A TRANSPORT DEVICE FOR TRANSPORT OF LAND-BASED TRAFFIC OVER A WATERROUTE

Abstract: A transport device for transport of land-based traffic over a water-way, between at least two land-connected terminals (11, 12), which water-way is used by deep-draught vessels, and between which terminals (11, 12) is provided at least one rail track (14) situated under the water level (21) on a vertical clearance depth. The transport device incorporates at least one track-bound carriage (16), which is movable along the rail track (14). The rail track (14) is constituted by a girder system, and the dead weight of the transport device or the girder system (15) are balanced by means of floating bodies (22) positioned inside and/or outside the girder.

Description: A TRANSPORT DEVICE FOR TRANSPORT OF LAND-BASED TRAFFIC OVER ATERROUTE. The present invention refers to a transport device for transpor of land-based traffic over a water-way, between at least tw land-connected terminals, which water-way is used by deep-draugh vessels, and between which terminals is provided at least on rail track situated under the water level on a vertical clearanc deepth, and which transport device incorporates at least on track-bound carriage, which is movable along the rail track. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Transport of land-based traffic over longer distances over wate today almost invariably is carried out by means of ferries. Thes ferries may either be self-propelled or so called rope ferries which are pulled by a motor from one ferry berth to the other During the movement of the ferry between the ferry berths th haulage wire is stretched over the entire water-way and thereb precludes ship movements. The ferry traffic requires manning o the ferry and is therefore rather expensive in operation an maintenance. Transport with suspended railways over water-ways has also bee used, but only where natural conditions could be used. The wir of the suspended railway must be arranged at such a high leve that a sufficient sailing-free height is obtained. For towing ships e.g. on rivers, it also has been proposed, (D 213.904), to position a rail track on the bed of the river and t tow the ship via a wire or the like, by means of a track-boun carriage, which is partly situated below and partly above th water surface. As a realistic alternative to this transport method there i today only bridges having an openable bascule for the seagoin traffic. The costs for a bridge are however very high. PURPOSE AND MOST ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF THE INVENTION The purpose of the invention is to provide a transport device which neither limits the sailing-free height nor the vertical clearance depth, which requires no manning and which can be summoned at any time night or day for transfer. Another purpose of the invention is, that a plant in which the transport device shall be a part, shall need a considerably lower manufacturing cost than a conventional plant even if rather large distances must be bridged. The transport device shall be easy to dismantle and to tow to a repairment shipyard for service and repairment and also in some cases during winter. These tasks have been achieved by the features defined in claim 1. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention hereinafter will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings showing an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 1 shows a side view of a transport device according to the invention. Fig. 2 shows in bigger scale the transport device according to Fig. 1 in a view from above. Fig. 3 shows in still bigger scale a side view of a modified transport device according to the invention with land-fixed terminals. Fig. 4 shows a section through the rail track along line IV-IV in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows a further variant of the transport device according "to the invention, which is entirely constituted by an afloat device. Fig. 6 shows a side view of a land-connected floating terminal according to a second embodiment. Fig. 7 shows in perspective the transport device according to the invention in an alternative embodiment. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS The transport device according to the invention consists of two land-fixed terminals 11 and 12, which depending on local conditions may have a lan -connection via a road embankment, a low level bridge or a pontoon bridge (Fig. 1) or the like, whereby the terminals either may be driven down to solid ground (Fig. 1 and 3) or be afloat (Fig. 5 and 6). Between the terminals 11 and 12 is provided at least one rail track 14, which in the embodiment shown consists by a system of girders 15, which is either connected to fixed abutments (Fig. 1 and 3) or supported by pontoons 13. The girder system 15 of the rail track 14 is provided with rails 17 for cooperation with a track-bound carriage 16. Upon this is provided a post 18 or the like, which extends above the water level and supports a platform 19 or a cabin 20. The rail track 14 is positioned at such a depth in relation to the water level 21 that also deep-draught vessels can pass above the rail track by a comfortable margin. This means that the post 18 of the carriage 16 must be of such a height that the platform 19 is situated above the water level 21 or the highest water level if the terminals 11, 12 are based on solid ground. As the distance between the terminals 11 and 12 can be rather big, for sea-ways with small traffic, e.g. 20-30 meters, and for sea-ways with heavy traffic, several 100 meters, it is necessary that the girder system 14 is balanced by means of floating bodies 22, thus that at least its dead weigth does not affect it. Depending on the construction of the girder system the floating bodies may be positioned inside and/or outside the girders 15. The carriage 16 is preferably driven by means of an endless wire or chain 23, connected to the carriage. A driving machinery, e.g. a hydraulic motor 24 positioned at one end of the rail track, pulls the carriage like a shuttle to and fro between the terminals 11, 12. Control members, similar to those used for operating elevators are provided at the terminals 11 and 12 for summoning the carriage 16, whereas the manoeuvering of the carriage is carried out by means of other control members from inside the carriage in forward or rearward direction and also for allowing the carriage to be stopped. Such as shown in Fig. 4 the rail track 14 consist preferably of a displaced box girder construction, the inner of which is filled with a foamed plastic to such an extent that the girder