US3428193A - Boat unloading assembly - Google Patents

Description

R. A. MILLER BOAT UNLOADING ASSEMBLY Feb. 18, 1969 Filed July 5. 1966 FIG. 6

I N VENTOR RUSSELL A. MILLER 4W7 AT TORNEY Feb. 18, 1969 MlLLER 3,428,193

BQAT UNLOADING ASSEMBLY Sheet 2 of 2 Filed July 5. 1966 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,428,193 BOAT UNLOADING ASSEMBLY Russell A. Miller, 1412 W. Woodside Drive, Lake of Woods Estates, Dunlap, Ill. 61525 Filed July 5, 1966, Ser. No. 562,652 US. Cl. 21412 Int. Cl. B63b 27/02; B65g 63/00, 67/50 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a structure utilized for unloading a boat. More particularly the invention relates to a structure that moves a barge or boat from a water channel to the shore and then may be adjusted to tilt the boat until material flows out of the hatches on the top side of the boat.

It is an object of the invention to provide a boat support that extends down into the water or channel and has a cradle section that receives a barge moving into the channel. Track or ramp means is provided under the boat support and extends to the shore. Complementary guides are provided between the support and track means for guiding the support and barge upwardly and alongside the shore. The support further has tilting mechanism thereon so that upon reaching the shore, the barge may be tilted to cause material in the barge to gravitate out of the hatches.

Specifically it is an object of the invention to provide spaced apart wheels or annular members that are axially aligned. Inclined ground borne reinforced tracks or ramps extend from the shore outwardly to lower ends in the bottom of the channel. The wheel structures have horizontal beams extending across the respective wheel structures and each has a pair of upright end beams extending upwardly from the horizontal beam so as to define a cradle. The wheels are normally within the water with the horizontal beams being beneath the water so that a barge may be moved into the cradles of the respective wheel structures. Horizontal overhead beams are slidably carried on the end beams. Hydraulic units are utilized to cause the overhead beams to bear against the top of the boat and to clamp the boat on the cradles. Power units in the form of cables and winches are based on the shore and are connected to the wheel structures. The cables may be retracted to move the wheel structures shoreward and to then tilt the cradle portions of the wheel structures until the grain flows from the hatches. A bunk or trench is provided on the shore to receive the material flowing from the barge.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the nature of the invention is better understood from the following description and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

3,428,193 Patented Feb. 18, 1969 ice FIG. 1 is an overhead view of a side of a stream, a channel dug alongside with entrance from the stream, the boat unloading structure of the present invention, and a barge on the unloading structure.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the structure in a different position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one end of the concrete base of the boat unloading assembly.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

The term boat hereafter referred to in the specification and claims is meant to include any and all waterborne vessels whether they be moved on oceans or rivers or whether they be self-driven, self-propelled, towed or pulled. In the present illustration the boat is an open top barge 45.

The boat unloading assembly is normally positioned alongside a river or ocean 10 and preferably an auxiliary channel or inlet 11 is provided. The latter is preferable from a construction standpoint since the boat unloading structure may be built prior to opening the channel.

The boat unloading structure is composed of a reinforced concrete base 12 extending from the shore into the channel 11. The base 12 includes a floor 14 serving as the bottom of the channel and left and right hand upright walls 15, 16 defining opposite sides of the channel. The Walls 15, 16 curve into the stream 10 and wall 16 has a section parallel to the stream with three recessed portions 17, 18, 19. The entire base is large being in the particular instance about two hundred feet on each side.

The floor 14 has three large transverse slots 20, 21, 22 formed in its base that extends transversely from the recessed sections 17, 18, 19. An inclined concrete slab 23 underlies each of the slots 20-22 and forms therewith inclined tracks or ramps extending from the channel to the shore on which boat supporting structures, indicated by the reference numerals 25, may move.

