Container ship construction

The container ship comprises a hull having outer starboard and port sides with a bottom extending between the sides and with longitudinal bulkheads spaced inwardly from each side and extending substantially coextensive in height above the bottom to the side walls. A bracing deck interconnects the side walls and the longitudinal bulkheads at the level of the tops of the side walls and the bulkheads. A container bottom loading space is defined above the bottom and between the longitudinal bulkheads and this space continues above the bracing deck to form a top container loading space. For this purpose a plurality of top longitudinal walls extend upwardly above the bracing deck and are supported thereon. The plurality of transverse support frames extend above and are supported on the bracing deck and connected to the longitudinal walls at spaced longitudinal intervals. A plurality of container support racks are secured along each longitudinal wall and extend upwardly from the bottom to the tops of the longitudinal walls. The complete construction includes an end wall at each end of the loading space and each loading space is advantageously covered by one or more hatch covers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates in general to the construction of ships and in 
particular to a new and useful container ship particularly for cooling 
containers having a loading space extending above the vessel side walls 
and longitudinal bulkheads which is defined by upright longitudinal walls 
extending above a bracing deck and by transversely extending supporting 
frames having supports for stowing individual containers and for 
connecting them to a means for circulating a cooling medium through the 
container. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The present invention is particularly applicable for the construction of a 
cooling container ship. Shelter decks are known for ships which terminate 
at the top in a structure which is not designed as a supporting 
longitudinal bracing of the ship. The height of this structure exceeds the 
conventional height of the deck. The side walls of the structure are 
adjoined by parts which support the sttucture on both sides and which have 
a height which is less than the height of the structure. The lateral part 
of the structure terminates short of the ship ends and in turn are 
terminated by shelter decks. The lateral corridors thus formed can be used 
for storing high tanks which form balancing means for the stability of the 
ship. The upper supporting longitudinal cords of the hull are arranged in 
the decks of this laterally embracing part of the shelter deck. Such a 
construction which does not concern a cooling container ship serves to 
provide a fully removable shelter deck space so that the surveying 
advantages of the normal shelter deck ship are maintained. 
A seagoing vessel with a loading spaced for container transport which is 
open at the top and protected at the front and sides by stationary walls 
is known and the containers of such a vessel are stowed above the weather 
deck without conventional stowing racks. The container loading spaces are 
also protected at the rear by stationary walls. The loading space can be 
covered at the top by a tarpaulin. In such ships the containers are 
exposed to the surrounding air, to precipitation and spray water from the 
and to outside temperature fluctuations. These ships offer no possibility 
for storing containers at constant temperature particularly for cooling 
the containers. 
Two different types of constructions are known for cooling the containers 
in cooling container ships. One construction of a cooling container ship 
is equipped with at least one hold and with a cooling plant fixedly 
mounted on the ship for cooling the heat insulated containers stored 
inside the ship. The entire air of the stowing space is circulated and 
conducted through a heating or cooling device which can be arranged in the 
space between the hull of the ship and a longitudinal bulkhead forming the 
wall of the loading space. The air is exhausted at the bottom end of the 
stowing space and conducted through the heating and/or cooling device and 
forced through the upper part of the stowing space back into the device. 
The air thus surrounds the containers. A disadvantage in this construction 
is that the entire space above the bracing deck of the ship remains unused 
for storing containers. 
In another construction of a cooling container ship, the loading station is 
not provided with an insulation against heat radiation from the outside as 
in the construction mentioned above. On one or several walls of the 
bulkheads extending in the longitudinal or traverse direction of the ship 
and secured in the loading space is an air cooling plant. Connected to 
this cooling plant are one or more air ducts on which are arranged nipples 
or couplings for connection to the cooling containers. The air ducts are 
designed as double ducts, one of which carries the supply air and other 
the return air. The air ducts are heat insulated and each container is 
provided with two connections one serving for the supply and the other for 
the return. In this construction also the loading space is terminated at 
the normal level by an upper hatch and the space above the hatch is not 
included in the ship's own cooling system. 
