Material or article handling – Marine loading or unloading system – Marine vessel to/from shore
Patent
1992-11-13
1995-04-25
Huppert, Michael S.
Material or article handling
Marine loading or unloading system
Marine vessel to/from shore
198509, 198709, B65G 2344
Patent
active
054093430
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a ship loader or unloader including an essentially vertically extending region that can be displaced along a boom. At its lower end, this region cooperates with an essentially horizontally extending region. The ship loader or unloader further includes a bucket mechanism that is driven by means of chains and is guided on rollers in the vertical and horizontal regions.
DE-OS [German Unexamined Published Patent Application] 3,029,863 discloses a movable ship unloader for the continuous removal of bulk materials by means of an endless vertical conveyor in the form of a bucket mechanism formed at a vertical carrier. The lower end of the vertical carrier is rigidly connected with an essentially horizontal take-up arm and has an L shape. A bucket chain is guided around the vertical carrier and the take-up arm in such a manner that the bulk material can be conveyed continuously and without transfer from the region of the horizontal receiving arm through the region of the vertical carrier to a radially configured upper discharge end provided in the extension thereof and from there to a horizontally arranged turntable or ring conveyor that encloses the upper end and is mounted concentrically therewith.
The vertical conveyor constructed of a vertical region and a horizontal region is supported in the region of its upper end at the free end of a boom. In dependence on the quantity of bulk material to be unloaded, this vertical conveyor has a very high weight so that relatively large counterweights must be provided on the other side of the boom. These devices can be used relatively without problems for ships in port where there is little wave action and they are also suitable for high bulk material discharges. However, if water conditions exist which cause the ship's body to be raised and lowered at given intervals or in surges, difficulties arise in adapting the vertical conveyor to these movements. Although it is possible to further increase the counterweight such an increase requires the consideration of greater expenditures for controls, with the control system not necessarily being able to adapt the relatively heavy vertical conveyor to the rapid fluctuations in the ship's movements. Consequently, the danger continues to exist that collisions might occur between the vertical conveyor and the ship which, under certain circumstances, could lead to damage to one or the other or both.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the invention to modify a ship loader or unloader of this type so that it is able to follow vertical movements by the ship without problems and without it being necessary to increase the counterweight.
This is accomplished by the invention in that the support of the horizontal region can be displaced relative to the vertical region in dependence on vertical movements by the ship while simultaneously compensating for the changing chain lengths.
With this measure it is ensured that only a part of the actual weight of the vertical conveyor must be lifted essentially parallel to the ship or the ship's hull so that greater counterweights or complicated controls are avoided.
The lifting is effected by at least one hydraulic cylinder which is supported in the vertical region, on the one hand, at supports of the latter and, on the other hand, at abutments in the horizontal region. Other lifting devices, such as ropes, spindles or the like are also conceivable here.
The simultaneous length equalization of the chains is effected by way of a so-called hydraulic coupling (length equalization device) which preferably is also formed of at least one hydraulic cylinder that is disposed on the side of the horizontal region and extends between a support for the horizontal region and the chain wheel or wheels. Other mechanical devices such as, for example, spindles, can also be employed.
The changes in length in the vertical region are thus displaced into the horizontal region and are compensated by the length equalization device.
Monitoring elements, such
REFERENCES:
patent: 4830177 (1989-05-01), Baba et al.
patent: 4860884 (1989-08-01), Kostrewa
patent: 4890719 (1990-01-01), Yagi et al.
patent: 4917234 (1990-04-01), Seymour
patent: 4988250 (1991-01-01), Yamanaka
Huppert Michael S.
Krizek Janice L.
O&K Orenstein & Koppel AG
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