DEVICE FOR BRIDGING OVER THE DISTANCE AND LEVEL BETWEEN A QUAY AND A VASSEL.

The present invention relates to a device at a quay, pontoon, etc., in order to, by means of a movable bridging unit, bridge over the distance and level between the quay and a vessel approaching the same.

The arrangement is intended to be able to adapt the longitudinal position of the landing-place of the vessel without affecting the cargo-handling over the ramps. It is intended to function for vessels having ramps on one or two levels .

Each one of Dl: JP 6305577 A,

D2: US 3715769 Al and

D3: GB 2037351 A relates to ramps that are movable along quays and not transverse to the same. This is particularly evident when studying the English translation of Dl, where it is seen that the wheels 26 of the carriage 11 are travellable in parallel along the quay.

The ramps of the vessel are always terminated by a flap. Ideally, this termination should meet a knuckle line ashore so that the transition occurs along a line transverse to the direction of travel. There is not always sufficient communication between the bridge and the deck for this interface to become perfect upon each call. It is easier to make an adjustment using the land ramp than shifting the berth of the vessel. In order to be able to use any vessel against a linkspan having two levels, said problems have to be solved. The reason is that the distance of the vessels between the knuckle line on the weather deck to the flap nose on the main deck may vary up to

20 m for different vessels and when approaching by the bow or the stern.

Vessels that frequent different ports are of very varying type and size. In that connection, problems arise to get the vessel and the quay to fit to each other so as to allow problem-free transfer of cargo between the vessel and the quay by means of the vessels' own ramps, which may be of a previously known type per se, having foldable turnable port and ramp parts with an appurtenant flap. The water level and the cargo level of the vessel have, in that connection, an influence when allowing the used ramp to fit to the quay without any hazardous reangulations arising on the ramp or between the ramp and the quay. In that connection, serious and expensive damage may be the consequence if the angulation is entirely wrong to fit vehicles passing the ramp from and to, respectively, the vessel. The vessel approaches certain quays with the stem or stern and conversely other quays with the stern or stem. In that connection, said ramps should be able to fit to any quay without hazardous reangulations arising when the ramp reaches the quay.

In that connection, the main object of the present invention is to be able to solve said problems by simple and efficiently working means and be able to bridge over distances as well as the angulation between the vessel in question and the quay.

Said object is attained by a device according to the present invention, which essentially is characterized in that two longitudinally interconnected driveway ramp parts mutually angularly and levelwise, respectively, adjustable and commonly supported by a cart or another drivable movable unit movable toward and from, respectively, the water, and a drive ^¬ way-bridging part extending toward the quay, are commonly sup-

ported by said movable cart in two directions facing away from each other.

The person in charge of the cargo-handling can fine-adjust the transition and does not have to shift the berth of the vessel. This gives an opportunity to be able to optimise the transition for the smallest disturbance concerning sound and bumps. If the vessel approaches a two-level linkspan, the adjustment will be even more useful. By adjusting the longitudinal position of the knuckle, it is possible to make sure that the flap/knuckle position of the two ramps ends up in an optimal position. However, this requires a berth shifting of the vessel if both ramps are to arrive in an optimal position. Upon a sufficiently large longitudinal displacement of the knuckle line, the linkspan can be used for a great variety of vessels, as well as when approaching by the stem or the stern. Suddenly, flexibility for vessel changes has been obtained, which previously only could to be obtained by complicated reconstructions.

Briefly, the invention could be understood to function as follows: Two platforms, each one 3,5 m long and 6-30 m wide, are bound together in a hinge line. The inner platform is connected to a horizontal telescoping surface by an additional hinge line. The platforms can be mutually adjusted to form a 7 m long platform sloping 0-6°. By the sloping of 0-6°, mutual adjustment should be understood, i.e., in relation to each other and commonly, respectively, i.e., the entire driveway ramp part can be adjusted to slope from 0° to 6°. In doing so, the knuckle line can be formed 3,5 m or 7 m from the outer end of the linkspan. Alternatively, the knuckle line may be entirely omitted. Actuation of the platforms is effected by a link arrangement operating by cylinders or screws. In order to be able to fine-adjust the knuckle line, a longitudinally displaceable bed is arranged, in which the platforms and the link-arm mechanism are mounted. The bed is located on slip

plastics or wheels and can be displaced at least 3,5 m by cylinders or screws. For the transition between the platforms on the bed and the fixed part of the linkspan, the telescoping surface connected to the inner platform is used. By means of said elements in co-operation described hereby, a variably adjustable knuckle line is obtained over a length of at least 7 m. If an additional position is arranged having the same func ^¬ tionality but different geometrical relationships between the upper and lower ramp, a variation of at least 14 m between the knuckle line on the weather deck to the flap nose on the main deck can be obtained.

The invention is described in the following in the form of a preferred embodiment example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows a device according to the invention as seen laterally and applied when loading via the stem of a vessel,

Figs. 2-3 show the device applied when loading via the stern of a vessel, Fig. 4 shows a schematic side view of the device, and

Figs. 5-7 show different positions for the device .

