A SECURITY STATION AT A SHIP

Abstract: At a security station on a ship there are lifeboats (10), the longitudinal direction of which coincides with the longitudinal direction of the ship and which are intended for launching at the long sides of the ship. Each lifeboat, which is enclosed, at least at one of its ends has a space between a tight, internal end wall (21), provided with a door (22), which leads into the lifeboat and in closed condition is water-tight, and the lifeboat hull, which here has an opening (20), the lower boarder of which preferably is over the water surface, when the lifeboat is afloat.

Description: A SECURITY STATION AT A SHIP Technical Field The present invention relates to a security station at a ship, comprising lifeboats, the longitudinal direction of which coincides with the longitudinal direction of the ship and which are intended for launching at the long sides of the ship. Background of the Invention The traditionally most common sea saving equipment for ships is lifeboats. Lifeboats, which earlier most often were made of wood but which at later times are manufactured of plastic or steel, are normally arranged in a row along each side of the ship and are suspended from davits, which may be turned out. If the ship heels over, however, only the lifeboats at one side can be securily launched, and especially on passenger ships the number of lifeboat places is not at all sufficient for all passengers. It is diffi¬ cult to get on board in such a lifeboat, and the launching is connected with very great dangers. After ship accidents it is much too common to find empty, non useable and capsi- zed lifeboats. Certain lifeboats nowadays have some kind of cover, but it is still uncommon with completely closed lifeboats. In later times it has become common in certain cases, espe¬ cially on tankers, to use closed lifeboats, which are arranged on a slide, where they can slide aft in an angle of 45° and thereafter fall freely in the sea. After the second world war inflatable rubber rafts have obtained an improved importance as life saving equip¬ ment on ships. The rafts are normally stored on upper deck along the ship side in special containers. After launching the raft is automatically inflated and is ready to take passengers. It is obvious that getting on board a raft is extremely risky and that the raft by no means is an ideal life saving device. Launching can also be made by means of a crane, in which case the raft is inflated and is suspended in the crane outside the rail, where passengers can get on board. In hard weather the risks are not negligable with this method. When a passenger, often after having been in the a- ter, have succeeded in getting on board a raft, he is very vulnerable for the weather, which means that his saving normally must occur quickly. A certain extra personal protection is given by life belts or possibly life vests, which shall be available for all passengers on a ship. Concluding, it can be said that at a total loss of a ship, especially a passenger ship, there are small possibi¬ lities for all passengers to get saved, and the security is hardly satisfactory. There are also great deficiencies in the information enabling each passenger to move to "his" saving equipment in case of danger. Panic or apathy occurs easily when too many passengers are gathered around a life¬ boat or raft available for the moment . A completely new thinking should be accomplished regarding the security on board a ship, especially a pas¬ senger ship, and a secure possibility for all passengers to get saved with the same kind of equipment from the ship, independently of whether the ship has obtained a heeling of more than about 15°, which normally prevents launching of conventional lifeboats from the highside of the ship, should be made available. In order to emphasize that the invention involves a completely new thinking in this area the term "security station" has been created. In the term "security station" lies well prepared, protected places with adequate equip- ment of different kinds for saving lifes . Thus, at each security station there are lifeboats, the longitudinal direction of which coinsides with the longitudinal direc¬ tion of the ship and which are intended for launching at the long sides of the ship. The Invention According to the invention each lifeboat, which is arranged at a security station on a ship and which in a way known per se is enclosed, shall at least at one of its ends have a separate space between a tight, internal end wall, provided with a door, which leads into the lifeboat and in closed condition is water-tight, and the lifeboat hull, which here has an