toggle clamp 131. The clamping operation of the supply reel unit 140 set forth above is performed in this state. Thereafter, the insulation sheet 3 is unwound from the sheet roll 3a and spread over the target bonding region by pulling one end of the sheet roll 3 a or manually rotating the first and second discs 155 and 165. The operation of removing the temporarily fixable carriage device 100 from the heat insulators 1 is performed in a reverse order of the fixing operation noted above.

[72] Next, a method for bonding an insulation sheet to inner wall surfaces of a cargo compartment of an LNG carrier by use of the temporarily fixable carriage device of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 6A to 6F.

[73] Referring to Fig. 6, the temporarily fixable carriage device 100 is temporarily fixed to the neighboring heat insulators 1 across a first point of the target bonding region 2 defined between the heat insulators 1.

[74] As shown in Fig. 7, a sheet gripping device 200 is temporarily installed on the neighboring heat insulators 1 across a second point of the target bonding region 2 spaced apart from the one point. The tip end of the insulation sheet 3, e.g., a triplex insulation sheet, is fixed to the second point of the target bonding region 2 by means of the sheet gripping device 200.

[75] Subsequently, as can be seen in Fig. 8, an automatic gluing machine 300 is positioned on the target bonding region 2 between the sheet gripping device 200 and the temporarily fixable carriage device 100. As shown in Fig. 9, the sheet roll 3a is transferred from the carriage device 100 to the automatic gluing machine 300. As illustrated in Fig. 10, the carriage device 100 is removed from the installation position prior to operating the automatic gluing machine 300.

[76] Referring finally to Fig. 11, the automatic gluing machine 300 is moved forward while applying glue to the insulation sheet 3 unwound from the sheet roll 3 a. At this time, the insulation sheet 3 is smoothly unwound from the sheet roll 3a and spread in tension onto the target bonding region 2. This is because the tip end of the insulation sheet 3 is fixed in place by means of the sheet gripping device 200. As the automatic gluing machine 300 continues to move forward, the insulation sheet 3 is pressed against and bonded to the target bonding region 2.

[77] The temporarily fixable carriage device 100 is particularly useful when spreading and bonding the insulation sheet 3 in any one of a horizontal posture, a vertical posture and an overhead posture, in which postures the sheet roll 3a is difficult to stay in a fixed position due to the gravity thereof.

[78] While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described hereinabove, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. It is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the claims. [79]

Industrial Applicability

[80] The temporarily fixable carriage device of the present invention can be advantageously used in the field of spreading and bonding an insulation sheet to heat insulators attached to the inner wall surfaces of a ship cargo compartment.

Claims

[1] A temporarily fixable carriage device for carrying an insulation sheet which is to be bonded to heat insulators attached to inner wall surfaces of a ship cargo compartment, comprising: a frame placed on the heat insulators across a target bonding region defined between the heat insulators; first and second fixing units mounted to opposite end portions of the frame for removably fixing the frame to the heat insulators; and a supply reel unit rotatably mounted to the frame for holding a sheet roll around which the insulation sheet is wound.

[2] The temporarily fixable carriage device of claim 1, wherein the frame includes a horizontal plate member for supporting the supply reel unit, a vertical plate member extending downwardly from the horizontal plate member, and two pairs of guide rails respectively attached to opposite lateral end portions of the horizontal plate member for guiding lateral movement of the first and second fixing units within a predetermined stroke.

[3] The temporarily fixable carriage device of claim 1, wherein the first fixing unit includes a first sliding block movable toward or away from the corresponding one of the heat insulators, a first spring for resiliently biasing the first sliding block toward the corresponding one of the heat insulators, and a stopper bolt slidably coupled to the first sliding block at a first end and fixedly secured to the frame at a second end.

[4] The temporarily fixable carriage device of claim 2, wherein the second fixing unit includes a operating shaft member slidably attached to the frame, a horizontal toggle clamp connected to a first end of the operating shaft member, a spring pressing plate attached to a second end of the operating shaft member and slidably fitted to the guide rails, a second sliding block slidably fitted to the guide rails in a spaced-apart relationship with the spring pressing plate, a second spring retained between the spring pressing plate and the second sliding block for biasing the second sliding block toward the corresponding one of the heat insulators, and a stopper bolt slidably coupled to the second sliding block at a first end and connected to the second end of the operating shaft member.

[5] The temporarily fixable carriage device of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the temporarily fixable carriage device is used in combination with an automatic gluing machine for bonding the insulation sheet to the target bonding region, thereby temporarily bonding the insulation sheet at the above of the automatic gluing machine.

[6] The temporarily fixable carriage device of claim 1, wherein the supply reel unit includes a first support base extending upright from one lateral top portion of the frame; a second support base extending upright from the other lateral top portion of the frame in a spaced-apart relationship with the first support base; a rotating shaft module rotatably mounted to the first support base; a clamping module mounted to the second support base for pressing the sheet roll against the rotating shaft module so that the sheet roll can be rotatably held between the rotating shaft module and the clamping module.

[7] The temporarily fixable carriage device of claim 6, wherein the clamping module includes an operating shaft member slidably attached to the second support base, a side toggle clamp connected to a first end of the operating shaft member for, when operated, moving the operating shaft member toward the rotating shaft module, a compression spring fitted to the operating shaft member so that it can be compressed and released in response to a clamping and unclamping operation of the side toggle clamp, a bearing bush connected to the operating shaft member through the compression spring, a bearing fitted around the bearing bush, a first hub rotatably coupled to the operating shaft member through the bearing, a first movable disc fixedly secured to the first hub for unitary rotation with the first hub, and a stopper bolt attached to a second end of the operating shaft member for preventing removal of the first hub.

[8] The temporarily fixable carriage device of claim 6, wherein the rotating shaft module includes a bearing block fixed to the first support base, a bearing received within the bearing block, a take-up shaft rotatably supported by the bearing at a first end, a second hub fixedly secured to a second end of the take-up shaft, and a second fixed disc attached to the second hub for unitary rotation with the second hub.

[9] The temporarily fixable carriage device of claim 8, wherein the supply reel unit further includes a tension adjusting mechanism for selectively gripping the take- up shaft in an adjustable pressure to adjust tension of the insulation sheet unwound from the sheet roll.

[10] A method for bonding an insulation sheet to heat insulators attached to inner wall surfaces of a ship cargo compartment, comprising the steps of: mounting a temporarily fixable carriage device to the heat insulators across a target bonding region, the carriage device designed to carry a sheet roll; mounting a sheet gripping device to the heat insulators across the target bonding region in a spaced-apart relationship with the carriage device; unwinding the insulation sheet from the sheet roll onto the target bonding region and fixing a tip end of the insulation sheet to the target bonding region; 0/4 positioning an automatic gluing machine on the target bonding region between the carriage device and the sheet gripping device; transferring the sheet roll to the automatic gluing machine and removing the carriage device from the heat insulators; and causing the automatic gluing machine to move forward, while allowing the automatic gluing machine to apply glue to the insulation sheet and press the insulation sheet against the target bonding region.