CN115427342A

CN115427342A - Winding device and ship comprising same

Info

Publication number: CN115427342A
Application number: CN202180017660.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: T·班格思伦德
Original assignee: Svetzel
Current assignee: Svetzel
Priority date: 2020-03-06
Filing date: 2021-02-20
Publication date: 2022-12-02
Also published as: BR112022017818A2; PE20230567A1; EP4114783A1; WO2021175625A1; CA3168768A1; MX2022010734A

Abstract

A spooling device for handling a cable on a vessel is disclosed. The winding device includes a main drum for winding a main rope. The main drum is configured to rotate about a longitudinal center axis and is configured to wind and/or unwind the main rope in a winding direction. The winding device includes an auxiliary drum for winding an auxiliary cable connected to the distal end of the main cable. The winding device further comprises a guide arm movably arranged in the winding direction with respect to the main reel and the auxiliary reel at a distance from the longitudinal centre axis. The guide arm is configured to perform a sweeping movement with respect to the main drum such that the guide arm is configured to guide the auxiliary cable onto the auxiliary drum during a winding process.

Description

Winding device and ship comprising same

The present disclosure relates to the field of ship mooring. The present disclosure relates to a spooling device for handling of cable on a vessel and a vessel comprising the cable handling device.

Background

Mooring refers to the act of securing a vessel to a permanent structure, which will be referred to as a mooring point in the following. The vessel may be secured to a mooring point to prevent the vessel from moving freely over the water. The mooring may fix the position of the vessel relative to a point on the bottom of the waterway without connecting the vessel to shore.

The mooring point may be any kind of shore fixture from trees and rocks to a specially constructed area, such as a quay, a berth, a breakwater, a flood bank, an anchor buoy and/or a mooring buoy.

Mooring is typically accomplished using a hawser known as a mooring line or hawser. The cable may be secured at one end to deck fittings on the vessel and at the other end to fittings such as bollards, rings and hawsers.

Mooring usually requires cooperation between onshore personnel and shipboard personnel. Heavy mooring lines are typically transferred from larger vessels to onshore personnel by means of smaller, weighted skimming lines, which may also be referred to as lead lines. The smaller skimming line may be connected to an eyelet of the mooring line, which may be used to attach the mooring line to the mooring point. The mooring line is then pulled to shore by skimming lines and manually connected to the mooring point by shore personnel.

Typically, multiple mooring lines are required to secure the vessel. The heaviest cargo vessels may require more than twelve mooring lines, whereas small vessels may typically be moored by two to six mooring lines.

The mooring lines are tensioned once attached to the mooring point. Large ships often use heavy machinery, such as mooring winches or winches, to tighten their mooring lines. High tension may cause a rapid return of the mooring lines. The snapback is a sudden recoil caused by a loss of control of the mooring lines under tension. Uncontrolled mooring lines may recoil at high speed and may result in injury or even death to personnel handling the mooring lines on the vessel or onshore. The risk of snapback increases if the mooring lines wear or break.

Mooring lines are typically long and heavy ropes stored on a ship in the form of coils (such as, for example, wound onto a drum of a winch, such as a mooring winch). When these cables are in operation, they tend to naturally form loops or rings, which are also referred to as loops. If a person involved in the mooring operation enters under this loop, such as by becoming caught in a loop or loop of cable, the pulling of the cable may drag the person on the ship or cause the person to bump into the vessel or equipment mounted or stored on the vessel.

Skimming lines are usually wound onto the drum of the mooring winch on top of the mooring line. However, because skimming lines are typically much smaller than mooring lines, skimming lines can slip between and become lodged in two wraps of coiled mooring line (such as between two loops). This may be the case, for example, if the skimming line is pulled hard, such as if the eyelet to which the skimming line of the mooring line is attached slides out of the drum and pulls the skimming line with it. As a result, the skimming line can get stuck on the drum of the mooring winch during the unwinding process and not unwind correctly. The skimming line may follow the rotation of the drum and begin to be wound onto the drum again, rather than being released from the drum. If the lead line suddenly starts to wind up onto the drum during the unwinding process, this may result in a heavy pull or jerk on the skimming line, which may cause the person handling the lead line to fall, to be dragged over the edge of the ship or quay, or may bump into the ship or equipment mounted or stored on the ship, which in turn may cause serious injury or even death of the person. This presents a danger to the personnel handling the winding device and the lead cable.

A sharp return, loop and sudden heavy pull on the skimming rope can cause serious injury or even death to the person. Thus, mooring of a vessel involves heavy labor with the risk of injuring the personnel handling the mooring lines. Furthermore, the mooring operation is time consuming and must be planned ahead of time to ensure that personnel are available to assist onshore during mooring.

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, there is a need for a spooling device for the handling of rope such as mooring lines and/or mooring lines that alleviates, mitigates or addresses the existing drawbacks and provides a safe spooling operation.

A spooling device for handling a cable on a vessel is disclosed. The spooling device comprises a main drum for spooling a main line, such as a mooring line, streamer rope or a hawser. The main drum is configured to rotate about a longitudinal center axis and is configured to wind and/or unwind the main rope in a winding direction. The winding means comprises an auxiliary drum for winding an auxiliary cable, such as a lead cable or a skimming cable, connected to the distal end of the main cable. The winding device further comprises a guide arm movably arranged in the winding direction with respect to the main reel and the auxiliary reel at a distance from the longitudinal centre axis. The guide arm is configured to perform a sweeping movement with respect to the main drum such that the guide arm is configured to guide the auxiliary cable onto the auxiliary drum during a winding process.

Furthermore, a vessel comprising the winding device is disclosed.

