ARRANGEMENT FOR A SLIDING SHIP'S DOOR

Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement (1) for a sliding ship's door (3) comprising a number of door sections (5-7) situated side by side in a row and connected to one another via hinges. The door sections are so arranged as to be carried by wheels (8) capable of running along tracks (9) so as to be guided between an unloading/loading position and a transport position in which the cargo desk in question is divided into separate loading areas which are separated from one another. Bottom locking devices are provided for locking the door to the skeleton of the ship, and lifting devices for raising the door respectively before sliding it along the cargo deck (15) and tracks of the ship and for lowering the door to the deck. At least a lifting device (14) and a locking device (12) or a lifting device and a door support shaft are situated essentially on a common vertical line (16).

Description: Arrangement for a sliding ship' s door The present invention relates to an arrangement for a sliding ship's door comprising a number of door sections situated side by side in a row and connected to one another in pairs via hinges, which door sections are so arranged as to be carried by wheels capable of running along tracks so as to be guided between an unloading/loading position and a transport position in which the cargo deck in question is divided into separate loading areas which are separated from one another, and with lower locking devices provided for locking the door to the skeleton of the ship and lifting devices for raising the door before sliding it along the cargo deck and tracks of the ship, and for lowering the door to the deck. The principal object of the present invention is in the first instance to make available an arrangement which makes it possible, in conjunction with a laterally sliding ship door which consists of a number of door sections situated side by side in a row, effectively and reliably to solve the problem through the ability to cause the door to move along a narrow track without the corners of the door projecting and taking up unnecessary space and, at the same time, through the ability to lock the door securely and reliably to the subjacent deck in such a way as to obtain a watertight and safe door. Said object is achieved through the present invention with an arrangement in accordance with the foregoing, which is characterized essentially in that at least a lifting device and a locking device or a lifting device and a door support shaft are situated essentially on a common vertical line. The invention is described below as two preferred illustrative embodiments, in conjunction with which reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a first illustrative embodiment of a plan view of a ship door in accordance with the invention in the closed position in the ship; Fig. 2 shows a schematic view from above of said door in the closed position; Fig. 3 shows in detail an arrangement in accordance with the present invention with the door in the raised position ready for displacement; Fig. 4 shows said door in its lowered, closed and locked position; Fig. 5 shows the arrangement in accordance with the invention in isolation, viewed along the closing plane of the door; Figs. 5A and 5B show a hinge between two door sections, with said door sections arranged respectively in a straight position and in an angled position; Fig. 6 shows in detail the lateral edge of a door section with an arrangement in accordance with the invention situated thereon in the effective locked position; Fig. 6A shows a sectional view along the line A-A in Fig. 6; Fig. 7 shows a sectional view along the line VII-VII in fig. 6; Fig. 8 shows a further opposing lateral edge of a door section with an arrangement in accordance with the invention situated thereon in the effective locked position; Fig. 8A shows a sectional view along the line A-A in Fig. 8; Fig. 8B shows a sectional view along the line B-B in Fig. 8; and Fig. 9 shows various views of a variant of the application of the invention to a ship door capable of sliding on a deck. Figs. 1-8 show an embodiment of an arrangement 1 for sliding ship door 3 capable of being supported by the superjacent deck 2, which door comprises a number, for example three, of door sections 5, 6, 7 situated one after the other in a row and connected to one another in pairs 5-6, 6-7 via hinges, which door sections are so arranged as to be carried by means of wheels 8 capable of running along tracks 9 so as to be guided between an unloading/loading position I and a transport position II in which the cargo deck in question is divided into separate loading areas 10, 11 which are separated from one another. Lower locking devices 12 are provided for securing the door 3 to the skeleton 13 of the ship, and lifting devices 14 respectively for raising the door 3 before sliding it along the cargo deck 15 and the track 9 of the ship and for lowering the door 3 towards the deck 15. In accordance with the invention at least the lifting device 14 and the locking device 12 are located essentially on the same vertical line 16. Direct and precise actuation of said devices 14, 12 is achieved in this way, at the same time as the possibility is offered for the direct transmission of forces acting on the door to the skeleton of the ship without the risk of the door being caused to tilt due to forces arising from, for example, water that may find its way into the ship. Said lifting device 14 is formed preferably from a hydraulically actuated piston cylinder arrangement, which is connected to said door sections 5-7 on the lateral edges 5A, 6A, 6B, 7A of mutually meeting door sections 5-7 in such a way that, when actuated in one direction, it causes the door sections 5-7 to be raised and causes , said locking device 12 to be displaced