Abstract:
A vessel hatch cover has a first plurality of sliding panels that allow a bulk hose receptacle to move across the width of a vessel hold without exposing the underlying bulk material. The first plurality of panels forms a loading portion which itself forms one of a second plurality of second sliding panels which allow the loading portion to move fore and aft so as to position the bulk hose receptacle in virtually any location over the hold without ever exposing the underlying hold to the elements. Thus, loading can occur in inclement weather without fear of contamination, reducing demurrage and in port vessel time.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority in U.S. Provisional patent application no. 61/809,632 filed 8 Apr. 2013, the contents of which are incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention is generally directed to a weather proof hold hatch which allows vessels carrying bulk materials to be loaded with a bulk cargo during inclement weather using a specially designed hold cover that allows the bulk loading and unloading of grains and other commodities without the risk of wetting or contaminating the cargo being loaded/unloaded. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    It is well known that many millions of dollars are spent yearly in vessel demurrage charges at ports around the world exclusively due to poor weather conditions. 
         [0004]    In addition to the vessel demurrage costs, ports and storage facilities may be unable to unload trucks and rail cars due to adverse weather conditions, contributing to a vast fleet of transportation vehicles waiting for loading and unloading, congesting ports, roads, streets and rail yards at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars per year unnecessarily increasing the cost of commodities being exported or imported. 
         [0005]    Therefore, there is a need for a system to allow the loading/unloading of bulk cargo in adverse weather conditions. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved hatch cover either attached to the vessel hold itself or portable to be used by port operators to allow the loading/unloading of cargo in adverse weather conditions. 
         [0007]    Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved hatch cover having a movable bulk loader hose receptacle to facilitate the even distribution of cargo in the hold. 
         [0008]    Still another object of the invention is to protect the cargo from contamination during loading such as from dust and particles originating from nearby material handling operations, such as when other bulk cargoes are being loaded/unloaded. 
         [0009]    Still other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following specification. 
         [0010]    The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the construction as hereinafter set forth. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of a loading portion of a vessel hatch of the invention formed from multiple sliding panels, shown in a resting position; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the inventive vessel hatch cover having the loading portion integrated with protective sliding panels, with the loading portion disposed over a forward part of a vessel hold; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view illustrating how bulk material is loaded into a hold; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4   a  is an isometric view of one embodiment of the inventive hatch cover with the bulk hose receptacle located at the middle of the vessels&#39; hold, and  FIG. 4   b  is a partial illustrative side view of another embodiment with three sliding panels; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is an isometric view of another embodiment of the inventive hatch cover having curved flexible sliding frames covered by canvas or any flexible or light material, which alternatively permits the folding and unfolding of the material in accordion fashion as the frames slide towards or away from each other; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view showing curved sliding panels; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7   a  is a side sectional view of a panel with a rain barrier,  FIG. 7   b  is a front isometric view of the panel, and  FIG. 7   c  is a rear isometric view thereof; 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a sectional view of the bulk hose receptacle receiving an end of a loading hose therein; 
           [0020]      FIG. 9   a  is a view showing the vessel hatch being mounted onto a cargo hold, with three section forming the hatch,  FIG. 9   b  is a side view illustrating the telescopic nature of the sliding panels,  FIG. 9   c  shows the side view with the loader portion moved to a forward part of the vessel hold; 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is a cross sectional view of the vessel hatch of  FIG. 9   a , illustrating the nesting of the telescopic panels; 
           [0022]      FIG. 11   a  is a front view of a side rail showing the rollers supporting the multiple telescopic sliding panels,  FIG. 11   b  being a side view of one of the rollers; 
           [0023]      FIGS. 12   a ,  12   b  and  12   c  shows an alternative embodiment of the invention, which uses a foldable material for the main hatch panels, illustrating how the panels expand and contract accordion style as the loader portion moves over the hold; 
           [0024]      FIG. 13  is a cross sectional view through the loader portion of the  FIG. 12  embodiment; 
           [0025]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view thereof; 