An advantage of the present disclosure is that the safety of the mooring process is improved, since the winding device reduces the risk of sudden pulling of the auxiliary line during the winding process. Furthermore, since the auxiliary lines are not stored on top of the main lines, wear of the main lines may be reduced, which reduces the risk of a sharp return of the main lines during the mooring or spooling process.

Furthermore, the risk of the auxiliary cable getting stuck in the main cable is reduced, allowing the winding device to operate autonomously, since no manual work is required to release the stuck auxiliary cable. The spooling apparatus according to the present disclosure may therefore also be operated autonomously, such as included on an autonomous vessel, which increases the efficiency of the mooring or spooling process and reduces the need for personnel to supervise and manipulate the spooling process on deck.

Thereby reducing the risk of injury to the person. Thus, a safe mooring operation is provided.

Drawings

The above and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

figure 1 shows a front view of a known winding device,

figure 2 illustrates a front view of a first exemplary winding apparatus according to the present disclosure,

figure 3 illustrates a front view of a second exemplary winding apparatus according to the present disclosure,

figure 4 illustrates a front view of an exemplary winding system including a first exemplary winding apparatus according to the present disclosure,

figure 5 shows a side view of an exemplary winding device in an auxiliary position according to the present disclosure,

figure 6 illustrates an exemplary guide arm according to the present disclosure,

FIG. 7A shows a side view of a first example cable tensioner according to this disclosure, and

fig. 7B shows a side view of a first example cable tensioner according to the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Various exemplary embodiments and details are described below with reference to the associated drawings. It should be noted that the figures may or may not be drawn to scale and that elements of similar structure or function are represented by like reference numerals throughout the figures. It should also be noted that the figures are only intended to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the disclosure or as a limitation on the scope of the disclosure. In addition, the embodiments shown do not necessarily have all aspects or advantages shown. Aspects or advantages described in connection with a particular embodiment are not necessarily limited to that embodiment, and may be practiced in any other embodiment, even if not so shown or not so explicitly described.

The figures are schematic and simplified for clarity, and they show only details that are helpful in understanding the disclosure, while other details are omitted. The same reference numerals are used throughout the same or corresponding parts.

A spooling device for handling a cable on a vessel is disclosed. The spooling device comprises a main drum for spooling a main line, such as a mooring line, streamer rope or a hawser, wherein the main drum is configured to rotate about a longitudinal centre axis, such as a first longitudinal centre axis. The main drum is configured to wind and/or unwind the main rope in a winding direction. The winding means comprises an auxiliary drum for winding an auxiliary cable, such as a lead cable or a skimming cable, connected to the distal end of the main cable. The auxiliary reel may be a separate reel or may be a section of the main reel, such as an end section. The winding device further comprises a guide arm which is movably arranged in the winding direction with respect to the main reel and the auxiliary reel at a distance from the longitudinal centre axis. The guide arm is configured to perform a sweeping movement with respect to the main drum such that the guide arm is configured to guide the auxiliary cable onto the auxiliary drum during the winding process. The portion of the winding process during which the primary cable is wound onto the primary drum may be referred to herein as a primary winding process and the portion of the winding process during which the secondary cable is wound onto the secondary drum may be referred to herein as a secondary winding process.

The winding direction should herein be interpreted as the direction in which the cable, such as the main cable and/or the auxiliary cable, leaves the drum, such as the main drum and/or the auxiliary drum. The winding direction may be substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis of the roll. Substantially perpendicular is herein understood to mean that the winding direction makes an angle in the range of 85 ° to 90 ° with the longitudinal centre axis of the reel.

The auxiliary reel may be arranged alongside the main reel. The auxiliary reel is rotatable about a second longitudinal central axis. The second longitudinal center axis may be arranged parallel to a longitudinal center axis of the main reel (such as the first longitudinal center axis). In one or more embodiments of the winding device, the auxiliary reel may be arranged coaxially with the main reel. In other words, the second longitudinal centre axis of the auxiliary reel may be arranged coaxially with the rotation axis of the main reel.

The main reel may include a first flange and a second flange disposed on longitudinal ends of the main reel, wherein the auxiliary reel is disposed on the first flange of the main reel. The first and second flanges of the main drum, which may also be referred to as first and second main flanges, may define side walls that provide lateral support to the main line when the main line is stored on the main drum. The main drum may also include a cylinder, which may be referred to as a main cylinder for receiving the main rope. The main cylinder may be arranged coaxially with and may be located between the first and second main flanges. The diameter of the main cylinder may be smaller than the diameter of the first main flange and the second main flange.

In some example winding devices, an auxiliary spool may be included in the main spool such that a section of the main spool, such as an end section near a flange of the main spool (such as a second main flange), forms the auxiliary spool.

In some exemplary winding devices, the auxiliary reel may further include first and second flanges, which may be referred to as first and second auxiliary flanges, and a cylinder, which may be referred to as an auxiliary cylinder. The auxiliary cylinder may be arranged between the first auxiliary flange and the second auxiliary flange. The auxiliary cylinder may have a diameter smaller than the diameters of the first and second auxiliary flanges. The diameter of the auxiliary cylinder may be different from the diameter of the main cylinder. The main cylinder and the auxiliary cylinder may be configured to rotate independently of each other, such as, for example, by being disposed on separate drive shafts or by being releasably connected to the same drive shaft by respective clutches.

