Ships – Life craft handling device – apparatus – or implement
Patent
1998-10-15
2000-11-28
Morano, S. Joseph
Ships
Life craft handling device, apparatus, or implement
114258, 114 44, 114 51, 114 52, 114 53, 405 1, 405 3, B63B 2300
Patent
active
061520659
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for launching and recovery of a lifeboat, rescue boat or like small boat on a vessel, a floating platform or a fixed installation such as, for example a harbor pier. In order to facilitate this description, the expressions "boat" and "vessel" will be principally employed below, it being understood that the expression "boat" encompasses pick-up boats, lifeboats, rescue boats etc. and that the expression "vessel", also encompasses a platform, pier etc.
BACKGROUND
One problem in the launching and recovery of boats on vessels is that, because of the difference in size, the vessel and the boat move differently in the water. As a result, there will be large relative movements between the vessel and the boat. In addition, waves are often built up to a greater height along the side of the vessel than they would otherwise do, which gives additional large relative movements between the vessel and the boat.
Today, boats on board vessels are normally suspended in davits with whose aid the boats are launched in the water. Conventional davits are primarily intended for launching and function less satisfactorily when retrieving a boat in a high sea. On some vessels, a crane may be used for launching and recovery of a boat.
Lifeboats are normally suspended at two points by wires operated by the davit winch. In a number of systems for pick-up of boats, a single-point attachment is employed. When, on launching and recovery of a boat, hooks are attached or released from the boat, there is a risk that the generally heavy hooks and blocks connected to them may hit the boat because of the large relative movement between the vessel and the boat. Moreover, in systems employing two lifting points, there is the risk that only one hook is disengaged/engaged, in which event the boat runs the risk of being left hanging vertically along the side of the vessel, depending upon what direction the relative vertical movement between the boat and the vessel takes. Even if the crew is successful in attaching or disengaging the hooks from the boat, there is moreover the risk that wires are slack to such an extent that these hit the boat. This applies as long as the boat has not been raised free above the crests of the waves.
If the mother vessel is to be kept under control, it must be under way somewhat in a forward direction, which entails that the engagement and disengagement operations as described above must be able to be put into effect while moving forwards. This makes it even more difficult to execute a launching or recovery operation of a boat using the conventional systems.
There is, thus, a need in the art for a system for the launching and recovery of boats in which the above-outlined drawbacks are obviated or at least reduced to a minimum.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises an apparatus, here designated a dock, in which the boat is stored on board a mother vessel, the dock being floatable. The dock is connected to davits or the like and the boat may be run out of and into the dock when the dock has been lowered to the floating position.
From publications NO 141 929 and NO 162 184, systems are already known in which boats in a lowered floating position are run into or out of special apparatuses for recovery and launching, respectively. These prior art apparatuses suffer, however, from the disadvantage that they must be lifted a relatively long distance before the boat proper begins to be lifted. As a result of the large waves which may be built up along the side of the vessel, the risk is then great that the boat moves in relation to the apparatus, in which event it may strike against parts of the apparatus, assume an oblique position inside the apparatus and capsize when the apparatus is lifted, or that hooks, lines and the like hit the boat. From the above-mentioned publication NO 162 184, it is known to employ a net for lifting the boat. This functions satisfactorily as long as the vessel is dead in the water, but if the vessel is un
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English summaries of attachements (BILAGA) 1-4 of opposition document of SE 9601535-9 of Apr., 1996.
English Abstract of JP 52-126890 of Oct. 1977.
Morano S. Joseph
Vasudeva Ajay
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