opening, the lower boarder of which pre¬ ferably is over the water surface, when the lifeboat is afloat. At the same time as the passengers of the lifeboat are seated completely protected in the enclosed interior of the lifeboat, the crew of the lifeboat can work in the space and through the openings therein with the saving of persons in the water around the lifeboat with the aid of i a floating stretchers, so called bathing stairs or immer¬ sed, sloping stairs with handles. By means of the arrange¬ ment according to the invention it is very easy to get on board the lifeboat, for example via a short stairs up to the opening from a deck. The space should have an upper manhole, which facili¬ tates passage to the interior. It shall also enable suspen¬ sion of lines, blocks and tackles, prolongable beat-hooks with exchangeable devices at the end, suitable for saving people, as well as anchors and drift-anchors In order to facilitate saving of a person in the water, the lifeboat can be provided with a foldable platform in the vacinity of the opening. At a security station a number of lifeboats can - in a way per se known for example by US-A-1 043 915 - be late- rally movably arranged in the crosswise direction of the ship along lifeboat ramps, which may be horisontal or be slightly sloping against the ship's sides. For enabling a control movement of each lifeboat along the ramps, the lifeboat according to the invention is at each end provided with a gear wheel for cooperation with a rack of the ramp, the gear wheels being connected with each other by means of a motor driven shaft, which also is provided with a brake. As an alternative to racks use may for example be made of chains. By means of one or more chains, which are arranged in the outer part of the ramp and in their rest position can be rolled, so that each of them can cooperate with its gear wheel on the shaft, the lateral movement along the ramp can be continued directly vertically by means of a braked move¬ ment to the water by means of runners, which hold the chains against their respective gear wheels. The disconnec¬ tion from the chains is made in that the runners are run off the chains by motors. As another possibility for a controlled launching of each lifeboat from the ramps there is a friction block, which is arranged in the vicinity of the gear wheel, can be brought into engagement therewith at the time when the lifeboat leaves the ramps and contains a line, which is wound thereon and whose end is connected to a hook at the ramp. In the normal position, i e before the time when the lifeboat is to be launched, it should be securely locked to the ramp, but it is also desirable that the lifeboat should be disconnected from the ramps either for being lifted for example by means of a crane or a rescue helicopter or for floating up, if the ship should sink before the normal launching of the lifeboat along the ramps. This can accor¬ ding to the invention be attained by means of a pin, which extends axially through the shaft and the gear wheel, is axially movable from the interior of the lifeboat, can ex¬ tend through a fitting piece of the ramp and further into a fixed ear, or in any other way. When the pin extends all the way into the ear, the lifeboat is locked to the ramp (position 0) . In the next position, when the pin has been released from the ear but extends through the fitting piece, the lifeboat can be lif¬ ted from the ramp (position 1) . In the last position, when the pin also has been removed from the fitting piece, the lifeboat can start to move along the ramp (position 2) . By the fact that the fitting piece is removably con¬ nected to the ramp by means of a hook shaped notch in enga¬ gement with a pivot of the ramp, an initial guiding of the fitting piece and thus the lifeboat is obtained, when the lifeboat leaves the ramp upwardly. At this stage the men¬ tioned line must leave its upwardly open hook. An alternative solution is to decrease the width of the upper leg of the used U-beam to the extent that it does not cover any part of the lifeboat gear wheel and to place a wheel on the pin between the gear wheel and the U-beam, which holds the gear wheel in engagement with the rack. The wheel is kept in place on the pin (for example at laun¬ ching) by means of for example a plate piece, which is movably attached around the shaft internally of the gear wheel. The mentioned movable hook is preferably arranged on a trolley freely slideable in a conveyor track under the ramp, the conveyor track being bent away from the ramp at the end thereof for the line to be stretched and the trol- ley to stay there and for allowing gathering and passing away of