In one or more exemplary winding devices, the auxiliary reel may be arranged on the first flange and/or the second flange of the main reel. The main reel and the auxiliary reel may share flanges such that the second main flange is identical to the first auxiliary flange. In other words, the main cylinder may be connected to a first side of the common flange, and the auxiliary cylinder may be connected to a second side of the common flange, the second side being opposite to the first side. The main reel and the auxiliary reel may thus be configured to perform simultaneous rotations. In one or more exemplary winding devices, the auxiliary winding drum may be made of angle steel rolled to a suitable diameter.

The main drum may have a larger cable capacity than the auxiliary drum. The main reel can for example have a smaller drum diameter and a larger transverse width (the width of the drum being the same as the distance between the flanges of the reels) than the auxiliary reels.

In one or more exemplary winding devices, the winding device may include a rotational drive system for rotating the spool about the longitudinal central axis of the spool. The rotary drive system may be referred to herein as the first drive system. The main reel and the auxiliary reel may be driven by respective first drive systems, so that the main reel and the auxiliary reel may be driven independently of each other. In one or more exemplary winding devices, the main reel and the auxiliary reel may be driven by one single first driving system. The first drive system may include one or more clutches configured such that the main spool and the auxiliary spool may be driven or perform a linked rotation independently of each other. In one or more exemplary winding devices, the main spool and the auxiliary spool may be rigidly connected such that a single rotary drive system jointly drives both spools.

The guide arm may be in the primary position when the primary cable is to be wound onto the winding device. The main drum is at least rotatable (the auxiliary drum may be stationary or rotating) so that the main cable is wound onto the main drum. Once the main cable has been fully wound onto the main drum and the end of the auxiliary cable attached to the main cable passes the guide arm (such as when the guide arm is aligned with the end of the auxiliary cable attached to the main cable), the guide arm may begin sweeping movement toward the auxiliary position. The guide arm starting the sweeping movement may trigger stopping the rotation of the main drum. When the guide arm has reached the auxiliary position, the rotation of the auxiliary reel (and the main reel) can be started or restarted. By stopping the rotation of the main drum when the guide arm performs a sweeping movement and restarting the rotation when the guide arm reaches the auxiliary position, it can be ensured that the winding of the auxiliary rope is started only when the auxiliary rope has been guided to the auxiliary drum. This prevents the auxiliary line from being wound onto the mooring line on the main drum, thereby reducing the risk of the auxiliary line getting stuck in the mooring line, which in turn reduces the risk of a sudden pull of the auxiliary line that could injure or die the person handling the spooling device. Thus, a safer winding device and winding operation is provided.

In one or some example winding devices, the winding device may include a detector for detecting and/or determining that the end of the auxiliary line attached to the main line passes or is aligned with the guide arm. The detector may for example be a revolution counter on the main drum or a cable length measuring machine, wherein the revolutions of the main drum and/or the cable length measuring machine may be used to calculate the length of the mooring line wound/unwound on the main drum. The auxiliary line may be determined to be aligned with the guide arm when the same amount of main line as that which had previously been unwound from the main reel has been wound onto the main reel. In one or more exemplary embodiments herein, the detector may be an optical sensor or a magnetic sensor. The magnetic sensor may detect a magnet at the end of the auxiliary cable or a steel material such as the auxiliary cable. The magnetic sensor may for example be a hall sensor. In one or more exemplary embodiments herein, the detector may be a wireless device, such as a Near Field Communication (NFC) device, such as, for example, an RFID reader that detects a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip disposed at an end of the auxiliary cable.

The arrangement of the guide arm at a distance from the longitudinal centre axis in the winding direction when the auxiliary cable and/or the main cable is in the unwound state is to be understood as the arrangement of the guide arm between the main drum and the free end of the auxiliary cable. This can also be referred to as the guide arm being arranged in front of the main drum, the forward direction being the direction in which the main rope leaves the main drum when the main rope is unwound. In other words, the guide arms are arranged such that the main and/or auxiliary cables pass the position of the guide arms when the main and/or auxiliary cables are wound onto the main and/or auxiliary drums from an unwound state. The guide arm may be arranged at a distance larger than the radius of the largest flange of the main drum and/or the auxiliary drum, such that the guide arm does not touch the flange of the main drum and/or the auxiliary drum during the sweeping movement from the main position to the auxiliary position. The guide arm may be arranged, seen from the main drum, between the main drum and a fairlead or tow pin guiding the cable in the unwound state, such as between the main drum and a first fairlead or tow pin for guiding the cable.

The guide arm may be configured to be positioned in a primary position in which the guide arm allows a primary cable to be wound onto the primary drum, and in a secondary position in which the guide arm guides a secondary cable onto the secondary drum. The main position may for example be a position in which the guiding arm does not guide a cable, such as an auxiliary cable and/or a main cable. The guide arm may be configured to intersect the auxiliary cable and force, such as pull or push, the auxiliary cable toward the auxiliary reel as the guide arm performs a sweeping movement from the primary position to the auxiliary position. The guide arm may be configured to perform a sweeping movement between the primary position and the secondary position during the winding process as the end of the secondary cable connected to the primary cable passes the position of the guide arm. In other words, when the guide arm is in the primary position, the guide arm may not be in contact with a cable, such as an auxiliary cable and/or a main cable. During movement from the primary position to the secondary position, the guide arm may intersect the secondary cable such that the guide arm contacts the secondary cable and forces the secondary cable onto the secondary drum. The guide arm can thus only be in contact with the auxiliary rope when the auxiliary rope is to be guided onto the auxiliary drum. By the guide arm not being in continuous contact with the cable during winding, wear on the cable, for example caused by friction between the guide arm and the cable, may be reduced.