           [0026]      FIG. 15  is an enlarged perspective view of the rollers and side rail associated with the loader portion of  FIG. 14 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0027]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of a loading portion  1  of a vessel hatch of the invention, comprised of multiple sliding panels  2 . The sliding panels overlap and interlock such that they may move over each other without exposing an underlying bulk cargo hold. The multiple sliding panels are water resistant and sealingly engaged so as to prevent cargo contamination. Each sliding panel has one or two T-shaped flanges  3  on the ends, or one or two L shaped flanges  4  on the ends, with the short legs facing downwardly, so that either a lower leg of the T or a short leg of the L acts as a runner for supporting the sliding panels as they move over each other. The legs act also as wipers to prevent water infiltration. Optionally, upstanding ends  5  can be provided to form stops for limiting movement of the panels. In  FIG. 1 , the shown multiple panel assembly forms the loading portion of the vessel hatch of the invention in cross section. The loading portion  1  rests on a rim  6  which defines a hatch opening leading to the bulk storage hold  7 . A center sliding panel  8  is fitted with a bulk hose receptacle  9  which permits connection to a hose for discharging bulk material into the hold. The sliding panels permit the bulk hose receptacle to move transversely over the hold for evenly filing the hold. 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the loader portion  1  is shown integrated with adjoining forward and rearwardly located protective panels  10  that form the balance of the vessel hatch of the invention. The protective panels  10  are also sliding panels which move longitudinally, and are supported by a pair of rails  11  disposed on opposite longitudinal sides  12  and  13  of the cargo hold. Each sliding panel has downwardly directed legs  14  having wheels  15  at their outer ends which move along the rails  11 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view showing the loader portion  1  of the vessel hatch, with the bulk hose receptacle  9  having been moved fully to one side. This illustrates how the bulk hose receptacle  9  moves from side to side to allow even bulk cargo loading, which is important to vessel stability. Note that even with the bulk hose receptacle to one side, at no time is the hold or cargo exposed, and so the hold remains completely covered, to prevent water or other contaminants from entering the hold. 
         [0030]    In  FIG. 2 , the entire vessel hatch cover is shown with the loader portion  1  in a longitudinally forward position. While the loader portion has sliding panels to move the bulk hose receptacle across the width of the hold, between port and starboard, the protective panels  10  move in a telescoping manner across the length of the hold to permit the loader portion  1  to travel fore and aft. Consequently, the bulk hose receptacle  9  can be positioned virtually anywhere over the hold. In  FIG. 2 , note that the upstanding legs  16  of the T shaped flanges of the protective panels  10  are next to each other, in the area where the panels  10  overlap and interlock to the side where filling would occur. The loader hatch panels  2  on the other hand, are arranged such that the bulk hose receptacle  9  is centered, so the forward part of the hold is being filled in the center. 
         [0031]      FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view illustrating how bulk material  17  is loaded into the hold  7 , with the movable bulk hose receptacle  9  providing a means to distribute the bulk material in the hold without the danger of the cargo getting wet or being contaminated, as could occur with typical open vessel hatch designs. 
         [0032]      FIG. 4   a  is an isometric view of the invention, simplified to illustrate how the panels in one embodiment of the inventive slide directly over each other as the loader portion moves, with the supporting structures omitted. The loader portion  1  of the hatch is located at the middle of the vessels&#39; hold, both fore and aft, and port to starboard, the cargo being completely covered.  FIG. 4   b  is a partial side view of another embodiment of the inventive loader portion that has three sliding panels showing the overlapping structures which have legs which slide over each other. Of course, there are a number of ways to assure that the panels slide relative to each other, and the invention is not limited to these illustrative embodiments. 
         [0033]      FIG. 5  is an alternative embodiment of the invention having the sliding panels  18  assembled from curved flexible sliding frames covered by canvas or any flexible or light material. In  FIG. 6 , the curved panels are located over a hold  19 , for operation as a curved hatch cover, with the curvature having the advantage of shedding water or other contaminants. The examples illustrated for the flat hatch are thus equally applicable with other shapes, such as the curved panels shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 7   a  is a cross section of one end of a sliding panel  20 , having a rain barrier  21  which prevents water infiltration. The panel is also sloped to shed water.  FIGS. 7   b  and  7   c  are additional views of the panel  20 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 8  is a partial cut away view of the hose receptacle  9  which has an outer shield  22  surrounding a hose coupling  23  which is sized to receive an end  24  of a hose  25  therein. The hose has a cover  26  which mates with the shield for preventing water or other contaminants from entering the shielded joint. The shield has drain openings  27  to prevent an accumulation of water therein when exposed to the atmosphere. A separate cover  28  is attached to the shield when no hose is connected so as to cover the opening in the hose coupling. Consequently, when the hose  25  supported by a port crane  29  is placed over the receptacle  9 , the cover  28  is removed to allow the hose  25  to be connected to the hose coupling  23 , so bulk loading can begin. 
