Ships – Towing or pushing – Nested vessels
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-30
2001-03-13
Swinehart, Ed (Department: 3617)
Ships
Towing or pushing
Nested vessels
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199501
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of marine transport and more specifically to barge cargo transport. In particular, the present invention relates to connected or articulated tug and barge units, also known as articulated pusher boat and barge units used in the transport of petroleum products and other commodities.
Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, the operation of the prior art arrangements between articulated tug and barge vessels will be described. In
FIG. 1
, tugboat
14
is shown approaching the stern of barge
10
. In the stern of barge
10
is notch or well
12
which is sized to receive the bow of tugboat
14
. Tugboat or pusher boat
14
approaches the stern of barge
10
and positions itself within notch
12
such that coupling unit
16
,
16
′ of tugboat
14
aligns with vertical channels
18
,
18
′ on barge
10
. Once tugboat or pusher boat
14
is properly seated within notch or well
12
of barge
10
, alignment is achieved between coupling unit
16
,
16
′ and vertical channels
18
,
18
′ at which time coupling unit
16
,
16
′ is extended by the pusher boat operator to engage with teeth
28
of vertical channel
18
and teeth
28
′ (not shown) of vertical channel
18
′. The advantages of this interconnection between the pusher boat or tugboat
14
and barge
10
are that the boat and barge are securely connected, and boat
14
has far greater control over the acceleration and deceleration of barge
10
and greater control over the direction of travel than would be available to the tug if tow lines were being used to pull the barge through the water.
One means for making the connection between boat
14
and barge
10
is through the use of a coupling unit as shown in FIG.
3
. Coupling unit
16
of
FIG. 3
operates to secure boat
14
to barge
10
through use of screw drive
36
which extends coupling unit helmet
30
outwardly from the side of boat
14
to connect with teeth
28
of vertical channels
18
,
18
′ (FIG.
1
). The operation of the particular coupling unit shown in
FIG. 3
is fully discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,507 to Kuhlman, et al., and that patent specification is incorporated herein by reference.
Still referring to
FIG. 3
, the general operation of coupling unit
16
will be discussed. Once the pilot has navigated boat
14
into notch or well
12
of barge
10
, cast component or helmet
30
of coupling unit
16
is extended toward vertical channels
18
,
18
′ (FIG.
1
). The extension of helmet
30
is initiated by operation of screw
36
which has steel ball
32
attached to one end and on which helmet
30
can pivot. The extension and retraction of screw
36
is operated by use of either low speed electric motor
46
or high speed electric motor
44
. In the case of high speed electric motor
44
, the force from motor
44
is communicated by shaft
42
to gear
38
, the rotation of which causes rotation of screw
36
. Rotation of screw
36
, depending on the direction selected, will either extend or retract steel ball
32
and helmet
30
which are attached to screw
36
. Referring now to
FIGS. 4 and 5
, the configuration of helmet or cast component
30
is shown. Helmet
30
is designed such that teeth
48
of helmet
30
engage teeth
28
of vertical channels
18
,
18
′ of barge
10
(FIG.
1
). It will be appreciated that upon extension of screw
36
of coupling unit
16
(
FIG. 3
) to bring helmet
30
in contact with vertical channels
18
,
18
′ that teeth
48
of helmet
30
will engage with four of teeth
28
on the fore and aft sides of vertical channels
18
,
18
′. This design provides six faces of contact between helmet
30
and vertical channels
18
,
18
′ thereby providing a very secure interconnection with a minimum of vertical play between the vertical channels
18
,
18
′ and coupling units
16
,
16
′.
The manner of coupling tug and barge units just described provides a secure, dependable interconnection between a tug or pusher boat
14
and barge
10
and offers far greater control and maneuverability over barge
10
than the previously used methods of attaching tow cables to barges and pulling them through the water. It will be appreciated by examination of
FIGS. 1 and 2
that the connection procedure between
11
boat
14
and barge
10
of directing boat
14
into notch
12
and positioning boat
14
such that coupling unit
16
,
16
′ can be extended to fit into channels
18
,
18
′, virtually requires that this coupling and uncoupling to be conducted in reasonably calm water. Any substantial movement between boat
14
and notch barge would prevent proper alignment of the boat and barge thereby defeating connection of coupling unit
16
,
16
′ to vertical channels
18
,
18
′. In addition, attempting to engage or disengage boat
14
and barge
10
in rough waters can lead to uncontrolled contact between boat
14
and barge
10
resulting in damage to both vessels. Therefore, it is necessary that the connection between boat
14
and barge
10
be made in calm waters. Once the connection is achieved and the arrangement of
FIG. 2
is presented, the boat and barge unit can tolerate very rough seas. One report on the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,507 indicated that a boat and barge unit coupled by such a device withstood and traveled through a storm having waves in excess of 35 feet.
While this report to indicates the strength and durability of this type of extended screw ram and channel connection between the boat and barge combination, it will also be appreciated that uncoupling and re-coupling the boat
14
and barge
10
in rough seas is dangerous and very unlikely to be successful. The lack of success in coupling the boat and barge combination during rough seas is a result of the rapid movement of both vessels in the rough waters and the difficulty in achieving sufficiently satisfactory alignment between boat
14
and barge
10
to allow coupling unit
16
,
16
′ to be extended to interconnect with vertical channels
18
,
18
′.
Another drawback of the prior art just described is that once the boat
14
is connected with barge
10
, the draft of barge
10
—the amount, or depth, of barge
10
which is below water—cannot change appreciably. For example, if boat
14
connects with barge
10
while barge
10
is loaded and sitting low in the water (a deep draft), boat
14
will connect near the upper portion of vertical channels
18
,
18
′. If the barge is then unloaded without disconnecting boat
14
, the barge will rise in the water and begin to lift the bow of boat
14
out of the water as the draft of barge
10
becomes more shallow. Conversely, if boat
14
connects with barge
10
while barge
10
is empty and barge
10
is then subsequently filled, the draft of barge
10
will increase and barge
10
will sink further down into the water. This could ultimately result in forcing boat
14
down into the water, and could result in sinking boat
14
.
In many types of articulated boat and barge applications, the loading and unloading of barge
10
is not an issue. In these cases, boat
14
approaches and connects with barge
10
when it is already loaded. Boat
14
then pushes barge
10
to the desired location where boat
14
disconnects from barge
10
before it is unloaded. In these types of applications, the respective drafts of boat
14
and barge
10
do not change. However, there are types of applications in which it is desirable to connect boat
14
to an empty barge
10
, then move the barge to a point where it can be loaded with a commodity, followed by moving the loaded barge to a different location where the commodity can be unloaded. If this sequence of events were to occur on a river or other relatively calm or protected waterway, it would not be difficult for boat
14
to disconnect from barge
10
, wait for the barge to be loaded or unloaded, and the draft of barge
10
to change and stabilize, and then to reconnect boat
14
Intercontinental Eng. Mfg. Corp.
Spencer Fane Britt & Browne LLP
Swinehart Ed
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