The guide arm may further comprise a guide element for contacting the auxiliary cable. In other words, the guide element is configured to contact the auxiliary cable, such as when the guide arm is in the auxiliary position. In one or more exemplary winding devices, the guide element may comprise a cable contact surface for contacting the auxiliary cable, wherein the cable contact surface may be configured to reduce friction on the auxiliary cable. The guide element may for example be coated with a material having a lower coefficient of friction than the uncoated surface.

In one or more exemplary winding devices, the guide element may be a guide roller rotatably arranged with respect to the main element of the guide arm. The guide roller may be configured to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the guide arm. The surface of the deflector roll may be configured to increase friction between the auxiliary rope and the deflector roll such that the moment acting on the deflector roll from the auxiliary rope overcomes the disengagement moment of the deflector roll. This ensures that the guide rollers are rolling and do not slide along the auxiliary ropes. If the auxiliary rope were to slide along the guide rollers, the wear of the auxiliary rope could increase, which is undesirable. The guide roller may for example be coated with a material having a higher coefficient of friction than the uncoated guide roller.

When the guide arm is in the auxiliary position, the guide arm or the guide element of the guide arm may be aligned with the inner surface of the first flange of the auxiliary drum such that the auxiliary cable guided by the guide arm or the guide element is wound onto the auxiliary drum.

In one or more example winding devices, the guide arm may be pivotably arranged with respect to the main drum such that the guide arm is configured to pivot between a primary position and a secondary position. The winding device may comprise a pivot point about which the guide arm is configured to pivot. The pivot point may be configured such that the longitudinal axis of the guide arm in the main position, which may also be referred to as being in a horizontal position, is arranged (at least substantially) parallel to the longitudinal centre axis of the main drum. The pivot point may also be configured such that when the guide arm is in the secondary position, the longitudinal axis of the guide arm is arranged (at least substantially) perpendicular to the longitudinal centre axis of the main reel, which may also be referred to as being in a vertical position. Thus, in one or more exemplary winding devices, the sweeping movement of the guide arm may cover a span of at least substantially 90 ° from the primary position to the secondary position. The span of the sweeping movement of the guide arm 30 may be in a plane parallel to the longitudinal central axis 15.

In one or more example winding devices, the guide arm may be slidably arranged with respect to the main drum such that the guide arm is configured to perform a translational movement from the primary position to the secondary position. The guide arm may for example be arranged in a longitudinal guide rail, such as a groove or a rail, in which guide rail the guide arm is slidable between the primary position and the secondary position. The guide arm may for example perform a translational movement parallel to the longitudinal centre axis of the main drum. In the main position, the guide arm or the guide element of the guide arm may be positioned perpendicular to the longitudinal centre axis of the main reel in the vicinity of the first main flange. In the main position, the guide arm or the guide element of the guide arm may be aligned with the outer surface of the first main flange, for example. The guide arm may perform a sweeping translational movement to an auxiliary position, for example along a guide rail, wherein the guide arm or a guide element of the guide arm may be aligned with an inner surface of the first auxiliary flange. During the translational movement, the guide arm is configured to intersect and force, such as pull or push, the auxiliary cable toward the auxiliary drum.

The winding device may comprise a drive system for moving the guide arm, such as between the primary position and the secondary position. The drive system may be, for example, a hydraulic drive system, an electric drive system, a pneumatic drive system, or a combination thereof. The drive system for moving the guide arm may also be referred to herein as the second drive system. The hydraulic drive system and/or the pneumatic drive system may comprise a pneumatic cylinder, such as a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder, so as to generate a linear displacement, which may be converted into a rotational or translational movement of the guide arm.

The winding device may also include a cable tensioning device configured to create tension on the auxiliary cable, such as when the auxiliary cable is guided onto the auxiliary drum. The cable tensioner may be configured to abut the auxiliary cable when the guide arm is in the auxiliary position. The cable tensioner may be configured to abut the auxiliary cable from a side opposite the guide arm such that the auxiliary cable may be squeezed between the cable tensioner and the guide arm. By creating tension on the auxiliary rope, a holding force can be created against the weight of the eye of the main rope, so that if the eye of the main rope slips off the drum, it does not pull the auxiliary rope. The cable tensioning device can thus reduce any sudden pulls which may cause a person handling the auxiliary cable to fall, drag a person on the ship or on the edge of the dock or may cause a person to bump into the vessel or equipment mounted or stored on the vessel, thereby providing a safer spooling device. In one or more exemplary winding devices, the cable tensioning device may include a guide surface configured to contact the auxiliary cable. The guide surface may comprise protrusions or may be coated with a friction increasing material such as e.g. a rubber material for increasing the friction between the cable tensioning device and the auxiliary cable.

In one or more exemplary winding devices, the cable tensioning device includes a tensioning roller configured to abut the auxiliary cable and rotate about an axis extending perpendicular to a winding direction of the auxiliary cable. The tension roller may include a drive system, such as a third drive for rotating the tension roller. In order to tension the auxiliary cable during the winding process (such as when winding the auxiliary cable onto the auxiliary drum), a rotational force may be applied to the tensioning roller by the drive system, the rotational force acting in the opposite direction to the force applied by the auxiliary cable to the tensioning roller. The rotational force applied by the drive system may be less than the rotational force applied to the tensioning roller by the auxiliary cable, such that the tensioning roller follows the rotation of the auxiliary cable but creates a resistance to tensioning the auxiliary cable. In other words, the rotational force applied by the drive system is insufficient to overcome the rotational force applied to the tensioning roller by the auxiliary cable. When no force is applied by the winding device, such as when a spool (such as a main spool and/or an auxiliary spool) is being wound freely, the rotational force applied by the drive system to the tensioning roller may be high enough to unwind the auxiliary cable from the auxiliary spool. In one or more exemplary winding devices and/or winding systems, the tensioning roller may thus be used to unwind the auxiliary rope from the auxiliary drum. Thus, the unwinding of the auxiliary rope can be handled autonomously.

