WO2014042564A1

WO2014042564A1 - Releasable gangway support

Info

Publication number: WO2014042564A1
Application number: PCT/SE2012/050962
Authority: WO
Inventors: David RYDBERG; Dan ÖISJÖEN; Tommy KAUPPI; Mikael Jogvall
Original assignee: Tts Port Equipment Ab
Priority date: 2012-09-12
Filing date: 2012-09-12
Publication date: 2014-03-20

Abstract

Method and device to physically prevent damage occurring to a ship, ferry or its land gear when in port, when a gangway via one or more clamping hooks (2) is connected to its hull and the ship inadvertently is put into motion beyond movement limitations set to define that the ship is moored and in port. The at least one clamping hook (2) is provided with an overload protection device that automatically release itself upon overloading and thereafter resets itself by being pre-stressed by biasing means keeping the gangway in a connection/hooking position at all times when the ship is in port, unless a release load exceeding a prefixed load level is reached, in which case the gangway is released from its connection to the hull.

Description

Releasable Gangway Support

Technical field

The present invention relates to a method and a device to physically connect a hull of a ship or a ferry to land equipment when in port and a gangway being connected thereto, whereby said device is aimed to prevent that any damage is caused to the ship, the gangway or its land equipment, if and when the ship inadvertently is put in any for instance engine- or wind- driven motion leading to that perhaps one or more moorings rupture, which in turn might lead to a motion beyond movement limitations set to define that the ship is anchored and in port.

Technical problem

Normally when a ship or a ferry is put to port, gangways and other land connections are established first after the captain has confirmed that the ship is correctly moored. Likewise all connections of said kind are always to be disconnected before any measures are taken to release any moorings. It so happens, however, that this is performed in the wrong order with obvious consequences. As mentioned above some mooring may be or become defective, which may lead to similar consequences.

Especially when it comes to gangways, the consequences of such events or mistakes when they occur, may be colossal in light of the character of thereof. Apart from downtime both of the ship and its berth, putting the gangway out of order

necessitating repair thereof, damages both to the ship and to arrangements ashore will be of large proportions.

State of the Art A gangway is normally connected to the ship using one or more clamping hooks. The clamping hook/-s are normally each for security reasons connected/fixed in a clamping position via a respective break pin. This break pin will break if and when the clamping hook is overloaded thus freeing the clamping action. This is a relatively simple, down-to-earth way of minimizing the abovementioned risks, however, the use of this solution makes it impossible to reset the device without changing the pin, should anyway some accident occur. The break pin simply has to be replaced.

Another issue in the context is the fact that such break pins show very uncertain release load characteristics and since the break pin is subjected to a variety of forces during use, such forces may, as is well known, change the characteristics of the material, such as due to fatigue, over time. It should in this context be noted that clamping hook arrangements of the kind here considered, either inventive or previously known, may be fitted to the below side of gangways in any suitable way, such as through bolting or welding, of course depending upon size and load dimensioning.

Object of the invention

A main object of the present invention therefore lies in achieving a solution to these issues that not only is completely fail safe with regard to the potential risks mentioned above, but a solution that also if anyway bad luck is present, solves the main issue and leaves no remains in the meaning that no construction hardware must be reset in the gangway and therewith cooperating hardware for it to be immediately operable again.

According to the invention the at least one clamping hook is provided with an overload protection device that automatically resets itself by being by biasing means pre- stressed keeping the hook in a connection position at all times when the ship is in port unless a release load exceeding a prefixed level is reached, in which case the gangway is released from its connection to the hull as the bias thereof is fully counteracted.