It is also known to use the space above the normal bracing deck for storing 
cooling containers where the cooling containers are provided with special 
cooling devices which are principally of the electrical type and which are 
connected to current supply cables on deck. A disadvantage of this 
construction is that the cooling containers are exposed to the surrounding 
air and precipitation and spray water, etc. Each container stored on deck 
must be washed and attended separately. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides a container ship, particularly a cooling 
container ship, which is designed so that there is an increased loading 
spaced formed above the hold of the vessel for the storage of cooling 
containers with a light load for example in a greater number than known 
heretofore. If possible the cooling containers should be connected to the 
ship's own cooling system so that it is not necessary to install and 
connect cooling devices. 
In accordance with the invention the spaces for increasing the loading 
space are provided above the bracing deck by the provision of longitudinal 
walls which are advantageously made extensible or which may be divided by 
interruptions as well as by cross bulkheads and end walls. Individual 
spaces forming loading spaces above the bracing deck communicate with the 
loading space beneath the bracing deck and each loading space is 
advantageously terminated by known hatch covers and they are provided with 
means along their length and height for stowing the containers therein. 
The invention has the advantage that a greatly increased loading space 
extending from the top to the bottom of the ship is provided which serves 
entirely for stowing containers and the containers and the containers may 
be protected and closed off against the weather and connected to the 
ship's own cooling system. The arrangement is such that all containers may 
be fully protected against the surrounding air, rain, spray water, etc. 
According to another feature of the invention several frames or pairs of 
frames extending from one side wall of the ship to the other can be 
arranged to absorb transverse forces. The longitudinal walls are secured 
on the frames or pairs of frames. The pairs of frames carry a deck 
construction and hatch cover on their top. In another embodiment several 
frames of pairs of frames extending from one extensible longitudinal wall 
to the other extensible longitudinal wall are arranged to absorb 
transverse forces. The extensible walls can be designed in various ways. 
In one embodiment the extensible longitudinal walls are designed as 
folding walls. In another embodiment the extensible longitudinal walls 
comprise stiffened plate panels which are connected with each other by 
expansion joints. The construction advantageously includes cooling rod 
connections for the supply and discharge of a cooling air and these 
connections can be extended upwardly into the spaces formed above the 
lower loading space and the spaces are advantageously provided with 
connections for each container. In this embodiment the cooling rods for 
the supply and discharge of cooling air can be arranged in the space 
between pairs of frames or between the bulkhead and the frame, etc. in 
their outer region in which case the connecting means protrude through the 
frames to the outside so that the containers can be arranged and connected 
outside the space provided according to the invention. 
When an arrangement is such that the cooling air in the loading space is 
exhausted and returned after passing through the cooling device back into 
the loading space, the air can be exhausted into the lower part of the 
loading space and in accordance with another feature of the invention can 
be forced again into the upper part of the space provided in the inventive 
arrangement. The frames can be connected with each other by horizontal 
supports extending in longitudinal directions and which support the frames 
against each other and which can also be used for example to hold the 
vertical guide rails for the container stowage. In large cooling container 
ships it may be advisable to support the room by central or lateral 
supporting walls and to divide the hatch covers correspondingly. 
Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide a cooling container 
ship which comprises a hull having an outer starboard and port sides with 
a bottom structure extending between the sides and with a longitudinal 
bulkhead spaced inwardly from each side and extending substantially 
coextensive in height above said bottom to said side walls and which also 
includes a transverse bracing deck interconnecting the side walls and the 
longitudinal bulkheads at the level of the top thereof and with the ship 
defining a container bottom loading space above the bottom and between the 
longitudinal bulkheads and a top loading space above the bottom loading 
space which is terminated at each side by a plurality of longitudinal 
walls extending upwardly from the bracing deck and supported on the 
bracing deck and which also includes a plurality of transverse support 
frames extending above and supported on the bracing deck and connected 
through their longitudinal walls at spaced longitudinal intervals to 
define at least one loading space between frames and longitudinal walls 
which may be covered by a hatch cover and which advantageously includes 
means associated with the bottom loading space and the top loading space 
for stowing containers and for supplying heating or cooling media thereto 
as necessary. 