system 15 with the carriage 16 and the cabin 20 is almost "weight-less", i.e. it is outbalanced. In this manner it is poosible to minimize the dimensions of the girders also for very large spans. If necessary the girders may also be supported e.g. at the middle by bottom foundations. For avoiding expensive abutments for the rail track 14 and for the terminals 11, 12 these may be integrated to a unit such as shown in Fig. 5 and 6. At water-ways with rather small swell the houses 27 of the terminals 11, 12 may be supported by a pontoon 13 floating on the water (Fig. 5). In waters where the swell can be substantial, ballast tanks can be positioned so deep below the water level that surface water waves do not af ect these and the rail track 14. The entire transport device thus can be manufactured ashore e.g. at a ship-yard and it can be launched and trimmed thus that it in a manner ensuring safety can be towed to the intended position. The pontoons and/or the displaced rolling girder construction of the rail track may be equipped with ballast tanks for trimming the level of the transport device. Such a completed transport device needs only be moored in position and it is by means of appropriate gangways 28 connected to the abutment in the form of a pontoon bridge or the like. For facilitating the connection of the rail track 14 to fixed pillars supporting the terminal 11 or 12, it is possible to provide the pillars with guides 30 for guiding the end portions of the rail track 14. These guides 30 can be used on one hand for steering and pressing down the rail track 14 to its fixed attachment 31 but also for allowing the rail track to move upwards if it for any reason must be repaired or subjected to service. For avoiding collision with water traffic the control members for controlling the carriage are connected to traffic lights 25 (Fig. 2) arranged at the entrance opening of the transport device, which traffic lights give a red light during the crossing of the carriage 16 and a green light when the carriage is in its parking position at one of the terminals. At each entrance there is also provided an optical passage guard 26, in form of e.g. a laser light beam and a photocell, which passage guard, when a boat passes, disconnects the current supply to the carriage, when this is in parking position. The current is disconnected until the boat has passed the passage guard for outwards bound boats. The distance from the passage guard 26 to the rail track 14 is chosen so, that the carriage will reach the opposite side if an incoming boat should have overlooked the red traffic light. As the manouevering of the carriage is attended to by the passengers there is not required any manning of the carriage. The land-based terminals 11 and 12 can advantageously be built in form of cofferdams with built-in pontoons, which make it possible to transport the terminals by sea to their positions. The invention is not limited to the embodiment shown but a plurality of variants are possible within the scope of the claims. The rail track thus can incorporate tracks for one carriage each, which independent of each other can attend to the traffic. The carriage in the above embodiment has been described as consisting of a chassis, which via a post supports a cabin. It is of course also possible and is quite within the scope of the invention that the cabin may float on the water and be towed by the carriage via appropriate transfer means.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A transport device for transport of land-based traffic over a water-way, between at least two land-connected terminals (11,12), which water-way is used by deep-draught vessels, and between which terminals (11,12) is provided at least one rail track (14) situated under the water level (21) on a vertical clearance deepth, and which transport device incorporates at least one track-bound carriage (16), which is movable along the rail track (14), c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e r e i n, that the rail track (14) is constituted by a girder system, and that the dead weight of the transport device or the girder system (15) are balanced by means of floating bodies (22) positioned inside and/or outside the girder. 2. A transport device as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e r e i n, that the rail track (14) consists of a displaced girder box construction (15) the inner of which is at least partly filled with air and/or floating bodies. 3. A transport device as claimed in claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e r e i n, that at least some of the floating bodies (22) are designed as ballast tanks for trimming of the height level of the transport device. 4. A transport device as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e r e i n, that the land-connected terminals (11,12) are supported by pillars (29) designed as or equipped with guides (30) for steering the end portions of the rail track (14) . 5. A transport device as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e r e i n, that the land-connected terminals (11,12) are supported by pontoons (13) and that the girder system (15) of the rail track (14) is fixedly connected to the pontoons. 6. A transport device as claimed in claim 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e r e i n, that the terminals (11,12) are equipped with ballast tanks, which are situated so far below the water surface that surface water waves will not affect these, and that the terminals supported by pontoons (13) via pillars or the like are positioned above the water level. 7. A transport device as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e r e i n, that a transmission member (23) is provided along the rail track, for driving the carriage (16). 8. A transport device as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e r e i n, that at each terminal (11,12) is provided first control members for summoning the carriage (16) to either of the two terminals (11,12) and that in the carriage is provided second control members for manouevering the carriage between the terminals. 9. A transport device as claimed in claim 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e r e i n, that the control members for manouevering the carriage (16) is connected to traffic lights (25) and a passage guard (26) for the water traffic at the entrances of the transport device, thus that the carriage (16) can not leave a terminal when a vessel has passed the passage guard (26).

Inventors: ANDERSSON BERTIL, ANDERSSON, BERTIL
Applicants: VIAK AB
Application year: 1988
Main classification: B63H15
IPC codes: B63B35, B63H15