By providing a fully resettable way of connecting a gangway to the hull of a ship the risk for damaging the ship or its landing gear is practically eliminated. Due to the design of the hardware for realizing the method, a certain elasticity is provided that more or less also eliminates the risks of fatigue cracking of the elements constituting the anchoring means of the gangway. Description of the drawings

The invention will in the following be described with reference to drawings of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, in which:

Fig 1 shows a side view of an anchoring hook arrangement according to the invention with normally invisible interior components thereof shown with dotted lines in an anchoring mode,

Fig 2 shows a view similar to fig 1 , however in a released mode, where a load from a ship has forced the anchoring hook of the device to release its grip, Fig 3 shows a view almost similar to fig 1 aiming to show from which points of view section views IV-IV , V-V and VI-VI are taken,

Fig 4 is a section view along IV-IV in fig 3, Fig 5 is a section view along V-V in fig 3, and

Figs 6 is a section view along VI-VI in fig 3.

Detailed description

According to Fig 1 there is shown a side view of an anchoring hook device 1 in accordance with the inventive concept. A hook 2 is shown perpendicularly to its gripping means (not shown) and situated in a position corresponding to a gripping position, in which the hook 2 with its jaw 4 embraces a thick pipe or bar shaped element (not shown) fixed to the exterior of the hull of the ship. So long everything is in a normal state, ie. the ship is correctly anchored or moored to the quay and is not moving more than to an infinitesimal extent as stated above, which can be seen as normal, this is a steady state in which said hook could as well be a fixed hook of a kind that has been widely used for decades. As is shown in fig 1 , however, the hook 2 is contained in a frame 3, and is by force pivotable between the position shown and a position located some 90^° counterclockwise from the position shown in this figure (see fig 2). As is shown with dotted lines in fig 1 , the hook is pivotally journalled at 5, right above its jaw 4. The journal 5 represents one end of a crank 6 comprising the hook 2, the latter having at its other end another journal 7. The journal 7 is connected to a crank rod 8, having at its other end yet another journal 9. This latter journal 9 constitutes one of three journals 9, 10 and 1 1 on another crank rod 12 fixed pivotally connected to the frame 3 at 13. At the farthest end of the crank rod 12 as seen from the fixation point to the frame 3, a link of an air spring 14 is pivotally connected. It should here be noted that said spring can be realized in any alternate form, equivalent to the expression spring, performing the same action. Said spring is in turn pivotally connected to the farthest end of a spring container 15, bolted to the frame 2 at 16, in which container 1 5 it can translate sideways as shown by a double arrow 17 to a limited extent while being affected by the crank rod 12 when the hook 2 is forced out of its biased state of equilibrium. When the anchoring hook device is in its clamping operative position, as shown in this figure, the crank rod 8 rests biased on a support 20 arranged in the upper inner portion of the frame 3.

According to fig 2 a view in detail showing what happens inside the frame 2 when the hook is affected as intended when a ship is brought to move more than said

infinitesimal amount, such as when the moorings of the ship are cast off before a gangway thereto has been disconnected. The hook 2 is forced by a force F (see fig 1 ) larger than the biasing force communicated from the air spring 14 in its container 15 and will due to this force and gravity force from the gangway during a release sequence thereof be forced to take a position corresponding to that shown in fig 2. This movement causes the journal 7 to pivot counterclockwise for on or around 30^°, during which motion it will translate the crank rod towards the journal 9 at its other end. Since the journaling point 9 is free to move in its fixation plane, it so does and in doing so it affects the crank rod 12 to pivot along an angle of 40-50^°, while affecting the jounalling point 9 thereof to compress the air spring 14 to a certain extent, in the preferred embodiment fully. Fig 2 also shows tiny round rings 21 displaced at three different places. These rings represent the initial positions of the journals 7, 9 and 1 1 . To further elucidate the internal parts of the anchoring hook device 1 according to the invention fig 3, mainly corresponding to fig 1 , shows the hook device 1 in a sideview with notifications of section views IV-IV, V-V and VI-VI.

Fig 4 being a section IV-IV seen from above in fig 3, shows the frame 3 partly in section and partly as a view through the journaling point 5 of the in the frame 3. It also shows the hook 2, where the leftmost part thereof in this fig is the part that give rise to the pivotation of the hook when the load to it exceeds the biasing force exerted thereon.