A further object of the invention is to provide a container ship which is 
simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture. 
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are 
pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part 
of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its 
operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference 
should be had to the accompanying drawing and descriptive matter in which 
there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to the drawings in particular the invention embodied therein 
comprises a container ship which is advantageously a cooling container 
ship which includes a hull generally designated 50 having a starboard side 
1 and a port side 2 forming outer walls which extend upwardly from a 
bottom structure 3 to a bracing deck 4 which interconnects each side wall 
1 and 2 at its top and which also interconnects the tops of longitudinally 
extending bulkheads 5 and 6 spaced inwardly from the outer walls 1 and 2. 
These parts form the load bearing construction of the ship and the 
bulkheads which extend longitudinally limit the side area of a bottom 
loading space 16 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The longitudinal bulkheads 5 
and 6 traverse the hull from the inner bottom 7 to the bracing deck 4. 
In accordance with the invention the upper edge of the bracing deck 4 
carries right angled U-shaped section frames 9 which form transverse 
support elements and divisions between the length of longitudinal walls 11 
which also extend upwardly from the bracing deck 4 and are secured 
thereto. In the embodiment illustrated the longitudinal walls are designed 
as foldable walls which may be extended or retracted. 
The bracing 4 forms a frame whose inner edges are connected at several 
points by crossbars 12 which are generally in a box frame type of 
construction. Crossbars 12 carry a central supporting wall 13 which 
extends upwardly from the crossbars and along the length of the ship 
between end frames 14 and 15 as shown in FIG. 2. The supporting wall 13 is 
advantageously provided with means for facilitating passage of the 
transverse member such as the frames 9. The bottom loading space 16 which 
is formed in the hull below the bracing deck is subdivided as usual by 
transverse bulkheads 17 which protrude upwardly into a top loading space 
18 formed between the longitudinal walls 11. The frame 9, the longitudinal 
walls 11, the central supporting wall 13 and the transverse bulkheads 17 
with a sealing construction 17a added at the top thereof in closed 
rectangular areas which are closed at the top by hatch covers 19 which 
define the upper limit of the loading space 18. The loading spaces 18 are 
terminated at respective ends by end walls 31 and 32. Container stowing 
frames 34 are arranged to traverse the entire spaces 16 and 18 over their 
whole height. 
The containers which are not shown individually are connected to so-called 
cooling rods 20 which extend upwardly from the inner bottom 7 and traverse 
the spaces 16 and 18. These cooling rods 20 each include a cooling air 
supply and a cooling air exhaust pipe and they are provided with 
corresponding connecting means 21 and 22 to which the containers are 
connected in a known manner. 
In order to better utilize the space the cooling rods 23 are also arranged 
in the U-section of the frames 9 and their connecting means 24 and 25 
traverse the frames 9 to the outside for the connection of the containers 
so that containers 26 can be stowed outside the longitudinal walls 11 on 
the bracing deck 4 and also be connected to the cooling system. 
On the left side of FIGS. 3 and 4 there is shown another construction 
wherein the frames 9 do not connect the outside walls 1 and 2 of the ship, 
but where other frames 27 are secured on the inside of the bracing deck 4. 
This construction offers the possibility of arranging tracks for cranes 
for example on the free space 28 of the bracing deck 4. The space 29 
located below the bracing deck 4 can serve as a corridor or as a space for 
the insulation of machines, etc. In the same manner the space 30 can serve 
as a fueling station. The frames 9 and 27 can be connected with each other 
by supports 33 extending in a longitudinal direction. Such supports serve 
with others to hold the container stowing racks 34 which traverse the 
spaces 16 and 18. 
While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described 
in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the 
invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied 
otherwise without departing from such principles.