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
  • B63B27/30—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for transfer at sea between ships or between ships and off-shore structures
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
  • E01D—CONSTRUCTION OF BRIDGES, ELEVATED ROADWAYS OR VIADUCTS; ASSEMBLY OF BRIDGES
  • E01D15/00—Movable or portable bridges; Floating bridges
  • E01D15/24—Bridges or similar structures, based on land or on a fixed structure and designed to give access to ships or other floating structures
• • 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

Definitions

• the invention relates to a tower for pivotably supporting a first end portion of a gangway, which projects from an upper portion of the tower, the tower extending in a vertically displaceable manner up from a base on a floating installation or a fixed installation.
• a gangway which extends between a vessel and a fixed or floating installation, is to be connectable to landing places with great differences in height above the water surface, for example both on an offshore wind turbine and on a drilling platform, to provide a safe access passage for personnel
• the gangway is often arranged on a height-adjustable gangway tower, also called a pedestal.
• the gangway may be placed at a moderate angle in the vertical plane; that is to say, not rising or falling much from the top of the gangway tower.
• US4473916A discloses a telescopic gangway extending between two movable bodies, for example a rescue vessel and a rig.
• the gangway is arranged vertically displaceable between different positions on a tower where, optionally, a connection may be established between one of several tower platforms encircling a lift well in the tower, and a landing platform, in which the gangway is pivotably supported and from which it projects. It is not described that said tower platforms can be reached via a stairway inside the tower. Neither is it described that the tower is vertically displaceable in an access facility with several decks.
• the invention has for its object to remedy or reduce at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art or at least provide a useful alternative to the prior art.
• a vertically displaceable gangway tower also called a pedestal, is provided, arranged to carry a gangway, which, at a first end portion, is pivotably supported in an upper portion of the gangway tower and, in a projecting second end portion, includes means arranged to be supported by a landing place.
• a stairway is arranged, which is connected to at least one walkway extending from a stairway portion, typically a landing, and ending at a side of the gangway tower. If several walkways are used, these are arranged in a vertically spaced manner and preferably each extend from a respective landing arranged in the stairway. Said walkway(s) is/are preferably closable.
• the gangway and the gangway tower are arranged on a fixed installation or a floating installation, especially a vessel, and the gangway tower is arranged in association with an adjacent, fixed access facility.
• the access facility is typically a portion of a superstructure extending up from a main deck of a vessel, or a portion arranged in a fully or partially integrated manner in the hull of the vessel, extending downwards from a main deck on the vessel. From one or more levels or decks in this access facility, one or more openings are arranged in a lateral boundary of the deck, for example a side wall, a railing or the like, which, when the gangway tower is set at a suitable height and prepared for the passage of personnel, is/are arranged directly opposite said walkway or walkways. In such a position, the gangway tower is preferably locked to prevent unintentional vertical movement of the gangway tower while personnel are moving between the access facility and the gangway tower or are on a walkway, on the stairway or on the gangway
• Said lateral boundaries of the deck or decks in the access facility may be formed of a tower housing forming vertical guides for the gangway tower, among other things.
• the walkways extending from the stairway of the gangway tower preferably have a vertical distance, which is adapted to the deck spacing of the access facility, so that a walkable connection may be provided between the access facility and the gangway tower at several deck levels at the same time.
• walkways may also be arranged in such a way that there are walkways ending with a spacing of one deck height on one side of the gangway tower and correspondingly on the opposite side of the gangway tower, but vertically offset by around half a deck height. Thereby the starting height of the gangway may be adjusted to the need in shorter steps.
• the deck height that is to say the vertical distance between two consecutive decks, is typically in the range of 3.1-3.6 metres. Is the deck height exceptionally large, it may be beneficial to arrange further walkway connections between the stairway and openings in an intermediate side portion of the gangway tower, then offset by about a quarter of the deck height relative to the other lines of walkways.
• the invention relates more specifically to a tower for pivotably supporting a first end portion of a gangway which projects from an upper portion of the tower, the tower extending up in a vertically displaceable manner from a base on a floating installation or a fixed installation, characterized by
• the tower being arranged at an access facility extending up above the base along at least a portion of the tower;
• the access facility including at least one deck arranged at a vertical distance above the base;
• a stairway which extends inside the tower, being connected to at least one walkway which extends from the stairway and ends in a tower side portion facing the access facility, the walkway being arranged substantially flush with one of the decks, at least when the tower is arranged in an operative, raised position.
• the at least one walkway may extend from a landing arranged in the stairway.