The surface of the floor 14 between the ramps 23 is inclined upwardly at 26 to a peak 27 adjacent the shore 13 from where it has a downwardly inclined surface at 28 that terminates in a material bunk or trench 29. The ramp 23 of the slots extends upwardly at 30 above the downwardly inclined walls 28 substantially midway of their length. The water level 31, as is clearly apparent from viewing FIGS. 2 and 3, is beneath this point of intersection and consequently water will never pass over the point and onto surface 28. The actual unloading area is terminated by upright end walls 32, 33.

Three boat supporting structures 25 are provided and are positioned to rest in the respective recesses 17-19 and slots or grooves 20 22. The boat supporting structures are identical and each is composed of an annular structural wheel or ring 35 having therein an outer annular groove or recess 36 that receives a cable 37. The ring 35 is further provided with a pair of radially inwardly extending flanges 38, 39 that define an internal groove on the ring 35.

A wheel structure 40 is supported concentrically within the outer ring 35 and is composed of an upper boat cradle portion and a lower structural portion. The structural portion has a diametric structural beam 41 and a series of equally spaced radial beams 42. A pair of beams 43, 44 extends perpendicularly at opposite end portions respectively of the structural beam 41 and form therewith a cradle for receiving the hull of a barge 45. A pair of beams 46, 47 extends across and interconnects the outer upper ends of the end beams 43, 44. The lower beam 47 is slidably supported on the end beams 43, 44. The upper beam 46 is rigid with the end beams 43, 44 and carries a pair of hydraulic cylinders 48, 49 that are connected to the lower beam 47 and operates to force the beam 47 into and out of engagement with the barge 45.

The beams 41, 42, 43 and 44 form spoke structures for the inner wheel and are bifurcated at their outer ends into two outer radial sections, such as at 50, 51, that embrace from opposite sides rollers 52 that ride in the annular groove between the flanges 38, 39. Each roller 52 is rotatably supported on a horizontal pin 53 that extends through the ends 50, 51, suitable end plates 54 being bolted to the ends thereof to restrict axial movement of the pins 53. The inner wheel rotates in ring 35. The beams 41-44 also support on one of their sides an annular cable track 55 on which is wound a cable 56.

Extending upwardly through the floor of the bunk or trench 29 are three structural towers 60, 61, 62 that are identical except for an operators station 63 on the center tower 61 and positioned at the top of the tower for visual operation of the entire operation. A suitable control mechanism, not shown in detail, is provided on the platform to control the entire unloading operation.

Each tower 60-62 is provided with upper and lower platforms 64, 65 respectively that carries electric motors 66, 67. The upper platform 64 supports a pair of axially aligned winches 68, 69 driven by the motor 66 through a chain drive and a suitable transmission indicated by its housing 70. An operator may control the operation of the winches 68, 69 in any combination of directions desired and from the operators station 63 by suitably shifting the transmission 70. Opposite ends of the cable 56 are played over the respective winches 68, 69. A similar winch arrangement 71 is provided on each of the lower plat forms 65 and receives opposite ends of the cable 37.

The lower ends of the towers 60-62 are anchored deep in the earth and bear against the outer upright ends of the ramp parts 30. The upper ends of the towers 60-62 are rigidly connected to diagonal structural elements 72 that extend downwardly and outwardly to huge concrete anchor blocks 73 in the ground.

It should be recognized that the present structure is very large. For example, the towers 60-62 are approximately one hundred feet from the base to the top. The diameter of the outer wheel or ring 35 is about sixty feet. The rollers 52 are about five feet in diameter. The entire structure is of such size that it is capable of unloading barges of forty foot Width and several hundred feet in length.

The structure operates in the following manner. A barge 45 is towed or pushed into the channel 11 and in a position in which it is above the horizontally disposed beams 41 and between the upright end beams 43, 44. Initially the three structures 25 are positioned so as to lie in the base of the channel with their outer sides in the respective recesses 17, 18 and 19. The structural beams 41 are also beneath the water level 31 sufficiently to permit the barge 45 to float above them. Such position is best shown in 'FIG. 2.