empty trolleies. A bigger, fixed hook - which is attached at the end of each ramp - is intended for catching the end loops of the lines rolled in the friction blocks and constitutes an alternative to the conveyor track with its movable, smaller hooks belonging to the respective lifeboat. The engagement between the gears in the friction blocks and the gear wheels of the lifeboats occurs in this alternative in the same way as in the earlier solution or in any other way. In order to have the lifeboats close to each other, i e with the rubber fender of one lifeboat against the smooth surface of another, it is possible to arrange an extra ramp behind and over the previous one. The boats on this ramp will then need a longer shaft than the others. At a pos- sible pendulum movement care should be taken so that the rubber fenders do not get entangled with each other. Short Description of the Drawings The invention shall be described further below under reference to the attached drawings, in which Fig 1 is a schematic side view of a passenger ship, equipped with safety stations, Fig 2 is a perspective view along the arrows II-II in Fig 1 of a safety station and the deck in front thereof, Fig 3 is a schematic section of a passenger ship, equipped in an alternative way with safety stations, Fig 4 is an enlarged side view of a safety station and a lifeboat arranged therein, Fig 5 is a top view of a part of a safety station with three lifeboats arranged therein, Fig 6 is a side view of a lifeboat preferred for use in a safety station according to the invention and placed on a passenger ship, Fig 7 is a top view of the lifeboat shown in Fig 6, only half of the boat however being shown, Fig 8 to a slightly greater scale than Figs 6 and 7 shows the preferred lifeboat from its stern or from the left in Fig 7, Fig 9 in a side view shows a ramp device for the launching of the lifeboat, Fig 10 is a top view of the same ramp device, Fig 11 is a cross section through the ramp device to a greater scale, Fig 12 is a view corresponding to Fig 9 of the end portion of the ramp device and is intended to illustrate a position when the lifeboat has left the ramp device, Fig 13 is a cross sectional view corresponding to Fig 11 of an alternative ramp device, Fig 14 is a longitudinal section of an alternative prolongation ramp with a hoisting device and a course hook, and Fig 15 is a cross sectional view to a greater scale near the end of the ramp in Fig 14. Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments Fig 1 is a very schematical side view of a passenger ship. The ship has a number of decks and at the uppermost deck a number of security stations A-E. At each such safety station a lifeboat Al-El is shown. A number of vertical security staircase housings extend through the ship, the double staircase housing between the security stations E and D being labelled ED, the double security staircase hou¬ sing between the security stations D and C being labelled DC, the single staircase housing for the security station A being labelled A, and the single staircase housing aft the security station E being labelled E. All staircase housings are protected against fire and smoke in a special way, and further there are lock devices at each entrance. The stair¬ case housings are also called security staircases. The security staircase housings extend through corri¬ dors in the entire ship and open on the deck where the security station is in the direction towards its own station. The corridors shall be wide, and the cabin doors are opened outwardly with the opening in the direction towards the closest security staircase. The corridors shall be provided with handles along both sides including the doors and suspended from the ceiling just over the doors, a handle being provided for each meter of the corridor width. These measures together increase the possibility to move for the passengers and thus decrease the time for manning the lifeboats. A security station has a number of lifeboats, whose longitudinal direction coincides with the longitudinal direction of the ship and which are intended for launching at the long sides of the ship. A number of lifeboats can be laterally moveably arranged close to each other in the crosswise direction of the ship. Such a security station is a "channel" in the crosswise direction of the ship, in which the lifeboats are arranged in a row close to each other. Each such lifeboat can (see especially Figs 4, 5 and 6) at each of its ends - its bow and its stern - be provi¬ ded with a preferably through shaft 11, which has a wheel, gear wheel or the like 12, that is intended for cooperation with lifeboat ramps 13, which