from the locked position L to the open position 0 of the door 3 and, when actuated in the other direction, it causes the locking device 12 to be displaced to the locked position of the door and causes the door 3 to be lowered to the deck 15. In order to facilitate sliding of the door 3 between the loading/unloading position I and the transport position II, runner wheels 8 are pivotally mounted around a vertically extending wheel support axle 18 which is also situated preferably on the same common vertical line 16 as the lifting device 14 and the locking device 12. The runner wheels 8 are so arranged as to be supported by a bogie 19, in conjunction with which said vertical wheel support axle 18 is carried between runner wheels 8 arranged in pairs longitudinally along the runner track 20 intended for the door sections 5-7. The runner wheels 8 are so arranged as to run internally in a track 9 executed as a profile, which extends along the intended movement path of the door sections in a horizontal direction 2 across the ship, along the cargo deck 15 of the ship. The door section 5 which is situated nearest a lateral bulkhead 23 extending in the longitudinal sense 22 of the ship has a wheeled bogie 24 with wheels 25 which run in a track 26 extending close to and along said longitudinal side wall 23 in such a way as to guide the outer edge 5B of said door section. Said wheels 25 are so arranged as to be connected to a jack 27, preferably a piston cylinder arrangement of the kind indicated above, which, when actuated, is capable of raising or lowering said end 5B of the door section together with the other door sections 6-7. Positioned at the extremity of the opposing door section 7 at its outer end 7B, although set back slightly from its vertical door edge, are wheels 28 which run in said transverse tracks 9 in such a way as to guide and raise the outer end 7B of said door section when the door is being slid transversely. The track is preferably executed as a suspended track 9 raised to a desired level 29 above the door, which track is so arranged as to accommodate said door runner wheels 8, 28. The door lifting device 14 is preferably capable of rigid attachment to the door 3 to permit raising of same on actuation of its lifting device 14, more specifically by the introduction of hydraulic fluid or some other pressure medium at either end 14A, 14B via the passage 30, 31, and so that the actuating piston rod part 32, 33 is displaced in either direction 34, 35. The locking device is appropriately formed in this way by a bar 36 capable of being made to move in a vertical direction, which bar is capable of being accommodated with its end part in an accommodating opening 37 in the deck 15 and is attached to the lower cylinder piston rod part 33, for example as a prolongation of same. In order to permit pivoting of the door sections 5-7 in relation to one another, hinges 38, 39 are arranged on the lateral edge 5A, 6A, 6B, 7A of the door between door sections 5-6, 6-7 extending vertically and connected together pivotally in a row. These hinges 38, 39 have their effective articulation devices, i.e. internal bearing sleeves 32, 33, arranged in such a way that they are situated essentially on the same common vertical line 16 as said door lifting device 14 and door support shaft 40. Actuation of the jack 27 by introducing hydraulic fluid into the respective opening 30 and 31 causes the part 33 and 32 of the piston rod to be extended in either direction 35 and 34 from the securely fixed piston cylinder 27A for the purpose respectively of raising the locking device 12 from the locking part 36 and the door 3 from the deck 15, see Fig. 3, and of lowering the door 3 down to the deck 15 to enable its bottom seal to make contact with the deck 15 and the locking device 12 to be introduced down into a matching locking part executed as a hole 37 in the deck 15, after which the door 3 is secured in a watertight fashion and is held steady both at the top by wheels 8 and the track 9 and at the bottom by locking devices and the locking part 37. A watertight door is obtained thanks to the presence of a seal 41, 42 which extends respectively along the lower part 5C, 6C, 7C and the vertical lateral end sides 5B, 5A; 6A, 6B; 7A, 7B of the door sections. Fig. 9 shows a variant of an arrangement 101 for a door 103 which functions in a similar fashion to the door 3 described above. This door 103, however, with its door sections 105, 106, 107, is so arranged as to be guided on wheels and to run in a track 109 on the deck 115. However, at least one door lifting device 114 and one vertical door support shaft 118, about which the door sections are pivotally mounted, are arranged in such a way that they are situated essentially on a common vertical line 116. Door locking devices in the form of vertical locking pins 112, which are not illustrated in detail here, can also be arranged on essentially the same vertical line 116 as that referred to above. Corresponding common components which are utilized in the aforementioned arrangement have been given the same reference designations, but with the addition of one hundred. This door 103 supported by the deck has deck- supported wheel bogies 119, each with its own vertically rotatable wheel support axle 118 carried between runner wheels 108 arranged in pairs longitudinally along the runner track 120 intended for the door sections, which runner wheels run in a common track 109 on the deck 115. Also present at the respective outermost sections of the door are wheel bogies 119A, 119B, each of which runs in its own track 120A, 120B or directly on the deck 115 at the bottom end of the door. The invention is not restricted to the illustrative examples described above and shown in the drawings, but may be varied within the scope of the Patent Claims without departing from the idea of invention.

