WO2002053452A1

WO2002053452A1 - Device in a dry cargo ship

Info

Publication number: WO2002053452A1
Application number: PCT/SE2001/002920
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gustaf Carlberg
Original assignee: Macgregor (Swe) Ab
Priority date: 2000-12-29
Filing date: 2001-12-27
Publication date: 2002-07-11
Also published as: SE0004926L; SE523343C2; SE0004926D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cargo handling device at dry cargo ships for handling goods between the ship (3) and the dock (4) when loading and unloading, consisting of a plurality of cargo decks, situated at various levels in the ship. A cargo elevator, which is arranged in the ship is mobile between the various cargo decks, and a cargo table (18) is arranged to transport the goods for delivery and pickup respectively at two places arranged side by side at the cargo table. The cargo handling device exhibits a transporter (22) which is arranged to alternatingly move between two positions in order to alternatingly deliver and receive respectively goods to or from respectively the various delivery/pickup places.

Description

Device in a dry cargo ship

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a device for dry cargo ships, according to the preamble of the appended claims.

BACKGROUND ART

Cargo handling devices for dry cargo ships for side loading and unloading are previously known. Examples of such devices are so-called side loading devices on ships where the cargo in the shape of goods such as, for example, piece goods, are carried on several decks in the ship, on different levels, with a cargo elevator being arranged in a shaft and being mobile vertically between the various decks. In conjunction to an opening in the ship, there is arranged a loading plane which protrudes from the ship in a loading position, and which is located at a suitable level above a loading dock. On the loading dock, there are mobile loading units in the shape of, for example, fork lift trucks for picking up the piece goods for transport to a storage house or the like. Conversely, the loading plane can be used for loading of the ship via the cargo elevator and into the various decks. Compared to the load capacity of the ship, with usually large decks in several layers, the loading elevator and the loading table often constitute a limit for the loading capacity. To arrange a number of parallel loading lines in the loading elevator or on the loading table will mean high costs and a need for either more loading openings in the side of the ship or a very wide opening for loading.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the present invention is to increase the load capacity without significantly increasing the size of the loading opening. The said purpose is obtained by means of a device according to the present invention, the characteristics of which will become clear from the appended claim 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention will in the following be described more closely with the aid of some examples of embodiments, with reference to the appended drawings in which

Fig. 1 in a perspective view shows a load handling device according to the invention in a first embodiment, with a sideways forwards and backwards mobile load supporting part on a loading table comprised in the device,

Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of the loading device according to the invention according to the first example,

Fig. 3 is a top view of the loading device according to the invention in the first example,

Figs. 4 and 5 are a schematic side view and a top side view, respectively, of the device according to the invention in a second example of an embodiment, with the sideways forwards and backwards mobile load support arranged in a cargo lift comprised in the invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The cargo handling device 1 according to the invention will first be described with reference to Figs. 1 , 2 and 3, which thus show the first example of an embodiment of the device. Fig. 1 shows a partial portion of the side 2 of a ship which is anchored at a loading dock 4, which normally has a fixed loading plane 5. In the side 2 of the ship, there is arranged a loading opening 6, which is shown open, but which is intended to be shut by means of a gate 7, which in the example shown can be moved aside by means of displacement upwards in not shown guides, by means of a not shown drive device. Alternatively, the hatch can be displaceable sideways, or pivot around hinges.