extend on either side of the lifeboats in the crosswise direction of the ship. The ramps 13 can be sloping to a certain extent downwards from the center of the ship towards its sides for facilitating the movements of the lifeboats towards the side of the ship, if the ship does not have a heeling, but can also be horison- tal. In order for the lifeboat to be brought out a distance from the side of the ship at launching and for enabling launching, even if the ship has a certain heeling, the lifeboat ramps 13 are provided with extendable, foldable or pivotable ramp extensions 13 ' , which are shown in Fig 2 and suggested in Fig 5. As already suggested, the lifeboats can be moved in either direction, depending on the circumstances, for launching. The movement can be con¬ trolled by means of engagement between the gear wheels 12 and the ramps 13; the operation can occur by means of motors and brakes in the lifeboat 10. Normally, the life- boat is controllably descended into the sea, and the life¬ boat is thus provided with suitable means herefor, descri¬ bed below. Further possibilities are that the lifeboat is lifted from the ramps 13 by the sea, when the ship sinks, or by means of a crane or helicopter. The lifeboat 10 shall be provided with suitable means for controlling such a lift. For further improving the stability of the lifeboats 10 in transport position and enabling a position of the lifeboats comparatively close to each other, bottom sup¬ ports 14 (Fig 4) can be arranged on the deck under them. These bottom supports 14 shall be removed, for example by means of hydraulic means operated from the lifeboat, but only at launching over the side of the ship. At the version shown in Figs 4 and 5, each lifeboat 10 can at both ends be provided with entrance doors 15 at the same level as the deck 16 at the security station, so that the passengers without any difficulty can walk directly from the deck 16 into the enclosed lifeboat 10. The interior in this version of the lifeboat 10 is suggested in Fig 4 and also in the uppermost lifeboat in Fig 5. Each enclosed lifeboat 10 is well isolated against heat (for example burning oil) and cold, is provided with sprinklers and is also in other respects constructed for withstanding great strains. The size of the lifeboat is adapted to the requirement on the ship. Each lifeboat is well equipped for a relatively long time in the sea and for example has toilet facilities. At each lifeboat 10 in the vicinity of the ramps 13 there are air supply conduits and sprinkler devices 17 on the ship for use at fire on board, as is suggested in Fig 4. At boarding the ship each passenger is given an address to his security station. Such an address can for example consist of a letter and a number, for example Cl, which indicates that this passenger shall go to the secu¬ rity station C and there choose lifeboat number 1. In order to reach the security station C he can choose staircase housing CB or staircase housing DC; thus, he has two ways to choose between. Having come to the deck 16 he moves against lifeboat number 1, which is clearly marked on the deck and at the entrance doors, as is shown in Fig 2 and also in Fig 5. In Fig 3 alternative positions of security stations on a passenger ship with a considerable height, i e many decks, are illustrated. The security stations illustrated in Fig 3 can either have lifeboats 10, suspended in tunnels across the ship, or have lifeboats, which are suspended in pairs or individually along the ship's side. The latter position is however not recommended, as the lifeboats only can be launched on the side where they are suspended, when this side is the lowermost side, or, if this is the highest side, only at heelings up to 20°. One or more lifeboats can be positioned on the same ramps 13. Launching over the ship's side can in such a case occur at a heeling of up to 45° at either side. The inclination of the extension part can be 0 - 25° under the horisontal plane, whereas the ramps otherwise are either slightly inclined from the cen¬ ter outwards or horisontal. The extension portion shall be so long that the lifeboat 10, when the descent commences, gets well outside the ship's side, when the launching is on the right tack. These security stations can for example at a ship with twelve decks be arranged at decks numbers 7 and 8. By this more central position of the security station the advantages may be obtained that the boarding can occur in a protected environment and that the maximum transport ways to the stations decrease considerably, which leads to a faster and more secure evacuation of the ship's passeng¬ ers. By positioning lifeboats 10 suspended according