Ships – Displacement-type hull – Multiple hulls
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-19
2001-11-20
Avila, Stephen (Department: 3617)
Ships
Displacement-type hull
Multiple hulls
C114S315000, C114S268000, C405S203000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318284
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method for carrying out operations under water by means of a crane equipped with a tool which is erected on a pontoon which has been fixed and which can be jacked up.
In particular, the invention is related to the demolition of wrecks lying under water, for example on the bottom of the sea.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The crane in this case has a tool such as a pair of shears or such at the end of its flexible arm with which pieces of the wreck can be loosened and pulled away.
As the wreck is situated under water, it is usually impossible for the crane attendant to see how he should operate said crane and especially the tool on the arm.
He may get his instructions from divers situated in the vicinity of the wreck and who can communicate with him.
In many cases, however, it is not possible for divers to follow and direct the operations of the crane, for example when there is a strong flow, at large depth or when there is not enough visibility. Moreover, divers can only stay under water for a relatively short time, so that this working method is relatively slow and expensive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention aims a method which remedies these and other disadvantages and which makes it possible to carry out the operations under water by means of a crane in a fast and accurate manner, also in those circumstances where it is impossible to use divers to give instructions to the crane attendant.
This aim is reached according to the invention in that an underwater working room which is mainly open at the bottom is let down on the place of work, in that the water is pushed out of this working room by means of compressed air, in that the place of work is divided in compartments in the working room itself, i.e. out of the water, and in that one or several positions of the compartment division in which the crane will have to carry out an operation are transmitted to the crane, after which the underwater working room is lifted and the crane carries out the operation.
The crane can be operated by a person on the basis of the information, which is for example converted into an image on a screen, but the crane is preferably computer-controlled, in particular numerically controlled, as a function of the information related to the place of activity, which is received from the underwater working room.
Use is preferably made of a construction containing a second pontoon which can be jacked up, which has been jacked up in the immediate vicinity of or above the place of work, and which carries the underwater working room which can be moved up and down over a guide in relation to this second pontoon, and also containing means to move said underwater working room up and down, as well as means to blow compressed air in the underwater working room.
The underwater working room can be placed on an object to be treated, for example on a ship wreck to be demolished, whereby the division in compartments consists in creating a fictitious grid on the surface of the object.
Use can be made of an underwater working room whose bottom is made of a grid.
The co-ordinates of the points where the crane has to carry out an operation can be given by one or several persons who go down in the underwater working room.
Naturally, the position of the underwater working room in relation to the crane must be known. It can be derived from the fixed position of the two pontoons which have been jacked up in relation to one another, but a position finding is preferably carried out by means of calibration, whereby contact is made with the underwater working room, which has been lowered onto the place of work, by means of a part of the crane, in particular a tool at the end of the crane arm.
The invention also concerns an installation for carrying out the method according to any of the preceding embodiments.
The invention thus concerns an installation for carrying out operations under water, characterized in that it contains two pontoons which can be jacked up, a first one onto which is provided a numerically controlled crane and which can work with a tool under water, and a second one which is provided with a guided underwater room which can be moved up and down and which has a mainly open bottom side, in that it contains means for moving this underwater working room up and down and means for pumping compressed air in this underwater working room.
Said crane preferably has a capacity between 50 and 100 ton.
The open bottom of the underwater working room may be formed of a grid.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3996870 (1976-12-01), Haavie
patent: 4157229 (1979-06-01), Kumm
patent: 5447391 (1995-09-01), Gallaher et al.
patent: 33 47 926 (1985-08-01), None
patent: 0 205 341 (1986-12-01), None
patent: 0 749 384 (1997-08-01), None
patent: 60073921 (1985-04-01), None
patent: 11131523 (1999-05-01), None
Avila Stephen
Bacon & Thomas PLLC
LandOfFree
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