• walkways may be arranged with a vertical spacing equal to the distance between two consecutive decks.
• walkways may be arranged with a vertical spacing smaller than the distance between two consecutive decks.
• the decks of the access facility may be bounded towards the tower by a tower housing.
• the tower housing may form a shaft through said deck.
• the access facility may be formed in a superstructure on the hull of a vessel. Alternatively, the access facility may be arranged below a main deck in the vessel's hull.
• a tower housing may form several guides arranged for sliding engagement with guide elements arranged on the tower.
• One of the tower housing and the tower may form several engagement portions arranged for vertically locking engagement with one or more locking devices arranged on the other one of the tower housing and the tower.
• Figure 1 shows a side view of a section of a vessel, in which a gangway tower according to the invention is arranged in a bow portion of the vessel, recessed into the hull of the vessel; and
• Figures 2a-2d show vertical sections through the gangway tower and the adjacent portions of a nearby access area, the gangway tower being shown in different vertical positions. For the sake of exposition, figure 2a is shown on a larger scale than figures 2b-2d.
• the reference numeral 1 indicates an installation at sea, shown as floating here in the form of a vessel with a vessel's hull la and a superstructure lb extending upwards.
• the hull la is closed in a manner known per se with a main deck 16, and in a forward portion of the hull la, underlying, further decks 12-15 are formed, forming an access facility 2 for personnel.
• a tower housing 5 bounds a shaft 17 extending from a base, formed as a portion of a lower deck 11, and through the first to fourth above-lying decks 12-15 in the access facility and through the main deck 16.
• the tower housing 15 forms boundaries 21 between the decks 12-15 and shaft 17 and thereby prevents unintended access to the shaft 17.
• a vertically displaceable gangway tower 4 is arranged, which, in an upper tower portion 48, supports a first end portion 31 of a gangway 3 which is attached to the gangway tower 4 and is pivotable around horizontal and vertical pivot axes 41, 42 by means of lift and rotation actuators 33, 34 for a projecting second end portion 32 of the gangway 3 to be landed in a remote landing place (not shown).
• Personnel may have access to the gangway 3 via the upper tower portion 48.
• the gangway tower 4 is vertically displaceable by means of several lifting devices 6, shown here as winches. Besides, the gangway tower 4 is provided with several guide elements 46 in engagement with corresponding guides 51 extending vertically in the tower housing 5. Furthermore, the tower housing 5 is provided with several locking devices 52 which are arranged to engage with corresponding engagement portions 47 on the gangway tower 4 to provide secure fixing of the gangway tower 4 in different operative positions and thereby relieve the lifting devices 6.
• FIG. 2a-2d the inner structure of the gangway tower 4 is shown in a vertical section.
• the gangway 3 is not shown.
• a stairway 43 extends through the gangway tower 4 via several landings 433, 434 and ends at the first end portion 31 of the gangway 3 in the upper portion 48 of the gangway tower.
• Some of the landings 433 form walkways 44 from the stairway 43 and through respective barriers 45, typically in the form of doors in a tower side 49, to a corresponding deck 11-15 in the access facility 2 when the gangway tower 4 is in a locked, operative position, said walkway 44 lying substantially flush with one of the decks 12-15 of the access facility 2 then and the barrier 45 being positioned directly opposite a gate 121 in the lateral boundary 21, which is formed of the tower housing 5 in the example shown, of said deck 12-15.
• a further gate 122 is shown, which is arranged on the opposite side of the tower housing 5 and can be opened for passage between the access facility 2 and the gangway tower 4 across a further walkway 44' which is connected to an intermediate landing 434 in the stairway 43 in order thereby to allow less displacement of the gangway tower 4 than the distance between two consecutive decks 12, 13; 13, 14; 14, 15.
• a fold-down hatch cover 451 may be arranged, connected to a bottom edge of the opening of the gate(s) 121, 122 on the decks 12-15 or the barrier(s) 45 at the walkway(s) 44 in the gangway tower 4, as is shown in figure 2a.
• the hatch cover 451 is controlled by the movement of the gate or the barrier 121, 122, 45, for example.
• the gangway tower 4 When the gangway 3 is to be prepared for landing the projecting end portion 32 at a landing place, the gangway tower 4 is displaced in the tower housing 5 after, possibly, the locking devices 52 have been deactivated from their engagement with the engagement portions 47.
• the gangway tower 4 is positioned with a walkway barrier 45 across a gate 121, 122 on one of the decks 12-15 of the access facility selected on the basis of the height of the landing place and the requirements for a rise or a fall in the gangway 3. Then the locking devices 52 are activated so that the lifting devices 6 can be relieved.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Mushroom Cultivation (AREA)
• Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)
• Electrically Operated Instructional Devices (AREA)
• Wind Motors (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=55662169

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (3)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 2015
  • 2015-03-03 NO NO20150282A patent/NO20150282A1/no not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2016
  • 2016-03-02 WO PCT/NO2016/000010 patent/WO2016140577A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2016-03-02 EP EP16759197.3A patent/EP3265376A4/en not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (3)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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