Buoys – rafts – and aquatic devices – Water rescue or life protecting apparatus
Patent
1999-06-04
2000-07-25
Sotelo, Jesus D.
Buoys, rafts, and aquatic devices
Water rescue or life protecting apparatus
441 84, B63C 900
Patent
active
060930705
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a man overboard device creating a possibility of rescue for people fallen into the sea and in need for rapid supply of rescue equipment. The man overboard device is structurally and functionally simple. The present invention also relates to a rescue device incorporating such a man overboard device. The rescue device comprises a raisable/lowerable lifting crane pivotal about a vertical axis and mounted on a ship, such as a supply boat. Attached to the lifting crane's beam is the man overboard device which has rescue means for at least one individual. It is preferred that a rescue net be mounted on at least one side of the boat to which a man overboard fixed to said rescue means possibly may be transferred, before the person in question is brought to land on the deck of the boat.
A person hanging from the rescue means of the man overboard device may also be lifted on board the boat.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In heavy sea, it might be dangerous with relatively large ships, e.g. supply boats, to go too close to men overboard drifting in the sea, because they may be pressed down into the sea by the ship side.
Most standby ships or man overboard boats operating in the areas around offshore installations such as platforms, drilling ships, etc., are equipped with the above-mentioned raisable and lowerable as well as pivotable lifting crane. In order to avoid the foregoing problem, it is known to attach a basket at the outer free end of the crane beam, so that this basket-shaped rescue means upon the occurrence of a crane beam position corresponding to a more or less swung-out beam, will be situated at a certain distance from the ship side, dependent on the angle which the crane beam forms in relation to the longitudinal direction of the ship side. If the crane beam takes a position approximately at right angles on the ship side, the rescue basket will be located at a maximum distance therefrom.
Especially in bad weather, it is difficult to operate the basket such that the man overboard in the sea gets hold of it. Moreover, it may cause problems to get into such a rescue basket, and its suspension at the outer free end of the crane beam causes restrictions in respect of its extent and, thus, capability of accommodation. In practice, one will only be capable of constructing such a rescue basket for the accommodation of only a very few people at a time, while the need for rapid rescue often will concern a substantially larger number, particularly at low sea water temperatures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the object of the present invention has been to provide a simple man overboard device of the kind which exhibits a large capacity, wherein men overboard floating in the sea are offered downwardly suspending rope-like rescue means having additional equipment simple in structural shape and design, and which are easy to use for men overboard drifting in the sea.
According to the invention, this object is realized by means of a man overboard device shaped, designed and adapted in accordance with the appended claims.
The raisable and lowerable as well as pivotal lifting crane's beam, which may project 20 meters horizontally out from the ship side, is provided with fasteners for ropes, lines or similar elongated, flexible elements, distributed, preferably equidistantly, along the longitudinal extent of the beam. Said ropes, lines, etc. may have an individual length of 10-40 meters, and the space between adjacent fasteners on the crane beam may e.g. constitute one meter.
Men overboard drifting along in the sea, will often float relatively gathered along a row due to wind and stream conditions. In a condition of readiness, the rescue means in the form of ropes, lines or the like may be kept accommodated in a storage case on deck. Adjacent the outer ends, opposite to the end to be connected to one of the fasteners of the crane beam, there may be a shackle or a similar means for a spring or snap hook or a similar closable hook. Hoisting straps/braces may also
REFERENCES:
patent: 1282323 (1918-10-01), Trinkle
patent: 2700781 (1955-02-01), Smith
patent: 4678446 (1987-07-01), Dahan
Henson Michael R.
Martin Timothy J.
Sotelo Jesus D.
Weygandt Mark H.
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