to Figs 4, 5 or 6 in one or several rows across the whole ship, security stations are created which together can take care of all passengers in the most secure way. This means also a great step forward in the development in relation to the present situation, namely that all persons on board have access to the same type of rescue means. With all considerations taken into account with regard to ordinary passenger ships or such in combination with transport of automobiles, the disposal of the life¬ boats 10 should preferably be in a number of security sta- tions across the entire width of the ship on the second to uppermost deck, where there are usually lounges of diffe¬ rent kinds. In this way the requirement is fulfilled that the passengers shall be able to get to the security sta¬ tions rapidly and securely and without being exposed to for example bad weather at boarding the lifeboats from the up¬ permost deck, which is usual. At catamarans and other high speed ships lifeboats 10 can be placed in ramps across the ship in a row, which is enough for all persons on board. The row should be placed on the deck aft the higher building for passengers. By this disposal it is possible to remove people from this building in the simpliest and fastest way by arranging a sufficient number of doors in this building. Passengers or crew mem¬ bers on the deck under the lifeboats can reach these in a fast way by ascending security staircases, which lead to openings near the staircases leading to the lifeboats. The security staircases can normally be horisontally suspended but shall rapidly be folded down, even if they are suspen¬ ded concealed. With such an arrangement catamarans should be emptied in maximum 10 minutes, to which should be added the time for launching the boats. This should take about 30 seconds per boat. Supposing that a certain ship has three security stations with nine lifeboats each, i e in total 27 life- boats, each securily taking 125 sitting persons, 3 375 per- sons in total can be evacuated. The lifeboats in each sta¬ tion can be distributed on two planes with access for example from the decks nos 7 and 8, which means that the risk for congestions on the ways to the security stations decreases . A lifeboat 10, which is preferred for use together with a security station according to the invention, is shown in Figs 6 - 8. It is provided with a through shaft 11, at each end ended with a gear wheel 12. It is provided with entrances at both ends and is steadily suspended in relation to the ship at heelings of up to 15° for the pur¬ pose to enable soonest possible manning of the lifeboats. The size of the lifeboat can be varied within wide limits, depending on the intended purpose, and it can for example house 3 - 4 persons for a fishing vessel up to at least 150 persons for a passenger ship of the kind defined above. The boat is secure against sinking and capsizing. It is completely enclosed and has a single deck, i e all the passengers are seated in one plane. It is equipped with one or more engines and propellers in such an arrangement that the boat is extremely easy to manoeuvre and that possible persons in the water around the boat do not risk to be hit by a rotating propeller. The lifeboat 10 is at each end designed with among other things an opening and a door. It is also equipped with sprinklers for enabling a passage through burning oil on the water. The hull of the lifeboat is thus provided with an opening 20. Inside this opening 20 there is in the boat end wall 21, which is provided with a door 22. As is indicated in Fig 6, this door 22 is open at the boarding of the pas¬ sengers at the security station but is otherwise normally closed and is then water-tight. The opening 20 and the door 22 have such a height that the passengers easily can pass from the ship to the lifeboat via a staircase or the like leading to the opening 20. The opening and the door have preferably normal standing heights. By the described design there is created a space bet¬ ween the end wall 21 and the lifeboat hull in connection with the opening 20. A very important function for this space is to enable rescue work, at the same time as the passengers of the lifeboat are seated in an enclosed and secure space. The lower edge of the opening is not substan¬ tially over the water surface, whereby persons can be saved from the water through the opening 20 relatively easy. Saved persons can then with or without a floating stretcher be brought into the lifeboat through the door 22, which preferably opens inwardly against the interior of the life¬ boat. A saving can be facilitated by snatch blocks, which can be suspended from the shaft 