The ship is, as is evident from Fig. 2, equipped with a plurality of decks 8-13, which are available to the cargo handling device 1 according to the invention. Each deck exhibits along its one side an inner unloading opening 14, which is intended to be shut when not loading, by means of an inner hatch 20, which in Fig. 2 is shown both in an open and in a closed position. In the example shown, the inner hatches are pivotally arranged around hinges at their upper edge. On a level with each deck or deck plane, there is, outside the opening, arranged a loading/unloading transporter 15, in the form of for example a line transporter. Between the unloading transporters 15 and the side 2 of the ship, there is arranged an elevator shaft 16, i.e. an open space which ex- tends between all of the decks, in which there is a cargo elevator 17 which is moveable vertically between the cargo decks 8-13, i.e. is arranged to stop at each deck plane and a cargo table 18, which in a loading position extends through the loading opening 6. The cargo table 18 is in Fig. 2 shown at alternative levels or vertical positions, which illustrates that it is adjustable be- tween various positions vertically for adjustment to a suitable work position relative to the dock plane 5, 5'. There can be an adjustment to various dock conditions and also to various changed vertical positions of the ship relative to the dock plane, due to changed cargo weight and changed water levels, due to for example tide. In Fig. 2, there are two different water levels shown 19, 19'.

The cargo table 18 is, in the example shown, arranged at the ship, attached to a not shown supporting construction, and adjustable between a loading position shown in the figures and in a, not shown, drawn-in position inside the side of the ship. The drawn-in position can be obtained by means of a lateral displacement movement along not shown guides or rails or, alternatively, the cargo table can be pivotable to a standing position inside the side of the ship and the opening 6, so that the gate 7 can be closed. The raising and lowering of the cargo table 18 can be done by means of conventional devices, for example along vertical guides, and by means of motor driven driving chains and gear driving, ball screws and ball nuts or hydraulic.

The cargo table according to the invention consists of a number of cargo supports in the shape of short transporters, in more detail an inner transporter 21 , an intermediate transporter 22, and two external transporters 23, 24 arranged side by side, see also Fig. 3. The transporters 21-24 are, for ex- ample, constituted by line transporters which are driven by electrical engines, either one electrical engine for each transporter, or one electrical engine for two or more transporters.

According to the invention, the cargo handling device 1 is equipped with at least one sideways moveable transporter, for sideways transport of goods across the main direction of transport into or out of the ship respectively. This main direction of transport is shown with the double-arrow 25 in Figs. 1 , 2 and 3, while the cross-wise direction is shown with the double-arrow 26 in Figs. 1 and 3. The vertical direction of transport is indicated with the double- arrow 27 in Figs. 1 and 2. This cross-wise direction of transport is, according to the invention, provided for in that at least one of the tranporters in the cargo handling device is arranged to carry out a cross-wise movement sideways in the direction of the arrow between these two positions. One of the transporters is thus arranged to carry out a shuttle movement or an alternat- ing movement between at least two positions, which has been solved in different ways in the two examples of embodiments.

In the first example of an embodiment according to Figs. 1-3, the cargo table 18 is equipped with this transporter 22, here referred to as shuttle trans- porter, and which thus is constituted by the above-mentioned intermediate transporter. The shuttle transporter 22 is, according to the invention, arranged to alternate between two positions, a first position in which the shuttle transporter 6 is arranged to be in line with the inner transporter 21 and one of the outer transporter 23 on the cargo table. In the other position, the shuttle transporter 22 is arranged inside the second outer transporter 24 on the cargo table. This alternating movement can take place on not shown guides, for example of the kind with rails, with a not shown driving device of the electrical engine type, or a chain drive alternatively hydraulic cylinder. The shuttle transporter 2 is, as has been mentioned above, in it self arranged to carry out, apart from the cross-wise movement through its own movement, a transport movement in the main direction of transport, i.e. in the direction ac- cording to the double arrow 25.