In one or more exemplary winding devices, the auxiliary roll may form part of the main roll, such as a section of the main roll. The auxiliary reel may for example be a section, such as an end section of the main reel. In these one or more exemplary winding devices, the auxiliary rope may be wound on top of or beside the main rope. The guide arm may be used to move the auxiliary cable to the section of the main drum that constitutes the auxiliary drum. The auxiliary reel may be opened to one side, such as comprising only one flange, such as only one auxiliary flange. In this case, the second main flange and the second auxiliary flange may be identical. The auxiliary cable may be guided by an auxiliary flange, such as a second auxiliary flange, and a guide arm. The guide arm may thus be configured to act as a flange, such as a first flange, of the auxiliary spool when the guide arm is in the auxiliary position. The width of the auxiliary reel may thus be defined by the distance between the guide surface of the guide arm and a second auxiliary flange, such as a second main flange.

In one or more exemplary winding devices, the auxiliary spool is separate from the main spool. The auxiliary drum may be separated from the main drum, such as by a flange, so that the main and auxiliary cables are separated from each other as they are wound onto the main and auxiliary drums.

A spooling system is disclosed that includes a spooling device, a main line (such as a mooring line, streamer line or hawser) and an auxiliary line (such as a messenger line or skimming line), wherein the auxiliary line is connected to a distal end of the main line, such as an eyelet to the main line.

Furthermore, a vessel comprising a winding system such as, for example, one or more winding systems is disclosed. The vessel may be, for example, a ship or a moored support vessel, such as a tug boat.

Fig. 1 shows a front view of a known winding device 1 for winding and/or unwinding a primary cable 13 and a secondary cable 14. In the known solution, the main cable 13 and the auxiliary cable 14 are wound on the same drum 10. The auxiliary cables 14 are connected to the distal ends of the main cables such that when the main cables 13 and the auxiliary cables 14 are wound onto the drum 10 by the drum rotating in a first direction about the central axis 15, the main cables 13 are wound onto the drum first and once the main cables are fully wound onto the drum, the auxiliary cables 14 are wound onto the drum 10 on top of the main cables 13. Similarly, as

cables

13 and 14 are unwound, the drum rotates about central axis 15 in a second direction opposite the first direction, such that auxiliary cable 14 is unwound first, and once auxiliary cable 14 is fully unwound, main cable 13 begins to unwind from drum 10. However, because the auxiliary cables 14 are much thinner than the main cables 13, the auxiliary cables 14 may slip between and become lodged in two wraps of the coiled main cables 13 (such as between two coils). The jammed auxiliary rope is indicated as 14A in fig. 1. This may be the case, for example, if the auxiliary cable 14 is pulled hard, such as if the auxiliary cable 14 of the main cable can be connected to it and the possibly very heavy eyelet slips out of the drum 10 and pulls the auxiliary cable 14 with it. As a result, the auxiliary rope 14 may not unwind properly during the unwinding process. Alternatively, the auxiliary rope 14 may follow the rotation of the drum 10 in the second direction and may start to be wound onto the drum again in the second direction. This presents a danger to the personnel handling the winding device and the auxiliary cable. If the auxiliary cable 14 suddenly starts to wind onto the drum during the unwinding process, the auxiliary cable 14 will be pulled back onto the drum 10 instead of being released from the drum 10. Such pulling of the auxiliary line 14 may cause the person handling the auxiliary line to fall, drag the person on the ship or on the edge of the dock or may cause the person to bump into the vessel or equipment mounted or stored on the vessel, which in turn may cause serious injury or even death of the person.

Fig. 2 shows a front view of an exemplary wrapping device 1 for handling a cable on a vessel according to the present disclosure. The front view is understood herein (such as throughout the present disclosure) to be looking from the free end of an unwound cable, such as an auxiliary cable or a main cable, towards the winding device 1. The winding device 1 comprises a drum 10 for winding a main cable (not shown in fig. 2), wherein the main drum 10 is configured to rotate around a longitudinal centre axis 15. The main drum 10 is configured to wind and/or unwind a main rope in a winding direction. The winding direction is perpendicular (at least substantially perpendicular) to the longitudinal central axis of the main reel 10. The winding device 1 further comprises an auxiliary drum 20 for winding an auxiliary cable (not shown in fig. 2), such as a lead cable or a skimming cable, connected to the distal end of the main cable. In the exemplary winding device shown in fig. 2, the auxiliary reel 20 is arranged alongside and coaxially to the main reel 10 along the longitudinal central axis 15, so that the main reel 10 and the auxiliary reel 20 share the same axis of rotation. The winding device 1 further comprises a guide arm 30 which is movably arranged in the winding direction with respect to the main reel 10 and the auxiliary reel 20 at a distance from the longitudinal centre axis 15. The guide arm 30 is configured to perform a sweeping movement with respect to the main drum 10 such that the guide arm 30 is configured to guide the auxiliary cable onto the auxiliary drum 20 during the winding process.

The main reel 10 may include a first flange 11A and a second flange 11B, which may also be referred to as

main flanges

11A and 11B, disposed on longitudinal ends of the main reel 10. In the exemplary winding device shown in fig. 2, the auxiliary reel 20 is arranged on the second flange 11B of the main reel 10. The main drum 10 also includes a drum 12, which may be referred to as a main drum for receiving the main rope. Main cylinder 12 may be coaxially disposed with the first and second flanges and may be located between first and second main flanges 12A and 12B. The diameter of the main cylinder may be smaller than the diameter of the first main flange and the second main flange.

