US1487742A - Dry dock - Google Patents

Description

March 25 1924. 1,487,742

M. F. HILL DRY DOCK Filed March 2'? 1919 ma@ m pulled by the chains over the center so that the float rests against the wharf 5 and may be in a more secure position after which any suitable ram or may be used to push it back lor the center and downward again, when it is desired to lower the dock to re lease the ship. Upon the outriggers 19 any suitable flooring or grating 32 may be laid either permanently or temporarily for the convenience 'of workmrin around the hull. vUpon the ends of the outriggers may be mounted sockets into which telegraph poles or other suitable devices 34; may be inserted and fastened, which, as indicated in broken lines, may be of suoli length as to reach above the water level to show the po siti'on ol the dock when submerged and to ward oli any craft that might collide with the same. 'lhe motor shatt ot the motor Il() should be provided with a thrust bea-ring 2.3 to talre the pull oit' the worm gear mechanism 36 employed to rotate the shalt 31 and the thrust bearing should be strongly anclrored to the foundations in any suitable way.

In F ig. 3 is shown the preferred form of trestle 12 consisting of girders 3T and between which are connected hollow columns 39. The girders 3T are linked by the pivots l1 to the bottom oic the float and by tl e pivots all to the foundations 8 or to the caps t3 of the foundations. By this means the columns 39 and girders 87 and 3S Jtorni a long rigid girder with a plurality oi' 'lfoundations S so that in case any one foundation should prove insecure, other Jfoundations will assume a portion of its load. Furthermore if there is a tendency ot the foundations to sink, they will all sink more or less in unison owing to the distribution ot the load.

As many motors 30 and worm gear drives 36 may be used as may be desired to operate the shaft 31. The shaft 31 should be sut'- iciently strong to equalize the pull oit the chains 22. Each, chain may be located in line with a transverse stitlener 4:6, located across the inside ot' the float, each stitlener in alignment with an Outrigger 19. The lloat may be provided with a central longitudinal girder 44C to transmit the load trom the blocks 28 under the ships keel to the trestle 12. The cross section ol this link is shown in F ig. 4, the column 39 being hollow and the girders 37 and 38 being supplied lwith stitleners 45 over and under the columns for the purpose of transmitting the load of the ship down to the foundations. The interior of the float may be provided with any suitable ship construction such for example as the transverse or the longitudinal system, with the main transverses over the columns 39 as indicated by the brokenA lines 46 and with any suitable longitudinal stilleners located Wherever there is a water i erf/42 pressure to be sustained and ol suliicient strength to withstai'id the water pressure at any depth to which the float may be submerged. 'lhe buoyancy in the columns 39 and in the wooden posts 3% may be so ad `iusted as to maintain the specilic gravity o whole structure somewhat greater than its displacement or water at all levels so that the whole construction has a tendency to sink when permitted to do so and yet such a comparatively small tendency that little power is required to raise it to the water level. Upon the wharf 7 may be mounted any suitable scallolding i'or permanent purposes. Upon the water side ot' the hull the scall'olding may be nailed to or otherwise supported upon the telegraph poles 3l; or scaiiolding may be otherwise located and be removable when desired.

rlhe details ol the preferable hauling mechanism are shown in VFig. 5, the bearings for the counter shalty gears and drum, as well as the anchorages for them, being omitted. A series of motors l? operate pinions 48 meshing with gears e9 mounted on a countershaft 50, operating norms 51 on the shaft, which in turn rotate worin gears 52 and worms 53, meshing with worm gears 54 on the chain 'inding drums This construction pe 1mits the use of a small shaft tor linking the hauling drums together, instead ot' the massive shalt required by the tiagram construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the latter form being shown for illustrating the broad idea. rlhe motors are preterably operated from a common circuit in multiple with each other, with a common switch and rheostat lor opening and closing the circuit.

Individual motor rheostats may be inserted in the multiple motor circuits to adjust the current in the dillerent motors to the particular loads they carry.

It' the motors run at 1000 R. P. M. and the pinion spur gear is 1 to Ll, the two worm gears 1 to 25, and the drum 2 ft. in diameter a ship after being located on the blocks may be raised in 15 to 20 minutes. A1440 ft. dock with columns 10 to 12 llt. apart lengthwise, and properly constructed is capable of lifting a 12000 ton ship in this short time.

The lifting devices and 24 keep the platform 17 in substantial alignment throughout its length.

Any variation in the pulling etlect of shaft 50 is due to its elasticity and the torsional lag of one portion in relation to another4 is minimized by the 'lact that even a torsional twist of the shaft or" 1800, which can hardly ever happen, would have an imperceptible etl'ect on the platform. due to the slow speed of the gear. rThe elasticity of the platform and of a ship mounted thereon would compensate for any minute variation in relative rotation ot the drums.

The dock may be as wide and as long as may be desired but the width of the float platform may be limited whereY desired to the spacing of the side series of blocks E29. Any variations may be made in the details and form of apparatus 0r in the mechanical movements necessary for lifting the ship ont of water. The chief requirements of it are that it shall be lifted sidewise and upwards by a plurality of lifting mechanisms distributed alone' the length of the ship thereby dividing up the power into compara-tively small units.

that I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patents is:

l. The combination with a ship lifting platform, of a rigid girder disposed `longitudinally under the keel of a ship carried thereby, a row of pivotal columns support` ing substantially the ent-ire weight of the ship on said girder, a plurality of tension members secured to the girder for raising and lowering the same, and means for mechanically interconnecting said tension members to simultaneously control the same.

2. A stationary platform, a movable platform alongside the stationary platform for lifting a ship sidewise out of the water, supporting columns for swinging the movable platform toward and from and at right angles to the adjacent edge of the stationary platform and to the keel of a ship carried by the movable platform, and means alongside said movable platform to maintain the same in a horizontal plane, said last mentioned means comprising a plurality of auxiliary colunms arranged along the outside of said platform and adapted to swing transversely to a ship contained on the platform.

The combination with a boat lifting platform, of a foundation therefor, a supporting column pivotally secured adjacent one end to the platform and pivotally attached adjacent its other end to the foundation, said platform being raised and lowered by movement about said foundation` a relatively stationary wharf or-abutment located near and above said foundation and against which the plat-form is adapted to rest when moved slightly to one side of the pivotal attachment between the column and the foundation.

4. A movable platform, a shaft journaled in fixed bearings along one side of the platform and provided with a series of worms, a series of worm gears, in mesh with said worms to rotate at a reduced speed, and means operatively connecting the worm gears with said platform.

5. A moving platform, a shaft alongside said platform, a plurality of driving means geared transversely of said shaft, a series of speed reducing gears transversely of said shaft, and means operatively connecting the platform with said speed reducing means.

6. A movable platform, a shaft journaled in fixed bearings alongside the major dimensions of said platform and provided with a series of worms, a series of worm gears in mesh with said worms. to run ata reduced speed, said worm gears provided with worm shafts, a series of worm gears in mesh with said series of worm shaft-s to run at a lower speed than said worm shafts, and means operatively connecting said platform with said last mentioned gears.

7. A movable platform, a series of power driven gears, a shaft journaled in xed bearing alongside the platform, a shaft provided with a series of gears in mesh with the power driven gears and with a series of worms, a series of worm gears in mesh with said worm to run at a reduced speed, said' worm gears provided with worm shafts, a series of worm gears in mesh with said series of worm shafts, to run at a lower speed than said worm shafts and means operatively connecting said platform with said last mentioned gears.

In testimony whereof, l have affixed my signature to this specification.

MYRON F. HILL.

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