Patent EP-1456079-A4 (EP)
Title: Method and apparatus for loading and unloading cargo from a twin-hull sea-going ship
Inventor: JANSSEN HERMANN J
IPC: B63B1/12
Filed: 2002-12-05
Abstract: A twin-hulled sea going vessel especially configured and adapted for transporting cargo carrying water vessels thereupon comprising : 
(i) first and second substantially parallel hulls which lie beneath the water surface; 
(ii) first and second hull tanks for regulating the draft and horizontal position of said ship wherein when said hull tanks are substantially filled with water said ship is at a loading draft and when said hull tanks are substantially filled with air said ship is at voyage draft; 
(iii) at least one generally horizontal submersible platform having a deck located on a top portion thereof for supporting at least one cargo carrying vessel thereupon; 
(iv) a hearing bar projecting from said at least one generally horizontal platform; 
(v) at least one transverse truss coupled between said first and second hulls, said transverse truss being positioned and aligned in a generally perpendicular relationship to said first and second hulls; 
(vi) a support rail on each of said at least one transverse truss for engaging said bearing bar and supporting said platform; 
(vii) an air cell, subdivided longitudinally and transversely and located beneath the deck of said at least one submersible platform; 
(viii) a first air compressor; 
(ix) first piping means for injecting air from said first air compressor into said air cell; 
(x) a first valve which regulates the flow of air from said first air compressor into said air cell; 
(xi) first vent piping means for ejecting air from said air cell; 
(xii) a second valve which regulates the venting of air from said air cell; 
(xiii) a second air compressor; 
(xiv) second piping means for injecting air from said second air compressor into said hull tanks; 
(xv) a third valve which regulates the flow of air from said second air compressor into said hull tanks; 
(xvi) second vent piping means for ejecting air from said hull tanks; 
(xvii) a fourth valve which regulates the venting of air from said hull tanks; 
(xviii) a first plurality of sensors mounted on said platform providing feed-back on depth of immersion and horizontal position of said platform to a load computer having a central processor; 
(xix) a second plurality of sensors mounted on said hulls providing feed-back on depth of immersion and horizontal position of said hulls to said central processor; and 
(xx) the central processor being programmed with software especially configured and adapted to include calculated flow rates utilized to allow the load computer to control operation of said first and third valves, said first and third valves regulating the flows of compressed air from said air compressors to said air cell beneath said submersible platform and to said hull tanks, respectively, thereby providing controlled emergence of the submersible platform and the hulls, said central processor also being programmed with software especially configured and adapted to include flow rates utilized for controlling said second and fourth valves which regulate the flows of air vented from said air cell and said hull tanks, respectively, thereby providing controlled submergence of said hulls and submersible platform.