The auxiliary reel 20 further comprises a first flange 21A and a second flange 21B, which may be referred to as first auxiliary flange and second auxiliary flange, and a cylinder 22, which may be referred to as an auxiliary cylinder. The auxiliary cylinder 22 may be disposed between the first auxiliary flange 21A and the second auxiliary flange 21B. The auxiliary cylinder 22 has a diameter smaller than the diameters of the first auxiliary flange 21A and the second auxiliary flange 21B. The diameter of the auxiliary cylinder may be different from the diameter of the main cylinder. In the exemplary winding device shown in fig. 2, the auxiliary reel 20 is arranged on the second flange 11B of the main reel 10. The main reel 10 and the auxiliary reel 20 therefore share a flange, so that the second main flange 11B is identical to the first auxiliary flange 21A. In other words, the main cylinder may be connected to a first side of the

common flange

11B, 21A, and the auxiliary cylinder may be connected to a second side of the common flange, the second side being opposite to the first side. The main reel 10 and the auxiliary reel 20 can thus be configured to perform simultaneous rotations. The guide arm 30 is configured to be positioned at the main position P _M Wherein the guide arm 30 allows or is configured to allow the main rope 13 to be wound onto the main drum 10. The guide arm 30 is further configured to be positioned at the auxiliary position P _A Wherein the guide arm 30 guides the auxiliary rope 14 onto the auxiliary reel 11. The guide arm 30 may comprise a guide element 31 for contacting the auxiliary cable 14. The guide element 30 may comprise a cable contact surface for contacting the auxiliary cable 14, wherein the cable contact surface is configured to reduce friction on the auxiliary cable 14. When the guide arm 30 is in the auxiliary position, the guide arm 30 or the guide element 31 of the guide arm 30 may be aligned with the inner surface of the first flange 21A of the auxiliary reel 20 such that the auxiliary cable guided by the guide arm or the guide element is wound on the auxiliary reel.

Exemplary as shown in FIG. 2In the winding device, the guide arm 30 is pivotably arranged with respect to the main reel 10 such that the guide arm 30 is configured to pivot between the main position and the auxiliary position. The guide arm 30 may be pivotally mounted with respect to the main drum 10, for example, by a pivot point 33. The pivot point 33 may be configured so as to be in the main position P _M Is arranged (at least substantially) parallel to the longitudinal centre axis 15 of the main reel 10, which may also be referred to as a guide arm in a horizontal position. The pivot point 33 may also be configured such that when the guide arm 30 is in the secondary position P _A The longitudinal axis of the guide arm 30, which may also be referred to as being in a vertical position, is arranged (at least substantially) perpendicular to the longitudinal centre axis 15 of the main reel. At an auxiliary position P _A The guide arm 30 or the guide element 31 of the guide arm 30 may be aligned with the inner surface of the first auxiliary flange 21A, with one side of the auxiliary flange 21A facing the cylinder 22. Thus, in the exemplary winding arrangement shown in fig. 2, the sweeping movement of the guide arm 30 may cover the secondary position P _M To an auxiliary position P _A At least substantially 90 deg. of span. The span of the sweeping movement of the guide arm 30 may be in a plane parallel to the longitudinal center axis 15.

The winding device may further comprise a drive system 40 for moving the guide arm 30. The drive system 40 may be a hydraulic drive system, an electric drive system, a pneumatic drive system, or any combination thereof.

Fig. 3 shows a front view of a further exemplary wrapping device 1 for handling a cable on a vessel according to the present disclosure. The exemplary winding device 1 shown in fig. 3 differs from the exemplary winding device shown in fig. 2 in that the guide arm 30 is slidably arranged with respect to the main drum 10 instead of being pivotably arranged, so that the guide arm 30 is configured to perform a slave main position P _M To an auxiliary position P _A Is moved in translation. The guide arm 30 may for example perform a translational movement parallel to the longitudinal central axis 15 of the main reel 10. At a main position P _M The guide arm 30 or the guide element 31 of the guide arm 30 may be positioned perpendicular to the longitudinal centre axis 15 of the main reel 10 in the vicinity of the first main flange 11A. In the main position P _M The guide arm 30 or the guide element 31 of the guide arm 30 may, for example, beAligned with the outer surface of the first main flange 11A. The guide arm 30 can be carried along a guide rail, for example, to an auxiliary position P _A The sweeping translational movement of (a). At an auxiliary position P _A The guide arm 30 or the guide element of the guide arm 30 may be aligned with the inner surface of the first auxiliary flange 21A, with one side of the auxiliary flange 21A facing the cylinder 22. At the slave-master position P _M To an auxiliary position P _A During the translational movement, the guide arm 30 is configured to intersect and force, such as pull or push, the auxiliary cable toward the auxiliary reel 20.

Fig. 4 discloses an exemplary winding system. The spooling system comprises spooling means (in this case the exemplary spooling means shown in figure 2), a main line 13 (such as a mooring line, streamer rope or hawser) and an auxiliary line 14 (such as a lead line or skimming line). The auxiliary cables 14 are connected to the distal ends of the main cables 13, such as for example to eyelets. When the guide arm 30 performs its sweeping movement (from the main position P in the exemplary winding device shown in fig. 4) _M To an auxiliary position P _A The guide arm 30 is configured to intersect the auxiliary cable 14 and force, such as pull or push, the auxiliary cable 14 toward the auxiliary spool 20 from a position aligned with the main spool 10 such that the auxiliary cable 14 is wound onto the auxiliary spool 20.

