Device For Coupling Adjacent Ends Of Two Marine Vessels

Abstract

A device for coupling adjacent ends of a tug boat to a barge including a first coupling member mounted for universal movement on the bow of the tug boat and having a shoulder normally extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tug and facing the bow of the latter, a second coupling member, preferably in the form of a carriage, guided for movement in substantially vertical direction by guide means mounted on the stern of the barge, and having a pair of holding members movable between a coupling position engaging the shoulder of said first coupling member and an inactive position disengaged therefrom.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device for coupling adjacent ends of two marine vessels, for instance a tug boat and a barge to each other, in which the device comprises a universally movable coupling member on the bow of the tub boat and a vertical guide mounted on the stern of the barge.

A coupling device of this type is well known in the art in which the coupling member has a spherical end which engages in a calotte on the bow of the tug boat and which is held therein by movably arranged slides. The other end of this coupling member engages directly in a vertical guide which is fastened to the stern of the barge, however, a vertical movement of the coupling member in the aforementioned guide cannot be carried out with this construction when the barge is moved by the tug boat. In order to disengage this coupling device, it is necessary to remove the spherical end of the coupling member from the calotte and the mechanism for carrying out this disengagement is complicated and subjected to malfunction. Another disadvantage of this known arrangement is that in order to reengage the coupling, the two vessels have to be in exact position with respect to each other and no vertical relative movement of the two vessels is possible.

In another known coupling arrangement, a vertical relative movement between the bow of the tug boat and the stern of the barge is possible, but in this arrangement the coupling means are guided substantially midway between the ends of the tub boat, which disadvantageously effects the maneuvering capability of the latter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for coupling adjacent ends of two marine vessels to each other which avoids the disadvantages of such coupling devices known in the art.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide for a coupling device for coupling the bow of a tug boat and the stern of a barge which permits a relative vertical movement of the adjacent ends of the two vessels during movement of the same.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide for a coupling device which permits to carry out the coupling of adjacent ends of two vessels in a very simple and expedient manner and to permit especially a very fast disconnection of the coupling means in case of danger.

In order to obtain the desired results, the device according to the present invention for coupling adjacent spaced ends of two marine vessels to each other mainly comprises a first coupling member mounted at one end of one of the vessels for universal movement with respect thereto and having a projecting portion having a shoulder face extending transverse to the projecting portion and normally facing said one end of the one vessel, a second coupling member having a cavity receiving the projecting portion and holding means movable between a coupling position engaging the aforementioned shoulder face and an inactive position disengaged therefrom. The device includes further guide means on the end of the other vessel and mounting the second coupling member movable only in substantially vertical direction with respect to said other vessel.

The second coupling member is preferably in the form of a carriage having a plurality of rollers which engage the aforementioned guide means and guide the carriage for movement in substantially vertical direction.

The holding means are preferably constituted by a pair of holding members, and operating means are preferably provided on the second coupling member for moving the pair of holding members between the aforementioned positions thereof. Such operating means preferably are in the form of fluid operated cylinder and piston means. The two holding members may be mounted on the second coupling member tiltable about a pair of spaced axes, or the two holding members may be in the form of slides mounted for movement in direction of the aforementioned shoulder face in and out of engagement with the latter. The projecting portion of the first coupling member has preferably a frustoconical end portion which forms the shoulder face on the large diameter end thereof, and the cavity in the second coupling member is of corresponding frustoconical shape in which the frustoconical end portion of the first coupling member is closely received.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a horizontal section through one embodiment of the coupling device according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross section illustrating part of a modified construction; and

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken along the line III--III of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawing, and more specifically to FIG. 1 of the same, it will be seen that the device for coupling adjacent ends of a pair of marine vessels to each other may comprise a first coupling member 3 having a spherical portion which is held in a known manner universally movable in a calotte on the bow of a tug boat 1, only partially shown in FIG. 1. The coupling member 3 further comprises a projecting portion having a frustoconical end portion 7 normally projecting in the direction of the axis a of the tug boat therefrom and forming at the large diameter end thereof an annular shoulder face 8 which extends normal to the axis of the projecting portion. The device includes further a second coupling member in the form of a carriage 4 having a centrally projecting tubular portion 4a forming a cavity of frustoconical configuration which is adapted, when the two coupling members are engaged with each other, to receive the frustoconical end portion 7 of the first coupling member closely fitting in the cavity. The second coupling member compirses further holding means including at least a pair of holding members 9 each mounted intermediate the ends thereof tiltable about a tilting axis 9' between a holding position, as shown in FIG. 1, in which the inner end of each holding member engages behind the shoulder 8 of the first coupling member and a tilted position disengaged therefrom. The carriage 4 carries further operating means for moving the holding members 9 between the positions thereof and such operating means may be in the form of cylinder and piston means 10 mounted on brackets extending laterally from the portion 4a of the carriage 4. The outer ends of the piston rods of the cylinder and piston means 10 are pivotally connected to the outer ends of the holding members 9. Pressure fluid may be fed in a known manner to opposite ends of the cylinder and piston means 10 by flexible conduits, not shown in the drawing, from a source of pressure fluid likewise not illustrated to operate the holding members 9. Guide means 5 are fixedly mounted on the stern of a barge 2, only partially illustrated in FIG. 1, and these guide means are formed with vertically extending guideways in which two pairs of rollers 6a, 6b on the carriage 4 are engaged so that the carriage 4 is movable on the guide means 5 in substantially vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the axes of the pair of rollers 6a extend normal to the axes of the pair of rollers 6b so that rollers 6a cooperate with the guide means 5 to prevent movement of the carriage in direction of the axis a, whereas the rollers 6b prevent movement of the carriage in direction lateral thereto so that the carriage can move only in substantially vertical direction. This will assure that the two coupling members can be properly engaged regardless whether the barge is loaded or not.