Claims: P a t e n t C l a i m s 1. Arrangement (1; 101) for a sliding ship's door (3; 103) comprising a number of door sections (5-7; 105-107) situated side by side in a row and connected to one another in pairs (5-6; 6-7; 105; 106; 107) via hinges, which door sections are so arranged as to be carried by wheels capable of running along tracks (9; 109) so as to be guided between an unloading/loading position (I) and a transport position (II) in which the cargo deck in question is divided into separate loading areas (10 and 11) which are separated from one another, and with lower locking devices (12; 112) provided for locking the door (3) to the skeleton (13) of the ship and lifting devices for raising the door before sliding it along the cargo deck (15; 115) and tracks (9; 109) of the ship, and for lowering the door (3; 103) to the deck (15; 115), characterized in that at least a lifting device (14) and a locking device (12) or a lifting device (114) and a door support shaft (118) are situated essentially on a common vertical line (16; 116) . 2. Arrangement in accordance with patent Claim 1 , characterized in that the lifting device (14) is formed preferably from a hydraulically actuated piston cylinder arrangement, which is connected to said door sections (5-7) in such a way that, when actuated in one direction, it causes the door sections (5-7) to be raised and causes said locking device (12) to be displaced from the locked position (L) to the open position (0) and, when actuated in the opposite direction, causes the locking device (12) to be displaced to the locked position (L) for the door (3) and causes the door (3) to be lowered to the deck (15) . 3. Arrangement in accordance with one or other of the preceding Patent Claims, in conjunction with which runner wheels (8) are pivotally mounted around a vertically extending wheel support axle (18) , characterized in that the respective vertical wheel support axle (18) of the runner wheels is situated essentially on the same common line (16) as the lifting device (14) and preferably also the locking device (12) . 4. Arrangement in accordance with Patent Claim 3, characterized in that the runner wheels (8) are so arranged as to be supported by a bogie (19), in conjunction with which the vertical wheel support axle (18) is carried between runner wheels (8) arranged in pairs longitudinally along the runner track (20) intended for the door sections (5-7) . 5. Arrangement in accordance with Patent Claim 4, characterized in that the runner wheels (8) are so arranged as to run along a track (9) which extends along the intended movement path of the door sections in a horizontal direction (2) along the deck (15) of the ship. 6. Arrangement in accordance with Patent Claim 5, characterized in that a wheel bogie is also arranged at the respective outermost sections of the door, in conjunction with which one of said wheel bogies is arranged to run along a straight track at the rear end of the door. 7. Arrangement in accordance with one or other of Patent Claims 1-5, characterized in that a suspended raised track (9) is so arranged as to accommodate the door runner wheels (8, 28), and in that the door lifting device (14), and in that the door lifting device (14) is capable of rigid attachment to the door (3) to permit raising of same on actuation of its lifting device. 8. Arrangement in accordance with one or other of the preceding Patent Claims, characterized in that the locking device is formed from a bar (36) capable of being actuated so as to move in a vertical direction, which bar is capable of being accommodated with its end part in an accommodating opening (37) in the deck (15) . 9. Arrangement in accordance with one or other of the preceding Patent Claims, characterized in that hinges (38, 39) between door sections (5-7) extending vertically and connected together pivotally in a row are arranged in such a way that they are situated essentially on the same common vertical line (16) as said door lifting device (14) and door support shaft (40) . 10. Arrangement in accordance with one or other of the preceding Patent Claims, characterized in that a seal (41; 42) extends respectively along the lower part (5C, 6C, 7C) and the vertical lateral end sides (5B, 5A; 6A, 6B; 7A, 7B) of the door sections.

Inventors: LEHTONEN MAURI, RAMNE BENGT, LEHTONEN, MAURI, RAMNE, BENGT
Applicants: KVAERNER SHIPS EQUIPMENT, LEHTONEN MAURI, RAMNE BENGT, KVAERNER SHIPS EQUIPMENT AB, LEHTONEN, MAURI, RAMNE, BENGT
Application year: 1996
Main classification: B63B43
IPC codes: B63B43