In fig 5 a section seen along V-V in fig 3 is shown with the same orientation as fig 4. The frame 3 is shown to contain the hook 2 and its journaling point 5, the crank rod 8 and its movable journaling point 9. Also the crank rod 12 is shown, being fixed journalled to the frame 3 at 10. Also holes 18 aimed for the bolting fixation of the spring container 15 to the frame 3 are shown.

As to fig 6, this shows a section as seen from the front end of the device along the line VI-VI in fig 3. The air spring 14 is shown in its extended state and thus the hook 2 is in an operative, hooking position. A rear plate 19 of the frame 3 in front of which the mechanism operable according to the invention is seen comprising the journal 1 1 and its crank rod 12 as well as the crank rod 8, being crucial to put everything in motion. As was mentioned initially the function of the invention is to protect a ship or land equipment from a slapdash of a captain who cannot wait to leave harbor until the gangway/-s have been disconnected from the ship. With current technology the use of break pins solve the problem with eliminating the risk of damaging hardware on the ship or ashore, however, this simple solution creates other problems and risks. So in order to solve the initial problem as a whole without creating new ones, this fairly simple solution gives us all at once. The anchoring hook device 1 according to the invention is as simple as any other solution previously known or used, to use. As is conventional an anchoring hook is something that normally is quite easily hung to the outside of hardware arranged to the outside of the hull of a ship or a ferry. Looked at from the outside the device of the invention is simply a hook that makes it possible for the gangway to become "part of" a gangway to thereby follow its fairly small movements when a ship is moored, to what could be called a berth in a harbour.

When, however, moorings are let go and members of the crew for some reason forget to release one or more gangways, then this invention is really put to a test. Since the front portion of the anchoring hook device, according thereto is made yielding, the hook device 1 will if exerted to a load above the force from the internal components, release, whereafter the gangway will be automatically disconnected from the ship and due to fact that the hook device is not self locking, the hook device 1 will as well automatically reset itself to its initial position to be able to be at service immediately again after such an incident.

The invention is not to be seen to be limited by the above described embodiment, but should instead be considered so by the enclosed patent claims and the description as a whole.

Claims

Method to physically prevent damage occurring to a ship, ferry or its land gear when in port, when a gangway via one or more clamping hooks (2) is connected to its hull and the ship inadvertently is put into motion beyond movement limitations set to define that the ship is moored and in port, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the at least one clamping hook (2) is provided with an overload protection device (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1 1 , 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) that automatically release itself upon overloading and thereafter resets itself by being pre-stressed by biasing means keeping the gangway in a connection/hooking position at all times when the ship is in port unless a release load exceeding a prefixed load level is reached, in which case the gangway is released from its connection to the hull.

Method according to claim 1 , c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the clamping hook connects to a crank 6 and a crank rod 8 such, that the resulting movement of said crank rod 8 upon overload of the clamping hook is controlled by the initial position of the crank rod 8, initially resting as a slightly bent knee joint biased by a spring 14 against a support 20 in a frame 3 of the device.

Method according to claim 1 , c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said biasing means due to lever relations provides a force characteristic that upon initial release gives a higher release force than after passing the initial portion of the release motion.

Device to physically connect the hull of a ship or a ferry to land equipment such as a gangway, to prevent damage to the ship, the gangway or its land equipment, if the ship is put into driven motion beyond set movement limitations meant to define that the ship is moored or anchored and in port, comprising pivotally journalled means (2) for hooking onto fixed gripping means (not shown) on the outside of the hull of a ship or the like, biasing means (14), biasing the hooking means (2) towards a position in which said hooking means is able to grip or grasp said fixed means firmly, but which upon exerting said hook to a load larger than the force from said biasing means perpendicularly to the quai to which the ship is moored, may release its firm grip due to a pivotal movement of the pivotally journalled means (2) to thereby disconnect the gangway from its firm grip of the suitably made arrangements to the ship hull.

Device according to claim 4, comprising biasing means in the form of one or more springs (14).