The winch structures 71 are operated to cause the cables 37 to retract and roll the outer wheels 35 upwardly and shoreward until the outer annular structures 35 are at the outer upper ends of the base ramps 23 or as shown in FIG. 3. During the latter operation the winches 68, 69 are operated to draw inthe cable to retain the boat in a substantially level position. By proper manipulation of the winches 71, 68, 69, the barge may be made to shift against the beam 45 and the hydraulic cylinders 48, 49 are extended to clamp the barge in a position between the lower beams 47 and the structural beams 41. Upon the outer rings being rotated up their respective ramps or tracks to the uppermost position, as shown in FIG. 3, the winches 68, 69 are operated to cause the inner Wheel structures to rotate and tilt the barge 35 into an inclined position. At this time the grain, coal, or other material will gravitate out of the open top of the barge 45 onto the inclined surface 28 to be guided into the bunk or trench 29. A mechanical conveyor may be installed on the floor of the bunk 29 to automatically move material as it enters or bulldozers and power loaders may move into the bunks to remove the material.

Following discharge, the cables 37, 56 may be manipulated by their respective winches to cause the outer rolls or rings to move down the ramps to the opposite side of the channel and to come to rest in the respective recesses 17, 18 and 19, and to place the unloaded barge 45 in the floating position. The clamping beam 47 is raised upon the barge approaching a horizontal position. The barge may then be floated out of the channel 11 by a suitable tow boat.

While only one form of the invention has been shown, it is recognized that other forms and variations may occur to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly for unloading a boat comprising: a concrete structure part of which is in the water adjacent the shore and having parallel upwardly opening transverse grooves spaced longitudinally along the shore and extending from the shore into the water, with each groove having opposed longitudinally spaced upright walls extending upwardly from a base ramp, the concrete structure further having a longitudinal upright wall spaced from and in opposed relation to the shore with upright recessed portions in alignment with the grooves; 21 plurality of longitudinally spaced upright boat-supporting structures supported in the grooves and on the respective ramps, with each boat-supporting structure having a first part with a lower transverse portion adapted to be guided in a groove and to move up and down the ramp of the respective groove, the first part further having an outer side thereof adapted to be received in the respective recessed portion aligned with the groove, said boat-supporting structure further having upwardly opening cradle portions supported for tilting movement in the first parts and adapted to receive longitudinally spaced portions of a boat whereby a boat cradled in the cradle portions may be inclined for purposes of discharging material from the boat; and power means on the shore connected to the boat supporting structures for moving the structures in unison along the ramps.

2. The structure as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by each of the cradle portions being composed of a transverse horizontally disposed structural member adapted to underlie and engage the hull of the boat and a pair of upright structural members adapted for disposition alongside opposite sides of the boat.

3. The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which each cradle portion is disposed beneath the boat, and further characterized by structure positioned above the boat and adapted to engage the boat to cause it to be clamped in the cradle portion of the boat-supporting structure.

4. The structure as set forth in claim 3 in which the structure above the boat is in the form of a beam supported for vertical movement and adapted to engage the top of the boat and the beam is moved by hydraulic means between the boat-supporting structure and the beam.

5. The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the first part of the boat-supporting structures is an outer annular structure adapted to roll up and down the respective ramp and to be guided in the respective groove.

6. The structure as set forth in claim 5 in which the outer annular structures have internal radial grooves, and each cradle portion is composed of a spokelike 5 6 structure having rollers riding in the groove of its an- FOREIGN PATENTS nular structure to permit the cradle portion to tilt within 240 600 10/1925 Great Britain its annular structure.

1,300,883 7/1962 France.

References Cited 5 GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 185,596 12/1876 Van Dusen 214-46.32X 603,336 5/1898 Long.

758,191 4/1904- lRobertson 214-52 X 10 214-1, 46.32

FRANK E. WERNER, Assistant Examiner.

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