11 of the gear wheel 12, and lines with or without tackles. In the end of each line there is a sling and a life buoy for the person to the saved. For facilitating the rescue of persons in the water the lifeboat 10 can be provided with a foldable platform 23 in the vicinity of the opening 20. The space is upwardly preferably provided with a manhole 24. The lifeboat 10 it¬ self can be provided with a closable manhole 25 with a view in every direction. The lifeboat 10 is very robustly built for withstan- ding extreme strains. It can be provided with bottom tanks with buoyancy bodies, for example in the form of beads or balls, and can have a system of draining tubes of the kind shown in the Swedish patent application no 9501358-7. The lifeboat is outwardly provided with life lines 26, heavy rubber fenders and slanted staircases with handles for embarkation and debarkation; these staircases can also be used by persons in the water which have the ability to board the lifeboat themselves. The lifeboat can be provided with windows . It has already been stated that the lifeboat 10 has a through motor driven shaft 11 with a brake, the shaft at each end being provided with a gear wheel 12 for engagement with a rack or the like in a ramp 13, which is horisontal or slightly slanted towards the ship's side. The coopera¬ tion between the gear wheel 12 (and means belonging thereto) and the ramp 13 (with means belonging thereto) shall now be further described under reference to Figs 9 - 12. Each ramp 13, which may have the form of a U-beam, is in its lower leg formed with a rack or the like for coope¬ ration with the gear wheel 12, so that the lifeboat 10, when it has been freed, may be moved in ,a controlled way along the two ramps by means of the engine and the brake in the lifeboat. The lifeboat can then by means of one or more chains, which are suspended from the ramp and extend down to the water and cooperate with the gear wheels 12 on the shaft 11, with the aid of runners, which hold the chains against their respective gear wheels, brakingly move down to the water surface, where the runners automatically are freed from the lifeboats by falling down or in that the remaining parts of the chains are concurrently run through the runners by means of the engine. The gear wheel shaft 11 of the lifeboat can be hollow and contain a pin 30. This pin 30 is axially movable and can be operated from the interior of the lifeboat 10, for example by means of hydraulic means, to either of three positions defined below. In the position shown in Figs 9 - 11 the pin 30 ex- tends into a fixed ear 31, attached to a part of the ramp construction, for example a support pillar 32. This is the transport position, before it is time for launching the lifeboat 10. The pin 30 also extends through a fitting piece 33 of the ramp 13. This fitting piece 33 is formed on one hand of a lower portion, which can be stated to form part of the ramp 13, on the other hand an upper portion, which is pivo¬ ted and is releasably attached to the upper side of the ramp 13 by means of a pivot 34. If the pin 30 is withdrawn from its locking engage¬ ment with the ear 31 (position 0) but still is in engage¬ ment with the fitting piece 33 (position 1) , the lifeboat can be lifted from its engagement with the ramps 13, the first movement upwards being guided by the pivoting of the fitting piece 33 around the pivot 34, whereafter the fit¬ ting piece at continued lifting is released from the pivot 34. The lifting of the lifeboat can either occur with for example a rescue helicopter or by the buoyancy of the life¬ boat itself, if the ship sinks. If the pin 30 is withdrawn further, so that it is released from the fitting piece 33 (position 2) , the gear wheel 12 will be free to move along the rack in the ramp 13. This movement occurs preferably in the direction for the inclination of the ramp 13, i e normally to the lowest side of the ship. If the ship however has a heeling, the movement can occur in the direction against the highest side of the ship. The movement can normally be governed from the interior of the lifeboat by means of the engine therein, but it is also possible to choose a free movement. An alternative solution for releasing the lifeboat 10 appears from Fig 13. In Fig 13 the upper leg of the U-beam 13 is shortened for enabling a lifting straight up of the gear wheel 12. For preventing an unintentional lifting, which leads to a loosening of the grip of the gear wheel 12 in the rack, a wheel 42 is arranged on the pin 30. If the pin is withdrawn in the wheel 42, the lifeboat can move freely along the ramps 13 for launching. For preventing the wheel 42 from releasing