Classifications

• • 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
  • B65G35/00—Mechanical conveyors not otherwise provided for
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B71/00—Designing vessels; Predicting their performance
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63G—OFFENSIVE OR DEFENSIVE ARRANGEMENTS ON VESSELS; MINE-LAYING; MINE-SWEEPING; SUBMARINES; AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
  • B63G3/00—Arrangements of ammunition stores or handlers; Vessels characterised thereby
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
  • B63H23/00—Transmitting power from propulsion power plant to propulsive elements
  • B63H23/32—Other parts
  • B63H23/34—Propeller shafts; Paddle-wheel shafts; Attachment of propellers on shafts
• • 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
  • B65G7/00—Devices for assisting manual moving or tilting heavy loads
  • B65G7/02—Devices adapted to be interposed between loads and the ground or floor, e.g. crowbars with means for assisting conveyance of loads

Definitions

• This invention relates to the introduction or withdrawal of an elongate member to or from a free body.
• the invention is concerned with moving a shaft into/out of an enclosed space, where the shaft has to be inserted along its longitudinal axis and traversed across bearings along the route, such as the introduction or withdrawal of a propeller shaft to or from a naval vessel.
• this invention provides a method of moving an elongate member along a predetermined axis for the introduction or withdrawal thereof to or from a free body, which method comprises the steps of:
• the majority of the mass of the elongate member is supported on the support elements which may be slid along the guide surface so as to give continuous linear movement of the elongate member.
• Said elongate guide surface preferably comprises a straight load- supporting surface, and said support elements each comprise one or more load- supporting pads that engage and are slideable along said load-supporting surface.
• Each load-supporting pad is conveniently made of low friction material, such as e.g. polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
• PTFE polytetrafluoroethylene
• the support elements are preferably constrained against transverse movement with respect to said load- supporting surface by suitable means, for example by spaced generally parallel side elements upstanding from opposite edges of said load-supporting surface, although other constraints may be used.
• the effective height of the support elements is adjustable.
• said support elements are interconnected by tie elements to transmit a drive load there between.
• the tie elements are conveniently flexible.
• Each support element preferably comprises a cradle portion upwardly open to receive and engage a portion of the elongate member when lowered in use. It is preferred for the support elements to be dismantleable into parts whereby, when the elongate member is supported by a series of three or more support elements, one of said support elements of the series may be dismantled and removed to leave the elongate member still supported in alignment with said predetermined axis by the remaining support elements.
• the method may be used to introduce or withdraw the elongate member to or from a bore which supports and encloses the adjacent portion of the elongate member, it is particularly useful for situations where a elongate member needs to be passed through and beyond a structural member, such as a propeller shaft bracket boss (or an "A bracket barrel").
• a structural member such as a propeller shaft bracket boss (or an "A bracket barrel”
• the method may conveniently comprise:
• part of the load may be supported by the associated structural member after dismantling of said leading support element.
• the said elongate guide surface provided may extend beyond said associated structural member, and the method may further include the steps of:
• the elongate member may comprise a propeller shaft and the free member may comprise a waterborne vessel, or at least the stern portion of a waterborne vessel.
• the waterborne vessel may in particular be a naval vessel, and the invention extends to a method of constructing a naval vessel comprising applying the above method.
• the invention extends to apparatus for use in the method.
• the invention provides apparatus for moving an elongate member along a predetermined axis for the introduction or withdrawal thereof to or from a free body, which comprises:
• said support elements being adapted to receive and support at least a major portion of the mass of said elongate member
• Figure 1 is a side view of the aft end of a naval vessel into which a propeller shaft is to be installed;
• Figure 2 is a view of a system for slideably supporting a propeller shaft for movement along an installation axis
• Figure 3(a) is a detailed view of a cradle when assembled
• Figure 3(b) is a detailed view on the underside of the foot of a cradle.
• FIG. 1 there is shown the stern portion 10 of a naval vessel 1 1 in which an elongate (i.e. the length of the shaft is greater than the span of the bearings (described below) provided for it) propeller shaft 12 is required to be aligned with an axis A-A, a few degrees below horizontal, and inserted along this axis.
