Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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APPARATUS FOR ~il3ORING A SHIP
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background of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus or mooring a
ship on the ocean,
As Mohicans for mooring ships, vessels storing petroleum, or a
variety ox vessels and barge mounted plants errantry simply
referred to as ships), the ships are fastened to a buoy which is
anchored on the seabed using ropes.
It is, however, the recent trend to moor the ships in the
water far offshore where ocean conditions and wave conditions are more
severe. When the ship is simply fastened to the buoy using ropes, the
lo buoy and the Choctaw collide with one another if the ropes are loosened
or are damaged. Instead ox using ropes, methods have been proposed
for hastening the ship to the buoy by using a rigid connection. For
example, the ship is hastened to the by using a rigid coupling arm,
to maintain a constant distance between the ship and the buoy.
lo A variety of methods have been proposed to anchor the buoy on
the ocean floor. For exan~tle, the buoy is anchored at a position just
underneath the ocean using a chain (or rod or rope, or several
chairs. Also the buoy, it the Norm of a pole, may be installed on
the bottom ox the sea.
Although the use ox rigid coupling arms eliminates the
probability ox collision between the buoy and the ship, the size and
wPiqht ox the coupling arms and the complex construction of the
c~uplin3 means which couples the buoy and ship together, make the
mooring semi-,oermanen~. In other words, rigid coupling m ens prevent
easy mooring or release ox ships in shout periods ox time, unlike
mooring by ropes. Therefore, the use of rigid coupling arms could
prove fatally detective if the ship were prevented prom quick release
in emergencies such as a fire on the ship or on the near water, or
when there is the possibility ox a collision with a gloating iceberg
in icy waters.
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Summary of the Invention
The present invention eliminates the above mentioned
defect which is inherent in mooring means based upon coupling arms.
Namely, the object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus
which enables the ship to be quickly moored to the mooring pole or
mooring buoy and quickly released therefrom.
For this purpose, the apparatus for mooring a ship in
the present invention is characterized in that a coupling arm is
pivotal attached via a coupling cone to a top portion of a mooring
member which is a mooring pole or a mooring buoy, the lower portion
of an inverse conical portion of said coupling cone is fitted into a
if King hole which is formed in the upper portion of said mooring
member, and a movable locking member is provided in said coupling
cone to detachably lock said coupling cone to said mooring member.
me present invention, therefore, in one aspect,
provides an apparatus for mooring a ship comprising
a coupling cone having an inverse conical shape, said
coupling cone containing a slot which extends wound the periphery of
said coupling cone; a coupling arm rotatable mounted to one end portion
of said coupling cone; a mooring member attached to the floor of a body
of water, said mooring member having an inner Æ face configured to
receive the outer surface of the other end portion of the coupling cone,
said mooring m~nber being provided with a groove which extends wound
the inner periphery of said mooring member; and locking means extending
through said slot and into said groove for detachably locking said
coupling cone to said mooring means, an upper surface of the locking means
and a corresponding upper surface of said groove being tapered to engage
each other in the form of a wedge whereby as the locking means is inserted
through said slot and into said groove, the coupling cone is downwardly
pulled relative to the mooring member.
m e apparatus of the present invention is described below
and illustrated in the attached drawings.
In another aspect, the present invention resides in a method
for mooring a ship comprising the steps of fixing a mooring member to
the floor of a body of water, said mooring member having a configured
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inner surface including a groove which extends around the inner periphery
thereof; inserting a coupling cone having a configured outer surface
corresponding to the configured inner surface of said mooring member,
into said mooring members, said coupling cone containing a slot which
extends along the periphery thereof; detachably locking said coupling
cone to said mooring means by inserting a locking means into said slot
and said groove; and securing said coupling cone to a coupling arm
pivot ably unwed to a ship.
Brief Description of the Drawings
FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the
apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view which closely illustrates
the major portion.
Description of the Preferred Embodiments
Referring to FIG. 1, a ship S is illustrated having a
coupling arm 1 coupled to a coupling cone 2 of a mooring member 3 which
may be a mooring pole or a mooring buoy anchored to the bottom of the
sea; coupling cone 2 is illustrated as having rubber packing 7 at its
base resting on mooring member 3.
Referring to FIG. 2, the lower portion of the coupling cone
2 has an inverse conical shape to engage with the flaring recess formed
in the top portion of mooring member 3. When coupling cone 2 engages
mooring member 3, locking pin 5 is actuated by hydraulic pressure
generator 4 in coupling cone 2 and is inserted into groove 6 ~onmed in
the inner wall of a flaring recess in the upper portion of mooring
number 3. onus, coupling cone 2 is locked to mooring member 3.
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The upper surface of locking pin and the corresponding
upper surface ox groove 6 are tapered to engage with each other in the
Norm of a edgy As pin 5 is inserted, coupling cone 2 is downwardly
pulled relative to the mooring member 3, whereby a rubber packing 7,
provided under a jaw portion in the middle ox coupling cone Z, is
compressed by a predeter~uned amount between coupling cone 2 and the
upper edge ox mooring member 7. Therefore, after coupling, water is
prevented rum entering moo coupling cone 2.
Rubber packing 7 also works to reduce the shock produced
during the engagement of coupling cute 2.
A predetermined number I locking pins 5 will be provided in
the circumference of coupling cone 2. Groove 6 will be continuously
formed around the puff y ox mooring member 3. Therefore, coupling
cone 2 may be enraged in any direction about the perpendicular axis ox -
mooring member I.