from the sprint 30 at such an occa¬ sion, the wheel 42 is held on the pin 30 of a plate piece 43 movably attached around the shaft 11 or in any other way. If the pin 30 is withdrawn into the gear wheel 12, the lifeboat can be lifted by a helicopter or a crane or by the sea, if the ship is sinking. This embodiment is prefer¬ red, as the release of the lifeboat 10 from the ship occurs independently of where on the ramps the lifeboat is. When several lifeboats 10 are arranged on the same ramps 13 this is a determining issue, especially if the lifeboats 10 are in movement along the ramps in any or several cases . Returning to Figs 9 - 12, a rotatable friction block 35 is arranged in the vicinity of the gear wheel 12. This block 35 is provided with a line 36 wound on a drum, the line only being withdrawable with a certain speed due to friction means arranged in the block. The block 35 is pro¬ vided with a gear wheel, which is at a certain distance from the gear wheel 12 of the lifeboat but is arranged to engage therewith, when the lifeboat 10 leaves the ramp 13, as described below. The line 36 has a length intended for the descent from the ship of the lifeboat 10 under normal conditions, and its inner end is releasably attached to its drum, for example by tape, so that the line 36 can be released from the drum when needed. The free end of the line 36 in the form of a loop is laid over an upwardly open hook 37 on a trolley 39, which is freely slideable in a conveyor track 38 under the ramp 13. By the fact that the hook 37 is open the above descri¬ bed lifting upwardly from the ramp 13 of the lifeboat 10 is made possible. In the way suggested in Fig 10 the conveyor track 38 is bent away from the ramp 13 in the vicinity of the end thereof, which means that the trolley 39 enters this bent portion of the track 38, when the lifeboat 10 with the gear wheel 12 leaves the ramp 13, as is suggested in Fig 12, and starts to desend controllably towards the water with the speed determined by the friction block 35. On the bent end portion of the conveyor track 38 trolleies 39 from several lifeboats arranged on the ramp 13 can be gathered and pushed out . As is shown in Figs 14 and 15, the free end of the line 36 can alternatively also be so arranged that it can be caught in a secure way by big hooks 44 in the two outer ends of the ramps. The lifeboat will then be suspended in these hooks under the descent, which occurs automatically but can be braked from the interior of the lifeboat. The conveyor track 38 is not used in this alternative. When the lifeboat after its descent has reached the water, the line 36 will be released from its drum in that its end as described above is releasably attached thereto. Alternatively, release can occur automatically or from the interior of the lifeboat by concurrent withdrawal of pins at point 40, when the lifeboat has reached the water sur¬ face and is afloat. As appears from Figs 9 and 12, the friction block 35 is connected to a point 40 related to gear wheel 12 by means of a lever 41. In the rest position shown in Fig 9 the friction block 35 will be held disengaged from the gear wheel 12 by means of gravity. When the gear wheel has left the ramp 13 and the line 36 has been tightened, as is shown in Fig 12, the pull in the line will force the friction block 35 into engagement with the gear wheel 12. It appears above that launching is preferred on the lowest side. This is due to the fact that the risks for people being hurt are considerably lower in that case than at launching at the highest side. The risks at the lowest side primarily depend on the lateral drift of the ship towards the launched lifeboats due to the push of the wind on the highest side and the movements caused thereby. This is a known fact at all kinds of ships, and the ship has to be handled with good seamanship for decreasing the lateral movements and the rolling, which can pass over into a risk for capsizing, especially if the rudder or machinery of the ship are non-usable. The tools which hereby can be used are the ship's an¬ chors, if the water depth allows, a drift-anchor, if available and ready to be used, or the ship's mooring-cab- les. These cables are a great resource and have also been used as rudders by small and large ships. If one or two cables with one of their ends attached on board are laid out for example from the stern, the stern is hereby pivoted against the wind, so that the wind push against the highest side is decreased as well as the rolling, at the same time as the movement, which generally is about 1/10 of the wind speed, is considerably decreased, so that better conditions for launching on the lowest