• the shaft will normally be a single component, but in some cases can be formed of several components fixed together.
• the shaft passes through two "A" bracket barrels 14 aft of its emergence from the hull.
• An “A” bracket is a bracket that is attached to the side of the vessel and is so called because it is shaped like the letter “A”, with the shaft running through a bearing that is placed inside a bearing boss (commonly known as a “barrel” in ship building because of its similarity in shape) located at the apex of the "A".
• a platform structure is built comprising a number of support towers 16 which support a straight guide surface 18 parallel to, but spaced by a set distance from, the shaft centre line or installation axis A-A.
• the guide surface 18 and associated structure will be described in further detail in relation to the following figures.
• a cable winch 20 is disposed on the ground at the forward end of the platform structure with the cable 22 passing over a pulley 24 to then pass to the structure as to be described below.
• the installation system comprises the guide surface 18 on which can slide a number of cradles 26, of which four are illustrated.
• the cradles 26 are interconnected by tie cables 28 with the forwardmost cradle being connected to the winch cable 22.
• each cradle 26 has a lower portion 30 of rectangular form connected to a foot 32, on the underside of which are provided one or more (three in the example) load supporting, low-friction pads 34 (e.g. of PTFE).
• the guide surface 18 is provided with upstanding lateral constraint edges 19 which ensure that the cradle is constrained to move in the direction parallel to the installation axis.
• the upper part of the cradle 26 is provided with a dismantlable, rigid height adjustable wedge jack 33 which connects the box section 30 to a semi-circular cradle portion 40 designed to receive the shaft when lowered into it.
• the cradle portion has slots 42 or other suitable attachment means to allow a strap 44 to be applied in order to strap the shaft into the cradle.
• the wedge jacks may be eg TitanTM wedge jacks.
• the shaft may be supported by top steadies 46 (see Figure 2), e.g. of webbing.
• the top steadies function as a safety harness and are intended to receive the load quickly and safely if there is a failure in the mechanism.
• the majority of the mass of the shaft is supported by the cradles.
• the shaft may be drawn along the installation direction by operating the winch 20 which moves cradles (four in the example) 26 and the supported shaft 12, via the winch cable 22 and the tie cables 28.
• the shaft 12 may be passed through the "A" bracket barrels 14 by moving the shaft and the cradle assemblies 26 towards the first "A" bracket barrel 14.
• the associated wedge jacks 33 can be adjusted upwards or downwards to ensure alignment between the shaft and the bracket barrel.
• the jack and the box section 30 must then be removed to allow the shaft to pass through the bracket barrel.
• the TitanTM jack is lowered to take that cradle assembly off load.
• the jack and the box section can then be unbolted and removed. This will allow the shaft - with semi circular cradle 40 still attached - to pass through the bracket barrel unhindered when the winch 20 is used.
• the procedure is reversed and the jack and the box section are reassembled to support the shaft and the winch 20 is applied again and the process repeated for each of the successive cradles.
• apparatus and method described above can be adapted to install and/or remove other types of elongate members, such as pipes in height-restricted locations.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
• Conveying And Assembling Of Building Elements In Situ (AREA)
• Working Measures On Existing Buildindgs (AREA)
• Buildings Adapted To Withstand Abnormal External Influences (AREA)
• Load-Engaging Elements For Cranes (AREA)
• Shafts, Cranks, Connecting Bars, And Related Bearings (AREA)
• Wind Motors (AREA)
• Monitoring And Testing Of Nuclear Reactors (AREA)
• Rolls And Other Rotary Bodies (AREA)

Priority Applications (9)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=45373358

Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (3)

Citations (7)

Family Cites Families (13)

• 2011
  • 2011-10-25 GB GBGB1118378.7A patent/GB201118378D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2012
  • 2012-10-19 GB GB1218798.5A patent/GB2496036B/en active Active
  • 2012-10-19 AU AU2012328226A patent/AU2012328226B2/en active Active
  • 2012-10-19 IN IN3342DEN2014 patent/IN2014DN03342A/en unknown
  • 2012-10-19 EP EP12783262.4A patent/EP2771234B1/en active Active
  • 2012-10-19 US US14/353,879 patent/US9315332B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2012-10-19 ES ES12783262T patent/ES2716532T3/es active Active
  • 2012-10-19 BR BR112014009834-4A patent/BR112014009834B1/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2012-10-19 KR KR1020147013529A patent/KR101927959B1/ko not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2012-10-19 CA CA2853345A patent/CA2853345C/en active Active
  • 2012-10-19 WO PCT/GB2012/052590 patent/WO2013061034A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2012-10-19 DK DK12783262.4T patent/DK2771234T3/en active

Patent Citations (7)

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