Fig. 5 shows a side view of an exemplary winding system 100. The guide arm 30 is positioned at the auxiliary position P _A . At its orientation assisting position P _A During the sweeping movement of (2), the guide arm 30 has intersected the auxiliary cable 14 and has guided the auxiliary cable 14 onto the auxiliary drum 20. The winding direction of the winding device 1 is to the right in fig. 5, as indicated by the unwound auxiliary rope 14. As can be seen in fig. 5, the guide arm 30 is arranged at a distance D from the longitudinal centre axis 15 in the winding direction SD of the winding device 1 _Arm(s) To (3). Distance D _Arm(s) Radius r of the

largest flange

11A, 11B of the main drum and/or the

largest flange

21A, 21B of the auxiliary drum 20 _MAX Is large so that the guide arm 30 is in the slave position P _M To an auxiliary position P _A Does not touch the flanges of the main reel 10 and/or the auxiliary reel 20 during the sweeping movement of the main reel.

Fig. 6 illustrates an example guide arm 30 according to this disclosure. The guide arm 30 may comprise a guide element 31 for contacting the auxiliary cable 14. The guide element 30 may comprise a cable contact surface 32 for contacting the auxiliary cable 14, wherein the cable contact surface may be configured to reduce friction between the guide arm and the auxiliary cable 14. The guide element 31 may for example be coated with a material having a lower coefficient of friction than the uncoated surface.

In some exemplary winding devices, the guide element 31 may be a roller 31A, such as a guide roller, which is rotatably arranged with respect to the main element 32 of the guide arm 30 and may be configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis 34 of the guide arm 30. When the guide element is a guide roller, the surface of the guide roller may be configured to increase the friction between the auxiliary rope 14 and the guide roller, so that the moment acting on the guide roller from the auxiliary rope 14 overcomes the disengagement moment of the guide roller. This ensures that the guide rollers are rolling and do not slide along the auxiliary ropes 14. If the auxiliary rope 14 were to slide along the guide rollers, wear of the auxiliary rope 14 could increase, which is undesirable. The guide roller may for example be coated with a material having a higher coefficient of friction than the uncoated guide roller.

Fig. 7A and 7B show two exemplary cable tensioners 34 for the winding device 1. In one or more exemplary winding devices, the winding device 1 may include a cable tensioning device 34 configured to create tension on the auxiliary cable 14 as the auxiliary cable 14 is directed onto the auxiliary drum 20. By creating tension on the auxiliary ropes 14, a holding force can be created against the weight of the eyes of the main ropes 13, so that if the eyes of the main ropes 13 slip out of the drum 10, it does not pull on the auxiliary ropes 14. The cable tensioning device 34 can thus reduce any sudden pulls which may cause the person handling the auxiliary cable to fall, drag the person on the ship or on the edge of the dock or may cause the person to bump into the vessel or equipment mounted or stored on the vessel, thereby providing a safer spooling device 1. The cable tensioner 34 may be configured when the guide arm is in the auxiliary position P _A While abutting the auxiliary rope. The cable tensioning device 34 may be configured to abut the auxiliary cable 14 from a side opposite the guide arm 30 such that the auxiliary cable 14 may be squeezed between the cable tensioning device 34 and the guide arm 30. At one or more exemplary wrapsIn the arrangement, the cable tensioning device 34 may comprise a guide surface 37 configured to be in contact with the auxiliary cable 14. The guide surface 37 may comprise a protrusion or may be coated with a friction increasing material such as e.g. a rubber material for increasing the friction between the cable tensioning device and the auxiliary cable. The guide surface 37 can be arranged on a fixedly arranged element or on a rotationally arranged element of the cable tensioning device 34. In the exemplary cable tensioning device 34 shown in fig. 7A, the guide surface 37 is arranged fixedly or on a fixedly arranged element of the winding device 1. In the exemplary cable tensioner 34 shown in fig. 7B, the cable tensioner 34 may include a tensioning roller 35 configured to abut the auxiliary cable 14 and rotate about an axis 36 extending perpendicular to the winding direction SD. The rotatably arranged guide surface 37 may thus be the outer surface of the tension roller 35.

Embodiments of a winding apparatus and vessel according to the present disclosure are set forth in the following clauses:

clause 1. A winding device (1) for handling a rope on a vessel, the winding device (1) comprising:

a main drum (10) for winding a main rope (13), wherein the main drum (10) is configured to rotate around a longitudinal centre axis (15), wherein the main drum (10) is configured to wind and/or unwind the main rope in a winding direction,

an auxiliary drum (20) for winding an auxiliary cable (14) connected to the distal end of the main cable (13), and

-a guide arm (30) movably arranged in the winding direction with respect to the main reel (10) and the auxiliary reel (20) at a distance from the longitudinal centre axis (15), the guide arm (30) being configured to perform a sweeping movement with respect to the main reel (10) such that the guide arm (30) is configured to guide the auxiliary cable (14) onto the auxiliary reel (20) during a winding process.

Clause 2. The winding device (1) according to clause 1, wherein the main reel (10) comprises a first flange (11A) and a second flange (11B) arranged on the longitudinal ends of the main reel (10), and wherein the auxiliary reel (20) is arranged on the second flange (11B) of the main reel (10).

Clause 3. The winding device (1) according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the guiding arm (30) is configured to be positioned in a main position in which it allows the main cable (13) to be wound onto the main drum (10) and in an auxiliary position in which the guiding arm (30) guides the auxiliary cable (14) onto the auxiliary drum (11).

Clause 4. The winding device (1) according to clause 3, wherein the guide arm (30) is pivotably arranged with respect to the main drum (10) such that the guide arm (30) is configured to pivot between the main position (10) and the auxiliary position.