side are created. Lifeboats with launching devices are inspected yearly. There are requirements for lifeboats to be launched with the resources available on board. The invention fulfills this requirement, which appears from Figs 14 och 15. From a common wire drum wires 46 are led over a wheel to an attachment 45, which fits over the wheel 42, when the pin 30 has been withdrawn into the gear wheel 12. The pin is thereafter pushed in through the wheel 42 and the attachment 45. By means of the winch the lifeboat can then be pulled up to the level of the ramp extension 13' . A rack 47 is pushed out hydraulically or in any other way, so that it comes under the gear wheel 12. The lifeboat is descended on to the rack 47, whereafter the extension 13' is pulled in to its inner position. The gear wheels 12 are brought in on the extension 13' by means of a motor, and the attachment 45 is released in that the pin is withdrawn to the gear wheel 12. In Fig 14 the reference numeral 48 indicates a support for the ramp 13, 49 an additional support for the ramp extension 13' and 50 an extending stopper for the wheel 42 on its way down along the rack.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A security station at a ship, comprising lifeboats (10) , the longitudinal direction of which coincides with the longitudinal direction of the ship and which are inten- ded for launching at the long sides of the ship, c h a r¬ a c t e r i z e d in that each lifeboat (10) , which is enclosed, at least at one of its ends has a space between a tight, internal end wall (21) , provided with a door (22) , which leads into the lifeboat and in closed condition is water-tight, and the lifeboat hull, which here has an ope¬ ning (20) , the lower boarder of which preferably is over the water surface, when the lifeboat is afloat. 2. A security station according to claim 1, c h a r¬ a c t e r i z e d in that the space has an upper manhole (24) . 3. A security station according to claim 2, c h a r¬ a c t e r i z e d in that the lifeboat (10) is provided with a foldable platform (23) in the vicinity of the opening (20) . 4. A security station according to claim 1, one or more lifeboats (10) being laterally movably arranged in the crosswise direction of the ship suspended from lifeboat ramps (13) , c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that each life¬ boat (10) at each end is provided with a gear wheel (12) for cooperation with a rack of the ramp (13) , the gear wheels being connected with each other by means of a motor driven shaft (11) with a brake. 5. A security station according to 4, c h a r a c¬ t e r i z e d in that a friction block (35) , which is arranged in the vicinity of the gear wheel (12) , can be brought into engagement therewith at the time when the lifeboat (10) leaves the ramps (13) and contains a line (36) , which is wound thereon and whose end is connected to a hook (37) at the ramp, constitutes a means for controlled descent of each lifeboat (10) to the sea from the ramps. 6. A security station according to claim 4, c h a r¬ a c t e r i z e d in that a pin (30) , which extends axially through the shaft (11) and the gear wheel (12) and is axially movable from the interior of the lifeboat, can extend through a fitting piece (33) of the ramp and further into a fixed ear (31) . 7. A security station according to claim 6, c h a r¬ a c t e r i z e d in that the fitting piece (33) is removably connected to the ramp (13) by means of a hook shaped notch in engagement with a pivot (34) of the ramp. 8. A security station according to claim 7, c h a r¬ a c t e r i z e d in that the line (36) is arranged to leave its hook (37) , when the fitting piece (33) leaves the ramp (13) . 9. A security station according to claim 5, c h a r¬ a c t e r i z e d in that the hook (37) is arranged on a trolley (39) freely slideable in a conveyor track under the ramp (13) , the conveyor track being bent away from the ramp at the end thereof for the line (36) to be stretched and take up the weight of the lifeboat (10) from the ramp. 10. A security station according to claim 1, c h a r¬ a c t e r i z e d by air connection means and sprinkler means (17) for protecting the lifeboats and their passeng¬ ers in case of fire on board the ship. 11. A security station according to claim 5, c h a r¬ a c t e r i z e d in that the lifeboat (10) can be deta¬ ched from the ship after launching in that pins (40) are drawn out from the interior of the lifeboat and the fric¬ tion blocks (35) are released.

Inventors: TENGWALL GOERAN, TENGWALL, GOERAN
Applicants: TENGWALL GOERAN, TENGWALL, GOERAN
Application year: 1997
Main classification: B63C9
IPC codes: B63C9