Patent GB-1419161-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus and method for transporting and positioning prefabricated structural module in a construction dock
IPC: B63B9/06
Filed: 1973-01-17
Abstract: 1419161 Ship construction; rail vehicles RALPH M PARSONS CO and MITSUI SHIPBUILDING & ENG CO Ltd 17 Jan 1973 [24 Jan 1972] 2500/73 Headings B7S and B7L In a ship building operation, in which bow 18 and stern 20 sections of a ship are located in a dock and prefabricated modules 22, 24 constructed outside the dock and are moved and welded in position in the ship, the modules are brought on a conveyer system 10 to the dock on their sides and to a rotary positioning fixture 28 by means of which the modules are righted, the modules then being moved at least once transversely of the dock on a pair of rail mounted transverse cars having the operational modes of forward and reverse and, in respect of the module supporting parts thereof, lift and descend, and subsequently moved longitudinally of the dock on a pair of rail mounted transport cars 66, 68 which can move in forward or reverse and are controlled so that pitch and/or roll and/or yaw movements may be imparted to a module thereon in order to position the module for assembly in the ship. The fixture 28 comprises a cradle 40 having parallel side rails 32 with teeth 34 thereon intermeshed with quadrant gears so that the cradle may be pivoted by hydraulic cylinders 44, 46 to allow the righting of a module 24 as it is located within the dock on the pair of transverse cars. These ears then transport the module to the opposite side of the dock and deposit it on preset blocks from which it may be picked up by the longitudinally running transport cars which move the module into position in the ease of a port module 22 or to an intermediate position for further movement back across the dock by means of a further pair of transverse cars and then a further pair of transport cars in the case of a starboard module 24. Intermediate sections 26 are constructed in the dock in a conventional manner. Each of the transport cars (Figs. 4, 5) comprises a chassis 80 from which depend on either side support structures 104 mounting torsion bars 106 to which are keyed pairs of suspension frames 110 each with a rail engaging wheel 112, the wheels 112 being aligned in pairs mounted on common axle transversely of the chassis 80. Each frame 110 is also connected with the chassis by an hydraulic cylinder 116 actuation of which effects raising or lowering of the chassis with respect to the wheels, the movement taking place about the wheel axles. Differences in height between one side of the chassis 80 and the other are resisted by the torsion bars 106. Some or all of the wheels are driven from an hydraulic motor, one per axle driving through reduction gear in the form of chains and sprockets. The chassis 80 supports a platen 86 on slide bearings 90, transverse acting hydraulic cylinders (not shown) being provided for limited skew rotation of the platen 86 on the chassis 80. In the transverse cars the platen 86 and slide bearings 90 may be eliminated the module being carried directly on the chassis 80. Hydraulic control circuits for the pairs of transverse and transport cars are described in the Specification by means of which the cylinders 116 may be actuated separately or in groups to raise and lower a module on a pair of cars or to impart roll and/or pitch movements and/or yaw movements by moving one car along the rails relative to the other and by rotating the platens 86 on their chassis 80.