Coupling arm 1 is pivotal attached to the upper portion of
coupling cone 2 via universal joint-8. Universal joint 8 may be a
spherical bearing.
In order to transport crude oil and other fluids prom the
seabed to the ship or prom the snip to the seabed, the apparatus a
the present invention may include a pipeline which is briefly
de æ robed below. Namely, a rigid pipe 9 or transporting fluid along
coupling arm 1 is connected to the tow path in rotary ring 1' at the
top ox coupling cone 2 through n exile pipe 10. Flexible pipe 10 may
be a moldable pipe with swivel joints.
A rigid pipe 12 which connects with the slow path in rotary
ring 11 is hung in coupling cone 2, and a moldable pipe 13 with swivel
joints is connected to the lower portion thereon. Foldable pipe 13 is
connected by Lange 15 Jo rigid pipe 14 which rises trim mooring
member 3.
When coupling cone 2 and mooring member 3 are to be engaged
or disengaged, the pipeline can be attached or detached at Lange lo.
The moldable pipe 13 with swivel joints may be replaced by a flexible
pipe.
Although the diagram illustrates only one pipeline system, it
is easy to install a plurality no pipeline systems in the same manner
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Furthermore, an entrance/exit port 16 with a water-tight door
(or water-tight cover), a handrail 17 and a ladder 18 may be provided
Jo workers can enter coupling cone 2 to start or stop hydraulic
pressure generator 4, to attach or detach Lange 15, or to check the
coupling system.
The functioning of the apparatus when ship S is moored to
mooring member 3 by coupling arm l-via coupling cone 2 Jill now be
explained. Ship S drifts, tilts, pitches and rolls with the ocean
current, tide, wind and waves, and the forces are transmitted to
o coupling cone 2 via coupling arm 1. Coupling arm 1 and coupling cone
2 are able to rotate due to universal joint 8. rnerefore, no bending
movement or twisting movement is produced in this portion; only the
axial force is transmitted to achieve the purpose of mooring.
When mooring member 3 is a buoy, anchored by anchoring chains
l; only and is singable, universal joint 8 may be replaced by a joint
which rotates about the vertical axis only.
Fluid may be transported from the seabed to ship S through
rigid pipe 14, Lange 15, foldable pipe 13 with swivel joints, rigid
pipe 12, flow path in the rotary ring 11, flexible pipe 10 and rigid
pipe 9;
Even when relative displacement has taken place between
coupling arm 1 and coupling cone 2 due to the motion of ship S or
mooring member 3, flexible pipe 10 and rotary ring 11 move following
the displacement, and transportation of the fluid is not disturbed.
Coupling cone 2 can be separated from mooring member 3 in the
hollowing manner. First, the operator enters into coupling cone 2
through entrance exit port 16. The operator may transfer directly
from the work boat (not shown, or may transfer prom ship S which is
moored via coupling arm 1. The operator enters coupling cone 2 and
disengages flange 15. A stop valve (not shown) may be provided at the
top proton ox rigid pipe 14 and at the lower portion of foldable pipe
13 with swivel joints. By closing the stop valves, the fluid in the
pipes is prevented prom gushing out.
The operator starts the hydraulic pressure generator 4 so
I that the locking pins 5 are withdrawn by the hydraulic pressure to a
position indicated by the dot-dash line.
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The hydraulic pressure generator 4 will have a hydraulic pump
that is actuated by, for example, compressed air. The compressed air
will be supplied from the moored ship via the rotary ring 11 through a
pipeline system with a construction similar to that ox the pylon
system described above or transferring the fluid, en from a ~orkboat
through the entrance port 16. Thus, the preparation for separation is
completed. When the coupling arm 1 is lifted, the :oupllng cone 2 is
separated from the mooring pole I. The coupling arm 1 e n be lifted
by a listing device (not shown) such as a crane installed at the bow
of a moored ship.
The coupling cone 2 and the mooring member 3 are contacted
and fastened chiefly via the rubber packing 7. A s~r~icient gap is
maintained between the inverse conical portion at the lower portion of
the coupling cone 2 and the Planing recess at the upper portion of the
mooring member to insure against the possibility ox the two members
sticking together.
To couple the two members, the operations described above
should be performed in reverse. In this case, since the top portion
ox mooring member 3 is glared, accurate centering to not necessary for
tube insertion ox coupling cone 2. Thus the coupling operation may be
be carried out more easily. Effects and advantages of the s~biect
apparatus for mooring ships may be summarized as follows.
Movable locking members such as locking pins 5 and other
equipment are installed in the coupling cone making it possible to
maintain and check the apparatus when the skip is docked, eliminating
the need ox performing maintenance operations in the middle of a
dangerous ocean. Thus, the apparatus owe present invention
contributes to the enhancement ox safety.
The mooring member requires no maintenance (or preventing
the infiltration ox water and the like) aster disconnecting from
coupling cone 2 and being left on the ocean because no apparatus or
moving part necessary for coupling is installed on mooring member 3.
Since thy coupling mechanism is very simply constructed, the
disconnection or the coupling can be effected within short periods of
I time.
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The ship can be quickly disconnected in an emergency case.
Therefore, the conditions for disconnection can be set to suitable
values with reference to the operation rate, such that the conditions
of external forces for the mooring apparatus can be reduced to
practical ranges.
