Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B27/00—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers
  • B63B27/14—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of ramps, gangways or outboard ladders ; Pilot lifts
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B27/00—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers
  • B63B27/14—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of ramps, gangways or outboard ladders ; Pilot lifts
  • B63B27/143—Ramps
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G69/00—Auxiliary measures taken, or devices used, in connection with loading or unloading
  • B65G69/28—Loading ramps; Loading docks

Definitions

• Load ramp for loading and unloading of cargo on ships comprising an inner and an outer ramp part.
• the present invention concerns a load ramp for ships according to the preamble of the following claim 1.
• Large load ramps for ships are normally divided into at least two ramp parts, which are hinged and foldable relative to each other, and which can be folded up to a set aside position against the ship opening and serve entirely or partly as load door.
• An example of such a load ramp is described and showed in the Swedish publication SE 342 010.
• a main winch arranged to control the large swing motion of the entire load ramp between an unfolded position against the quay and a folded position against the load opening, and a ramp part winch to swing out the outer ramp part during unfolding of the load ramp.
• Hydraulic power means in form of hydraulic cylinders, which carry large compressive forces from the weight of the load ramp and also from passing vehicles, are arranged for a limited angle adjustment of the outer ramp part relative to the inner ramp part, which is attached to the ship for adjustment to different quay heights, for instance because of tide. These compressive forces can attain such amounts that the power means are exposed to large stresses.
• the aim with the present invention is to create a load ramp for ships where the power means for the angle adjustment between the ramp parts are arranged such that the risk for over load is minimised.
• Fig. 1 and 2 is a side view and top view respectively of a load ramp according to the invention in different positions
• Fig. 3 and 4 is a side view and top view respectively of the part of the load ramp, which is attached to the ship,
• Fig. 5 and 6 is a side view and top view respectively of a section of the load ramp, which shows the structure of an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the angle position between the inner and outer ramp part of the load ramp according to the invention.
• Fig. 1 and 2 shows a load ramp 1 according to the invention, which is connected to a ship 2, of which a part is shows, the stern 3 of a ship for instance.
• the ramp can in principle be connected to another part of the ship, such as the stem or one of the sides, the ship can also be provided with more than one load ramp for alternative load- and unload routes.
• the load ramp 1 is pivotally connected to the ship around a substantially horizontal axis 4, which is located in connection to a load opening 5 on the ship, and is hinged around this axis for alteration between an unfolded loading position and a folded position, in which the load opening is partially or completely closed.
• the load ramp 1 is also pivotable sideways around a substantially vertical pivot axis 6 for being capable to swing towards a quay 7, whose storing plane 8 is indicated in fig. 1 in two alternative levels and thereby two alternative load ramp positions.
• the load ramp 1 is relatively long and due to practical reasons divided into two ramp parts, one inner ramp part 8 connected to the ship and one outer ramp part 9, which advantageously comprises a support flap 11 on its outer end 10 toward the quay 7.
• the two ramp parts 8, 9 are mutually pivotally connected by means of a hinge 12, which is located a distance inside of the outer end 13 of the inner ramp part 8, and at the inner end 14 of the outer ramp part 9.
• An advantage of the divided load ramp 1 is that less force is needed to swing up a folded load ramp, and it can be stored completely folded together in a storage position against the ship opening 5 without sticking up above this, another advantage is that the two ramp parts 8, 9 can be adjusted to have a angle relative each other to adapt to varying height differences between the quay and the connection of the load ramp to the ship, in other words the pivotal axis 4 or the lower edge of the load opening 5.
• the support flap 11 is pivotable via a pivot axis 15 relative the outer ramp part 9 in order to be adaptable to the storage plane of the quay.
• Each of the two ramp parts 8, 9 comprises a beam construction having spaced apart longitudinally extending side beam sections 16, 17, 18, 19 and between these extending crossbeams 20 (showed in figure 4).
• These support a driving area 21 , 22 for each ramp part 8, 9, the driving areas are composed of strong plates in order to support intended load, which normally consists of vehicles of some sort.
• the support flap 11 also comprises a short driving area 23, which farthest out consists of a plurality of smaller support flaps 24, which can adapt to irregularities of the storage plane 7 of the quay 6.
• a winch mechanism 25 is provided, which extends between a fixed end 26 located on the ship 2 above the load opening 5, and a movable end 27 located at the outer end 28 of the inner load ramp 8 of the load ramp 1.
• the winch mechanism is in practice doubled with two winches, one on each side of the load ramp.
• a lowering winch 29 is provided, which extends between the outer end 28 of the inner ramp part and a place distant from the pivoting centre, i.e. the axis 12, for instance located towards the centre of the side beam section 18, 19 of the outer ramp part.
• the beam construction comprises at the outer end 28 of the inner ramp part 8, on both sides, an upper and a lower beam section 30, 31 , which each has two extending beams 33, 34, 35, 36 with a space 32 in between.