         [0036]    Referring to  FIG. 9   a , assembly of the inventive hatch cover is shown, with three sections forming the hatch. The hatch cover  30  has eight moving panels, with four moving panels forming a forward hatch cover  31   a , and four forming a rear hatch cover  31   b , disposed on each side of a loader panel  32 . Each panel  31   a ,  31   b  has legs  33  which extend into a side rail  34  within which the legs are slidably disposed. In some instances the legs may be fitted with rollers  35  to ease transit through the rail.  FIG. 9   b  is a side view of a hatch cover  30  with the loader portion  32  in a central location.  FIG. 9   c  shows the four forward panels  31   a  nested over each other, with the four rearward panels being in their extended position. 
         [0037]    Referring to  FIG. 10 , a cross sectional view illustrates the overlapped nesting of the slidable panels  31   a  as well as the legs  33 , rollers  35  and side rails  34 .  FIG. 11   a  is an enlarged view, showing four rollers and legs extending from the forward nested panels.  FIG. 11   b  is a side view of one such roller. 
         [0038]    Referring to  FIGS. 12   a ,  12   b  and  12   c , an alternative embodiment of the invention is shown. In this embodiment, a vessel hatch  36  has a loader portion  37 , and a forward hatch cover  38  and a rearward hatch cover  39 . The hatch covers are made from a continuous material that is foldable, that is, each of the forward and rearward hatch cover is made from a continuous material that is foldable. As illustrated in  FIG. 12   a , the loader portion  37  is mounted centrally. As the loader portion moves forward, as shown in  FIG. 12   b , the forward hatch cover  38  compresses, in accordion fashion, while the rear hatch cover  39  expands.  FIG. 12   c  shows the manner in which the hatch covers adjust when the loader portion moves in a rearward direction. Thus, as the loader portion traverses forwards and backwards, as illustrated in  FIGS. 12   b  and  12   c , the covers expand or contract, and at no time are the contents of the hold exposed. 
         [0039]    The flexible material that forms the covers would typically be located over a frame, with the frame having legs  40  which extend downwardly into the side rails  41  and which are slidable therein. The frames would be spaced apart in an amount sufficient to accommodate a full movement fore and aft, to permit the flexible material to fold or flatten accordingly. Typically, the frame would be made of a lightweight but strong material, such as plastic or metal. 
         [0040]    Referring to  FIG. 13 , this shows the loader portion  37  in cross section with legs  42  having wheels  43  at the ends thereof movable in the side rails  41 .  FIG. 14  is a perspective view thereof. This embodiment shows the loader portion having side walls fitted with guide channels for permitting the sliding of the loader panels over each other. As with the telescoping panels, the loader portion, as an assembly, has legs with wheels which support the loader portion and permit forward and rearward movement thereof.  FIG. 15  is an enlarged view of wheels located within a side rail. 
         [0041]    In each of these embodiments, appropriate mechanisms may be provided for driving the panels so as to slide them to their appropriate positions. This may optionally involve using chain or direct drives, or a worm drive with an associated motor and control system. Of course, it is contemplated that the port crane, as it moves the hose will simultaneously cause the appropriate panels to slide so as to position the bulk hose receptacle in the desired location, as the most economical means of sliding the panels. This is why particular other mechanisms have not been shown, so as to simplify the illustration of the invention, but adapting such mechanical and/or electrical systems to the present invention would be well within the skill on one in the art. 
         [0042]    The sliding panels are preferably made from light material such as thin aluminum sheets when used in ports where wind is not a problem, as then, the grain loading hose is easily fitted into the receptacle  9 , and then the crane moving the hose will simultaneously move the panels as they slide with the crane movement, the panels shifting as necessary to evenly load the vessel&#39;s hold. 
         [0043]    It should be understood that while a single receptacle has been disclosed in the moving section, that it is possible to include more than one. In addition, it is possible to provide the moving section with the multiple moving sections in a modular construction, so that for example, 1, 2 or more of the modules can be placed over a hold and each utilized for filling the hold in their designated areas. In this way, multiple feed points can be provided for simultaneous loading, to reduce the time it takes to fill the hold. 
         [0044]    It should also be understood by those skilled in the art that while flexible panels and hard panels have been discussed in separate embodiments, that a hatch according to the present invention may include both hard panels and flexible panels, and that it may be possible to provide a hatch where the panels are interchangeable so as to be adapted to specific ship holds. Additionally, the hatch may be designed for strength and dexterity to meet requirements for ocean travel or be designed les stringently, as a portable assembly that remains in port and so is transferred from ship to ship. In either case, the hatch of the applicant&#39;s invention will provide substantial benefits in terms of time for loading, balancing of the load, and reduction of dust. 
         [0045]    It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent in the preceding description, are efficiently obtained and, since certain changes may be made in the above constructions without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense. 
         [0046]    It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.