Buoys – rafts – and aquatic devices – Buoy – For mooring a vessel
Patent
1996-06-20
1998-02-10
Swinehart, Edwin L.
Buoys, rafts, and aquatic devices
Buoy
For mooring a vessel
114230, B63B 2202
Patent
active
057162492
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to moorings for water borne vessels.
Conventional moorings comprise a base which is fixed to the sea bed and a length of chain or the like is fixed at one end to the mooring while the free end of the chain is fixed to a mooring line supported from the surface of the water by a buoy for attachment to the mooring line of a vessel when required. On attachment of a vessel's mooring line to the cable, the base and chain serve to prevent movement of the vessel away from the mooring. The function of the chain is to provide an the inertial load created by the movement of the vessel away from the mooring as a result of water conditions and provide a reaction to the forces applied by the vessel in addition to the restraint by the base. As the load applied by the vessel increases so the chain will be lifted from the sea bed. When maximum load has been applied by the vessel, the chain is lifted free of the sea bed and the load of the chain is fully applied to the base. The arrangement as described above is also relevant to anchors which are conventionally provided with a length of chain which is attached to the end of the anchor rope whereby the chain serves to absorb at least some of the load applied by the vessel when in the moored condition and to absorb some of the inertial loads.
A difficulty with arrangements as described above relates to the amount of space that is required to be provided between moorings in order to provide for the free movement of a vessel under extreme conditions. Such moorings also create a difficulty in that as the vessel swings about the mooring, as a result of a change in wind, tidal or wave conditions, so the chain is dragged over the sea bed around the mooring. This erosion of the sea bed around the mooring base serves to destroy any sea grass, coral and other marine life that may be in the region over which the chain is dragged. This erosion also results in the continual disturbance of the sea bed, the effect of which disturbance is to introduce into the water, a suspension of sediments, nutrients and any pollutants that may be retained in the sea bed.
It is an object of this invention to provide a mooring system which is able to absorb the inertial loadings that may be applied to the mooring; which is able to accommodate the loadings that may be applied to the mooring as a result of movement of a moored vessel under extreme conditions; and which reduces the degree of disturbance of the sea bed in the region surrounding the mooring.
Throughout this specification the term "sea bed" shall be taken to include the bottom of any body of water in any aquatic environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a mooring system for mooring a floating vessel, the mooring system comprising: from one side of the sheave assembly and adapted to float on the surface of the water when the cable is in an unloaded condition; from the other side of the sheave assembly and having a buoyancy less than that of the first buoyant member, and wherein when the cable is in an unloaded condition the second buoyant member is adapted to lie substantially submerged below the surface of the water adjacent the first length of cable to maintain the first and second lengths of cable in a substantially vertical orientation and taut condition; second buoyant member, mooring energy caused by movement of the vessel and transferred to the mooring system can be absorbed by the combination of a resistance to movement of the second buoyant member as it is pulled away from a vertical position adjacent the first length of cable and the buoyancy of the first buoyant member as it is pulled downwards by the cable towards the sheave assembly.
According to a preferred feature the first buoyant member comprises a plurality of buoyant elements which are mounted sequentially on the cable. In addition it is preferred that the buoyancy of at least some of the buoyant elements increase with their spacing from the sheave.
In a preferred form the buoyant elements are supported
REFERENCES:
patent: 1320604 (1919-11-01), Dame
patent: 2478217 (1949-08-01), Walters et al.
patent: 3077614 (1963-02-01), Lloyd
patent: 4280436 (1981-07-01), Jackson
Advanced Mooring Technology, Pty Ltd.
Knoeller William A.
Swinehart Edwin L.
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