Ships – Mooring device – Boom type
Patent
1996-02-27
1998-01-27
Avila, Stephen
Ships
Mooring device
Boom type
B63B 2100
Patent
active
057112428
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a device for mooring a craft to a docking point such as a quay or another craft.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Known mooring devices generally consist of mooring ropes or cables which are knotted about one or more posts distributed on the length of the quay.
However, this mooring technique is tedious since it requires that one or more people manually fix these ropes, which can be very heavy, to the mooring posts.
In addition, in order to account for variations in water level with time, generated by tides for example, a sufficient length of rope must be left free between the craft and the mooring post.
Such a mooring device also has the disadvantage of occupying circulation areas on quays, particularly due to the presence of the posts and the ropes, which is all the more inconvenient since quays are frequently used for loading and unloading crafts such as barges or canal boats.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,437 describes a device for assisting in docking to a fixed post on a quay.
But this device does not make it possible, on the one hand, to obtain the mooring, i.e. the rigid joining and retention, up to predetermined stress values, of a craft.
On the other hand, it does not make it possible to obtain a mooring to a fixed point of which only two opposite surfaces are free, and which can therefore not be encircled on its full periphery.
The present invention makes it possible to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages for the docking and mooring of crafts to quays or to other crafts which need to be pushed or towed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The mooring device which the invention is concerned with particularly makes it possible to quickly and firmly moor the crafts to a docking point.
According to the invention, this device comprises at least one guide rail fixed vertically to the docking point and clamp forming means rigidly joined to the craft and including jaws suited for clamping the guide rail in a closed position and for moving along the guide rail, driving means rigidly joined to the craft being suited for moving the jaws between said closed position and an open position in which the jaws are separated from the guide rail.
The mooring device according to the invention thus makes it possible to very quickly moor the craft to its docking point, by mere clamping.
It is particularly suited for ships of medium tonnage having to frequently perform mooring manoeuvres.
In addition, only the clamp forming means extend between the craft and the guide rail, as the latter can be fixed to a vertical wall of the quay or to another craft, which makes it possible to leave the quay or the bridge of the other craft entirely free and not hinder the circulation of people or merchandise in these places.
In addition, since the driving means are rigidly joined to the craft, the mooring of the latter can be performed by a person aboard, without the latter being forced to leave the craft to fix the mooring device.
Since the guide rail has a cross section of constant shape in the longitudinal direction, the clamp forming means can clamp the rail on any area along its length, which thus makes it possible to moor the craft regardless of the water level with respect to the quay.
Similarly, when two crafts are rigidly joined using the mooring device according to the invention, the clamp forming means can move along the guide rail when there are variations of heel and trim between the two crafts.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other features and advantages of the invention will be understood upon reading the description which follows, made with reference to the attached drawings which are provided as an example on a non limiting basis and in which:
FIG. 1 is a top sectional view of the mooring device according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along II--II in FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a roller suited for rolling on a guide rail.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the device according to th
REFERENCES:
patent: Re27050 (1971-02-01), Jorgenson
patent: 4459930 (1984-07-01), Flory
patent: 4834437 (1989-05-01), Howard
patent: 5145131 (1992-09-01), Hall
Blanc Pierre
Lecoq Alain
Avila Stephen
GTM
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