In the second embodiment, which is schematically shown in Figs. 4 and 5, reference numerals which are the same as those in the first example are used for parts for which can be the same. Thus, the cargo decks 8-13, the unloading transporters 15, the cargo openings 6 and the associated inner hatch 20 can be arranged in the same way as in the first example, for which reason the description above of these parts is entirely applicable to this second example. In addition, there is arranged a cargo elevator 28, which in this example as well is moveable vertically in the direction of the arrow 27 be- tween the different deck planes, and adjustable in various vertical positions relative to the cargo table 29, which as in the first example is adjustable in relatively small steps between various vertical positions relative to the loading dock 5. In this second example however, the cross-wise transporter 30, see Fig. 5, is arranged in the cargo elevator 28. Thus, in this case the transporter of the cargo elevator 28 is designed as a shuttle transporter adjustable between at least two positions. In this case, the cargo table 31 thus does not need to be equipped with a shuttle transporter, although it could be possible for both the cargo elevator and the cargo table to each have its shuttle transporter. In this case, the cargo table 31 , however, has two pairs of parallel transporters 32, 33, 34, 35 arranged side by side. The cargo table could of course consist of only two side by side arranged transporters, but in the example shown, as in the first example, both of the outer transporters 34, 35 can be separately raisable and lowerable in order to shift between various vertical positions, in order to adapt to the height of the loading dock in order to further increase the adaptation possibility in order to facilitate loading or receiving cargo, by means of, for example, land based fork lift trucks which move on the loading plane of the loading dock 5. The cargo elevator 28 is here thus arranged to both assume a first position in line with the two transporters 32, 34 of the cargo table, and a second position in line with the second transporters 33, 35 of the cargo table. The cross-wise movement, which is referred to by the double-arrow 36, is made possible, for example, in the same way as the corresponding movements in the first example, i.e. on guides which are supported by the elevator, and thus follow the vertical movement of the elevator. The drive in the cross-wise direction can be by means of a chain drive and an electrical engine, a hydraulic cylinder or the like. There is also shown in Fig. 5 a walkway which accompanies the elevator in its vertical movement, and a walkway 38 which extends along the cargo table 31 , which walkways are intended for personnel in case there is a need for a manual work.

Regardless of whether the shuttle transporter is arranged in the cargo ele- vator or in the cargo table, the shuttle transporter makes it possible to utilize both of outer receiving areas which are shaped by the outer transporters 23, 24 and 34, 35 respectively, both during unloading and during loading, and thus two mobile cargo units, for example trucks, can pick up or deliver goods at the same time at the cargo table, which gives a maximum use of capacity.

The invention is not limited to the above described examples of embodiments which are also shown in the drawings, but can varied within the scope of the appended claims. For example, a plurality of openings can be arranged along the side of the ship in order to further increase the loading ca- pacity, in which case a corresponding number of cargo elevators and cargo tables are arranged at each opening. If the loading capacity can be increased further, the cargo table can be equipped with three or more receiving and delivery places, respectively, for mobile loading units with the shuttle transporter being mobile between the corresponding amount of positions. Furthermore, it is possible to let the cargo elevator consist of two or more cargo platforms which interact in order to further increase the capacity.

Claims

1. A cargo handling device in a dry cargo ship for handling goods between a ship (3) and a dock (4) when loading and unloading, consisting of a plurality of cargo decks (8-13) situated at various levels in the ship, a cargo elevator (17), which is arranged in the ship and is moveable between the various cargo decks, and a cargo table (18) arranged to transport the goods for unloading and loading delivery, respectively, at at least two places arranged side by side at the cargo table, characterized in that the cargo handling device exhibits at least one transporter (22/28) which is arranged to alternatingly move between at least two positions in order to alternatingly deliver and receive, respectively, goods to or from, respectively, the various loading/unloading places.

2. A cargo handling device according to claim 1, characterized in that said transporter (22) being mobile in the cross-wise direction is comprised in the cargo table (18).

3. A cargo handling device according to claim 2, characterized in that the cargo table (18) consists of an inner transporter (21 ), an intermediate transporter (22) and two outer transporters (23, 24) arranged side by side, and in that the intermediate transporter is arranged to alternate between a first position in line with the inner and one of the outer transporters (24) and a second position right in front of the second outer transporter (24).

4. A cargo handling device according to claim 1, characterized in that said cross-wise mobile transporter (28) is comprised in the cargo elevator (17/28).