Abstract:
A load handling mechanism for use with loaded tankers has two transverse attachment members associated with longitudinal beams supporting the tank structure. Cables and associated spreader bars are attached to the transverse attachment members to provide a single lift point loading means for the tanker allowing loaded tankers to be easily loaded and unloaded in to transport means such as ships.

Description:
GOVERNMENT INTEREST  
       [0001]     The invention described here may be made, used and licensed by and for governmental purposes without paying me any royalty. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     In one aspect this invention relates to cargo handling devices. More particularly this invention relates to sling structures useful in loading and unloading ground vehicle fuel tankers from ships.  
         [0003]     As part of supplying military deployments it is necessary to provide fuel in large quantities to various locations. The supply chain depends on large, 5,000-gallon, tankers moved using large truck-tractors as the primary means of distributing fuel. The general procedure is to move the empty tankers in ships and unload the tanker at a destination port using a belly band or net configuration. The empty tanker is then filled with fuel and is ready for further transport. The entire unloading and filling operation requires approximately six hours per tanker from start to finish.  
         [0004]     Obviously the time spent filling the tanker is lost time to the main mission. Further while the tanker is being filled it represents a vulnerable, stationary target for a substantial period of time making it easily destroyed or sabotaged. A third problem with the present procedure is it requires the transfer of large amounts of liquid hydrocarbons. This creates risk of spillage, hydrocarbon emissions, and fire. The alternative is removing the tanker from the ship in a loaded condition to avoid the transfer of fuel. This procedure when using belly bands or nets creates its own hazards since the loaded tankers are considerably heavier than the empty tanker and if the sling system fails the release of flammable, polluting hydrocarbons would be both large and virtually instantaneous.  
         [0005]     It would be desirable from a military point of view to have a tanker unloading system that has the supporting portion of the unloading system as a part of the tanker structure. The system could be used to load and unload filled tankers from ships with a minimized amount of risk.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The structure of the present invention provides an improved unloading sling and attachment configuration that will allows a fully loaded fuel tanker to be safely lifted as a unit. The unloading structure of this invention has first and second transverse members located beneath and permanently attached to longitudinal rails located on the underside of the reservoir portion of the tanker. The first and second transverse members have an attachment means located on each end. The attachment means are moveable coaxially from a first inboard, shipping position to a second outboard lifting position. The attachment means in the second position extend to a point beyond the tanker for easy attachment of lifting cables. The attachment means have an eye or similar attachment means that allow the transverse members to be attached to the free ends of a four-cable cargo sling structure. The cables are in turn attached at their other end to a single lift ring that can be engaged by a crane hook for loading and unloading the tanker. The cables will have a spreader bar located at a point between the lift ring and the cable end to maintain the cables in a spaced configuration approximating the width of the tanker. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     In the accompanying drawing:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is; top view of a tanker with a loading system of this invention attached;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is side view of the system shown in  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is top view of the components with the tanker removed. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0011]     Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals refer to like parts,  FIGS. 1 &amp; 2  shows a load handling structure according to this invention integrated with a fuel tanker. The load handling structure is designated generally  10 , and is permanently attached to a pair of supporting members or under carriage longitudinal beams  12  that form the primary supporting structure of a fuel reservoir  14 . The fuel reservoir  14  contemplated by this invention is on the order of 5,000 gallons. The longitudinal beams  12  are attached to the fuel reservoir  14  so as to traverse its length. The fuel tanker and ancillary equipment  16  has a kingpin structure  18  attached at one end. The kingpin structure  18  is of normal design and construction for connecting the tanker  16  to a standard truck-tractor, not shown, for transport. A set of wheels  20 , shown as a standard dual tire truck configuration, is mounted on the end of the tanker  16  opposite the king pin structure  18  to provide rolling support for the tanker. The wheel attachment, axles, associated brakes and other structure are common in the heavy trucking industry and further discussion is omitted in the interest of brevity.  
         [0012]     The tanker  16  has multi-piece transverse members  30  of the lifting structure located near the rear and front portion of the tanker. The transverse members  30  have a hollow center portion  32  that is rigidly fixed to the longitudinal beams  12  such as by welding or other fastening means. Associated with the hollow center portion  32  are two telescoping arms  34  that can be moved into and out of the hollow center portion to vary the length of the overall transverse member  30 . Each of the telescoping arms  34  has an attachment bracket  36  on one end of the arm. The other end of each arm  34  is lodged within the hollow member  32  and adapted to move longitudinally within the hollow member to position the bracket  36  with respect to the remainder of the tanker. As shown, the arms  34  are adapted to slide smoothly into and out of the hollow center section and have a plurality of spaced apertures  40  formed therein. The hollow center portion  32  has at least one complimentary aperture  39  located on each end of the center portion. A retention pin  38  can be placed through the aperture  39  in the hollow center portion  32  and desired aperture  40  in the arm  34  to hold the arm at the desired degree of extension with respect to the sides of the tanker.  
         [0013]     When readying the fuel tanker or transport, the arms  34  will be moved so the bracket  36  is as close to the frame members  12  as possible. The pin  38  is inserted as above and holds the arms  34  and associated brackets  36  close to the tanker body  14  for safety and transportability. When the tanker is in position to be offloaded, the pin  38  is removed and the arm  34  can then be extended until the brackets  36  are located in a plane outside a vertical plane defined by the tanker wall. When the arms  34  are in their innermost stored position, the brackets  36  the end of the arms provide additional tie down points to hold the tanker  16  securely on a shipping platform or within a ships hold.  
         [0014]     Turning to the cables and lifting portion of the apparatus collectively a sling  60 , the sling can be divided into upper and lower sections the upper section comprising four lengths of cable  62  joined to a lift ring  64 . The lift ring  64  provides a single lift point for the apparatus  10 . Near the midpoint of the overall cable structure are two spreader bars  66 . Each spreader bar  66  has an attachment point at each end suitable for attaching one of the ends of the upper cables  62  to the spreader bar. The spreader bars  66  serve to keep a set of lower cables  68  away from the sides of the tanker  16  during the offloading procedure. Each of the lower cables  68  has a second end attached to one of the brackets  36  associated with arms  34 , the entire structure forming a four-point attachment to the tanker  16  frame members  12  with a single lift point  64 . Segmenting the cables at the spreader bars provides cables that have a short length compared to the overall length of the rigging making attachment easier since only the length from the spreader bar to the attachment point needs to be controlled at any one time.  
         [0015]     Various alterations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention and it is understood this invention is limited only by the following claims.