Patent GB-1402868-A (GB)
Title: Marine transport
IPC: B63B25/00
Filed: 1972-10-06
Abstract: 1402868 Marine transport J J BYLO 6 Oct 1972 -46348/72 Headings B7A and B7S A marine transport system comprises a plurality of modular cargo hold units 22 of standardized external configuration and dimension, a plurality of self-propelled vessels, as 20, Fig. 3, for moving the hold units 22 between parts in the system and a deck facility at at least some of the parts for supporting a received hold unit for loading and unloading in the absence of a vessel at the deck facility. In the preferred embodiment the system comprises vessels 20 for transporting hold units between parts in the system, the vessels 20 being sized so that one unit 20 occupies the whole load carrying capacity of the vessel, and the vessels 20 having sufficient ballast capacity 32 to enable it to be buoyantly raised and lowered into and out of supporting engagement with a hold unit held in a dock facility of the system. Each hold unit 22 has a depending rib 30 (see Fig. 9) for cooperation with a complementary shape on the vessel (see Fig. 23). At each dock facility there is provided a transfer dock (Fig. 8) located in a deeper water area of the dock and to which the vessels 20 may bring and collect hold units 22, and a working dock (Fig. 9) located in the inner dock area and at which the hold units may be loaded and unloaded, the units 22 being transferred between the transfer and working docks by transfer vessels 49 (Fig. 4) which work only within the dock area. The working dock 40 (Fig. 9) comprises pilings 43 supporting access decks 50 from which a hold unit may be serviced, with the hold unit 22 carried between the decks on retractable beams 53 supported on buoyant units 46 guided by rollers 47 for movement up and down the pilings 43. The units 22 have decks, as 27, and lateral closable access openings 28 (Fig. 3) and by control of ballast pumps 48 in the buoyant units 46, the units 22 may be raised and lowered relative to the decks 50 to facilitate loading and unloading. The units 22 may even be tilted if gravity conveyers are fitted thereinside. Each transfer deck 58 (Fig. 8) comprises two parallel piling arrays 59 supporting structural frameworks 62 on which a hold unit 22 may be held by means of reciprocable pins 66 engaging with sockets 67 (Fig. 3) on the units 22 and additionally by retractable beams 64, if desired. When a unit 22 is supported by the pins 66 a vessel 20 may enter the transfer dock and then raise itself to support the unit enabling withdrawal of the pins 66 and removal of the unit 22 on the vessel 20. Each transfer vessel 49 (Fig. 4) comprises two elongate side ballast tanks each containing an elongate float member 83 carrying pillars to support a hold unit 22, and disposed so that when the ballast tanks are filled with water the pillars are raised from the position shown to place or receive a unit 22 in a transfer to working dock. Vessels are also described in the Specification which can accommodate two or even four of the hold units 22 and to this end the units 22 are preferably themselves buoyant so that they may be floated into and out of position with respect to the vessel carrying them through a removable transom gate if desired. A flooding duct 72 is shown in the vessel 20 (Fig. 3) to facilitate this operation. This also enables the hold units 22 to be used as barges in narrow waterways.