A device 1, which is arranged to be applied at a quay 2 of a known fixed type or that consists of a pontoon or another land-anchored part floatable in water 3, and which, by means of a movable bridging unit 5, is arranged to bridge over the distance and level between the quay 2 and a vessel 4 approaching the same, is shown as an example in the drawings. Said bridging unit 5 comprises two longitudinally 6 interconnected driveway ramp parts 8, 9 mutually angularly X and levelwise 7-7B, respectively, adjustable and com ^¬ monly supported by a cart 12 movable toward 10 and from 11, re-

spectively, the water 3. The term "cart" may, among other things, also be understood as "rail trolley, industrial truck, trolley", and which are multi-wheeled, or another drivable movable unit. Furthermore, in the direction from 11 the water 3 and toward 11 the centre 21 of the quay 2, a driveway-bridging part 14 is extending. Said driveway ramp parts 8, 9 and driveway-bridging part 14 are commonly supported by said movable cart 12 in two directions 10, 11 facing away from each other.

By the pair-wise driveway ramp parts 8, 9 thereof, said bridging unit 5 is arranged to be connected so as to fit a turnably mounted vessel ramp 15, 16, a front or, alternatively, an after ramp, extending from the vessel 4 in question.

In that connection, said bridging unit 5 can be adjusted so that the variation of said ramps 15, 16 and the level 17 of the water 3 is bridged over and facilitates loading and unloading, respectively, of the vessel 4 in question when vehicles are to be driven between the quay 2 and the vessel 4, and that, in that connection, a smooth transition is obtained without any hazardous and harmful angulations on the driveway 18 formed, such as is shown as an example in Fig. 1, and that the correct distance can be adjusted between the quay and the vessel without the vessel needing to be moved or fit to differently long vessel and ramps. Said cart 12, including the driveway ramp parts

8, 9 as well as the driveway-bridging part 14 supported thereby, is supported by and drivable along a path 19 that extends from the outer end edge 20 of a quay and in the direction 11 inward toward the centre 21 of the quay on a substantially common level 22. Said path 19 may be formed by tracks, not shown, or other steering members along which wheels 23 or another rolling or sliding members are arranged to be steered and supported by. The two driveway ramp parts 8, 9 mutually con-

nected via an intermediate pivot joint 24 are actuatable by jacks, not shown, so as to be turned jointly in a connected straight state from a substantially horizontal position I into a common downwardly turned straight sloping position II. Said two positions are shown schematically in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, respectively. The outer driveway ramp part 9 is furthermore actuatable by a jack, not shown, so as to be turned downward 40 in relation to the inner driveway ramp part 8, so that the outer driveway ramp part 9 can be adjusted in the desired sloped position III in relation to the inner ramp 8 if required, such as, for instance, is shown practised in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, at the respective ramps 15, 16 of a vessel. By jack, it should be understood that a fluid-actuatable piston-cylinder or, for instance, a screwable power unit is applied to provide angular adjustment of the intended driveway ramp parts in relation to each other. Such jacks can be placed in desired directions to provide desired motion actuation of the intended parts, accordingly horizontally as well as vertically.

With the purpose of being able to provide the shown function of said bridging unit 5, the two driveway ramp parts 8, 9 mutually connected via the joint 24 are turnably mounted via a mounting in the form of a swinging axle 25 situated on the cart 12 at the portion 12 A thereof distantly facing away from the water 3 and formed by an elevated part of the cart 12.

The two driveway ramp parts 8, 9 are arranged to be projectingly supportable from said cart 12 and the quay 2 toward 10 an anchored vessel 4 lying at the quay 2. The driveway-bridging part 14 facing 11 and extending inward toward the quay 2 is arranged to closely abut the top portion 26 of the quay on an elevated level 27 separated from the driveway portion 19 of the cart 12. Suitably, the cart 12 is arranged to be supported drivable by a motor, jack, etc., by means of wheels

23, rolls, sliding members or a combination of the same, or by means of other support members.

The function of the invention should have been understood from the description above, but from the figures, the different mutual function of the included parts is clearly- seen. Fig. 1 shows how the front ramp 15 in the turned-down and extended position rests with the outer flap 28 thereof on the driveway ramp part 9 turned down thereby, whereby a substantially even level is attained. In that connection, the cart 12 is driven up to the outer end 20 of the quay. Cars, trains (if tracks are present) , trailers and other vehicles desired to be transported by the vessel 4 between different ports can, in doing so, without any obstacle be driven between the quay 2 and the vessel 4 in question on an even level. In that connection, a bridging unit 5 has to be present in each port.

In Fig. 2, there is shown how a vessel 4 by the foldable turnable ramp 16 thereof situated in the stern 29 reaches up by the front flap parts 30 thereof to the two turned-down driveway ramp parts 8, 9, the outer one of which, moreover, is turned down further. Also there, an even level is attained, and the cart 12 is, in that connection, driven to the intermediate position thereof.

In Fig. 3, the cart 12 is shown driven to the inner end position thereof and has the driveway ramp parts 8, 9 thereof raised to a substantially horizontal position. The outer chamfered flap 31 of a ramp 16 abuts closely against and along the topside 8A, 9A of the two driveway ramp parts 8, 9 so that a substantially even level is formed for driving on the same between the vessel 4 and the quay 2. The two driveway ramp parts 8, 9 and the driveway-bridging unit 14, which may be formed of a sheet-metal plate, abut in a substantially even horizontal position on a level with the driveway of the quay 2.

Naturally, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the accompanying drawings. Modifications are feasible, particularly as for the nature of the different parts, or by using an equivalent technique, without departing from the protection area of the invention, such as it is defined in the claims.