FIGS. 2 and 3 partially illustrate a modification of the coupling device shown in FIG. 1 and in this modification the projecting portion 7' of the first coupling member is provided rearwardly of the frustoconical portion thereof with an annular groove 12 and the holding members 11 are constituted by a pair of slides 11 the inner end portions of which are movable in and out of the annular groove 12 through guide slots 15 formed in the projecting portion 4a' of the second coupling member so as to connect and disconnect the first and the second coupling member to each other. Movement of the slide members 11 into and out of engagement with the aforementioned annular groove 12 is accomplished by cylinder and piston means 14 and a pair of levers 13 each connected at one end pivotably to the carriage 4 and at the other end, respectively, to one end of the cylinder of the cylinder and piston means 14 and to the free end of the piston rod projecting therefrom, while the outer ends of the slide members 11 are pivotally connected to the aforementioned levers 13 intermediate the ends thereof. Flexible conduits, not shown in the drawing, are again used for feeding pressure fluid from a source of pressure fluid, likewise not illustrated, into the opposite ends of the cylinder of the cylinder and piston means 14 to thereby move the levers 13 and the slide members 11 connected thereto for moving the latter in and out of engagement with the annular groove 12.

Both coupling arrangements are constructed in such a manner that they will automatically decouple if a predetermined maximum pulling load is applied thereto, which can, for instance, be accomplished by providing an overpressure valve in the aforementioned conduits for feeding pressure fluid into the cylinder and piston means 10 or 14.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of coupling devices for coupling adjacent ends of two marine vessels differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a coupling device for coupling the bow of a tug boat to the stern of a barge, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended

1. A device for coupling adjacent spaced ends of two marine vessels to each other comprising, in combination, a first coupling member mounted at one end along the axis of one of said vessels for universal movement with respect thereto and having a projecting portion having a shoulder face extending transverse to said projecting portion and normally facing said one end of said one vessel; a second coupling member having a cavity receiving said projecting portion and holding means movable between a coupling position engaging said shoulder face and an inactive position disengaged therefrom; and guide means on the end of the other vessel mounting said second coupling means movable only in substantially vertical direction with respect to said other vessel.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, and including operating means on said second coupling member for moving said holding means between said positions thereof.

3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said second coupling member is a carriage having a plurality of rollers, said rollers engaging said guide means and guiding said carriage for movement in substantially vertical direction.

4. A device as defined in claim 3, wherein said carriage has two pairs of rollers having horizontal axes and the axes of one pair being substantially normal to the axes of the other pair.

5. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said holding means comprise a pair of holding members tiltably mounted about spaced tilting axes on the second coupling member for movement between said positions thereof.

6. A device as defined in claim 5, and including a pair of fluid-operated cylinder and piston means mounted on said second coupling member and respectively connected to said pair of holding members for tilting the same between the positions thereof.

7. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said holding means comprises a pair of slide members movable from opposite sides in the direction of said shoulder face into and out of engagement with the latter, and means for moving said slide members into and out of engagement with said shoulder face.

8. A device as defined in claim 7, wherein said moving means comprising fluid-operated cylinder and piston means, a pair of levers each pivotally connected at one end to said second coupling member and at the other end to a respective one of opposite ends of said cylinder and piston means, said slide members being pivotally connected at the outer ends to a respective one of said pair of levers intermediate the ends of the latter.

9. A device as defined in claim 8, wherein said second coupling member is provided with a pair of guide slots through which said slide members respectively extend.

10. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said first coupling member has a substantially spherical portion mounted for universal movement at said one end of said one vessel and wherein said projecting portion has an end portion of frustoconical configuration forming said shoulder face at the large diameter end thereof, said cavity on said second coupling member being of corresponding frustoconical shape and receiving the frustoconical end portion when said first and said second coupling member are engaged with each other.

11. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said first coupling member, said second coupling member and said guide means form the only connection between the two marine vessels.