• These beam sections form the steering of a depression element in the shape of support leg 37, which is moveably connected relative the inner ramp part 8 on each side of the outer end 28 of the inner ramp part 8.
• Each of these support legs 37 is connected to a mechanism for transmitting power from a power means or adjustment means for adjusting position by a length displacement movement transversely to the driving area of the inner ramp part 8. Thereby can the angle position of the outer ramp part 9 be adjusted relative the inner ramp part 8, which will be closer described in the following.
• the support legs comprise, as shown in fig. 5 and 6, at their lower end 38 a foot 39, which is arranged to detachably bear against a beam section 40 of the outer ramp part 9, in the example a top surface of a beam section of the side beam sections 18, 19 of the outer ramp part, located on both sides of outer ramp.
• a linkage bar 41 which at its rear end 42 is pivotally connected relative the outer ramp part 9, in the example around axis 12 between the two ramp parts 8, 9.
• each linkage bar 41 is connected to the foot 39 of respective support leg 37, said foot 39 being hinged at the support leg by means of a pivot axis 44 in order to handle the swivelling of the linkage bar, whereby the connection between the linkage bar 41 and the foot can be rigid instead.
• the foot 39 is advantageously formed as a downwardly opened U such as to partly surround the beam section 40. The contact surface between the foot 39 and the beam section is allowed to slide to a certain extent during the adjustment movement, and is allowed to entirely leave mutual contact during the large swing motion of the outer ramp part 9 when it is folded against the inner ramp part 8.
• power means or adjustment means 48, 49 which via a power transmitting mechanism 47 is arranged to adjust the support leg 37 in varying positions for depressing the outer ramp part 9 to a desired extent on a location positioned a distance from the pivoting axis.
• the adjustment means 48, 49 are in the example two in number and of the type linear adjustment means, i.e. they create a linear force motion, even if the source motion is rotating like in the example with two rotating electrical motors 61, 62.
• the power transmission mechanism 47 has for each electrical motor a worm gear 64, 65 driven by said motor, whereby each of said worm gears drives a threaded non-rotatable rod 50, 51.
• Each worm gear 64, 65 is directly, or via its electrical motor, fastened to the outer part 28 of the inner ramp part 8 via a pivoting bracket 52, 53, which has a mainly horizontal pivoting axis for handling minor pivoting motion.
• the lower end of the rod 50, 51 is allowed to project into the space 32 between beams in each side beam section 16, 17 of the inner ramp part 8.
• the threaded rods 50, 51 are at their upper ends non-rotatably fastened by means of a hinge 54, 55 to either side of a common two-armed pull arm 56 having a central pivot axis 57, by which the pull arm 56 is fastened to the upper part of the support leg 37.
• an activation of the worm gears 64, 65 implies a mainly linear motion of the threaded rods 50, 51 downward or upward and a corresponding linear motion of the support leg 37.
• a downward motion yields an increased pressure by the support leg against the beam section 40 of the outer ramp 9, which is caused to change its angle position relative the inner ramp part 8 whilst the lowering winch 29 is unloaded and allows this adjustment motion.
• the two pulley wheels 58, 59 of the lowering winch are showed in fig. 5 and 6, one being located at the outer end of the inner ramp part 8, and the other pulley wheel being located on the outer ramp part 9 a distance from its pivoting axis 12.
• a non-showed cable is put in a loop around the two wheels and continues to an electrically driven winch located at the stern of the ship in order to adjust the length of the loop in a known manner, thereby folding or unfolding the outer ramp part 9 relative the inner ramp part.
• the pulley wheel 60 for the inner ramp part, and thereby the swing motion of the entire ramp, is showed in fig. 5 and 6 too.
• angle sensors and indication can an operator advantageously see the obtained angle position.
• the adjustment means in the opposite direction, i.e. opposite rotation of the motor and gear worms, the rods are moved upwards and the support leg 37 is raised implying that the outer ramp part 9 can reduce its angle position relative the inner ramp part.
• the pivoting arrangement of the pull arm 56 stresses are avoided because of uneven load, for instance because of a small difference in adjustment speed.
• the adjustment means are exposed to pure tensile forces, because the compression forces in the support leg 37 are transformed into tensile forces, which reduces the risk of breakdown.
• the invention is not limited to the showed and described example, but can be varied within the scope of the following claims.
• the adjustment means can be composed of hydraulic cylinders, which by means of the above described arrangement also will be exposed to tensile forces. These are in this connection attached between the hinges 54, 55 of the pull arm and the pivoting brackets 52, 53.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Auxiliary Methods And Devices For Loading And Unloading (AREA)
• Pivots And Pivotal Connections (AREA)
• Ship Loading And Unloading (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=40985766

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (7)

Families Citing this family (2)

Citations (8)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 2008
  • 2008-02-19 SE SE0800376A patent/SE535396C2/sv unknown
• 2009
  • 2009-02-18 JP JP2010546729A patent/JP5259740B2/ja active Active
  • 2009-02-18 CN CN200980104182.4A patent/CN101939214B/zh active Active
  • 2009-02-18 KR KR1020107018438A patent/KR101585993B1/ko active IP Right Grant
  • 2009-02-18 WO PCT/SE2009/050180 patent/WO2009105021A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (8)

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