Clause 5. The winding device (1) according to any one of clauses 3 to 4, wherein the guide arm (12) is slidably arranged with respect to the main drum (10) such that the guide arm (30) is configured to perform a translational movement from the main position to the auxiliary position.

Clause 6. The winding device (1) according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the winding device comprises a drive system (40) for moving the guide arm (30).

Clause 7. The winding device (1) according to clause 6, wherein the drive system (40) is a hydraulic drive system.

Clause 8. The winding device (1) according to clause 6 or 7, wherein the drive system (40) is an electric drive system.

Clause 9. The winding device (1) according to any one of clauses 6 to 8, wherein the drive system (40) is a pneumatic drive system.

Clause 10. The winding device (1) according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the guide arm (30) comprises a guide element (31) for contacting the auxiliary cable (14).

Clause 11. The winding device (1) according to clause 10, wherein the guide element (30) comprises a cable contact surface for contacting the auxiliary cable (14), wherein the cable contact surface is configured to reduce friction on the auxiliary cable (14).

Clause 12. The winding device (1) according to

clause

10 or 11, wherein the guide element (31) is a roller rotatably arranged with respect to the main element (32) of the guide arm (30) and configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the guide arm (30).

Clause 13. The winding device (1) according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the winding device (1) comprises a cable tensioning device (34) configured to generate a tension on the auxiliary cable (14) when the auxiliary cable (14) is guided onto the auxiliary drum (20).

Clause 14. The winding device (1) according to clause 13, wherein the cable tensioning device comprises a tensioning roller (35) configured to abut the auxiliary cable (14) and to rotate about an axis (36) extending perpendicular to the winding direction.

Clause 15. The winding device (1) according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the main drum (12) has a larger cable capacity than the auxiliary drum (20).

Clause 16. The winding device (1) according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the main reel (10) has a larger transverse width (D) than the auxiliary reel (20).

Clause 17. A winding system (100) comprising a winding device according to any one of clauses 1 to 16, a main cable (13) and an auxiliary cable (14), wherein the auxiliary cable (14) is connected to a distal end of the main cable (13).

Clause 18. A marine vessel (200) comprising the winding system (100) according to clause 17.

The use of the terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth," "first level," "second level," "third level," etc. do not imply any particular order, but are included to identify individual elements. Moreover, the use of the terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth," "first level," "second level," "third level," etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth," "first level," "second level," "third level," etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. It should be noted that the words "first," "second," "third," and "fourth," "first level," "second level," "third level," and the like are used herein and elsewhere for purposes of notation and are not intended to imply any particular spatial or temporal order. Furthermore, the reference to a first element does not imply the presence of a second element and vice versa.

It should be noted that the term "comprising" does not necessarily exclude the presence of other elements or steps than those listed.

It should be noted that the word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.

It should also be noted that any reference signs do not limit the scope of the claims and that the exemplary embodiments may be combined.

While features have been shown and described, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the claimed disclosure, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the claimed disclosure. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative sense rather than a restrictive sense. The claimed disclosure is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents.

Claims

1. A winding device (1) for handling a rope on a vessel, the winding device (1) comprising:

2. Winding device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the main reel (10) comprises a first flange (11A) and a second flange (11B) arranged on the longitudinal ends of the main reel (10), and wherein the auxiliary reel (20) is arranged on the second flange (11B) of the main reel (10).

3. Winding device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guide arm (30) is configured to be positioned in a main position in which it allows the main cable (13) to be wound onto the main reel (10) and in an auxiliary position in which the guide arm (30) guides the auxiliary cable (14) onto the auxiliary reel (11).

4. Winding device (1) according to claim 3, wherein the guide arm (30) is pivotably arranged with respect to the main drum (10) such that the guide arm (30) is configured to pivot between the main position and the auxiliary position.

5. Winding device (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 4, wherein the guide arm (12) is slidably arranged with respect to the main reel (10) such that the guide arm (30) is configured to perform a translational movement from the main position to the auxiliary position.

6. Winding device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein it comprises a drive system (40) for moving the guide arm (30).

7. Winding device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the drive system (40) is a hydraulic drive system.

8. Winding device (1) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the drive system (40) is an electric drive system.

9. Winding device (1) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the drive system (40) is a pneumatic drive system.

10. Winding device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guiding arm (30) comprises a guiding element (31) for contacting the auxiliary cable (14).

11. Winding device (1) according to claim 10, wherein the guide element (30) comprises a cable contact surface for contacting the auxiliary cable (14), wherein the cable contact surface is configured to reduce friction on the auxiliary cable (14).

12. Winding device (1) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the guide element (31) is a roller rotatably arranged with respect to a main element (32) of the guide arm (30) and configured to rotate around a longitudinal axis of the guide arm (30).

13. Winding device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the winding device (1) comprises a cable tensioning device (34) configured to generate a tension on the auxiliary cable (14) when the auxiliary cable (14) has been guided onto the auxiliary drum (20).

14. Winding device (1) according to claim 13, wherein the cable tensioning device comprises a tensioning roller (35) configured to abut the auxiliary cable (14) and to rotate about an axis (36) extending perpendicular to the winding direction.

15. Winding device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the main reel (12) has a larger cable capacity than the auxiliary reel (20).

16. Winding device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the main reel (10) has a greater transverse width (D) than the auxiliary reel (20).

17. Winding system (100) comprising a winding device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, a main cable (13) and an auxiliary cable (14), wherein the auxiliary cable (14) is connected to a distal end of the main cable (13).

18. Vessel (200) comprising a winding system (100) according to claim 17.