Patent Publication Number: US-2023159137-A1

Title: Hydraulic piston spud pole

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present invention relates to apparatuses used in the anchoring of floating vessels, and more specifically to spud poles used for anchoring floating vessels. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Anchoring a vessel (particularly a larger vessel) in shallow water using a conventional anchor and chain can require substantial time and attention. Spud poles are well-known for anchoring in relatively shallow water, typically on small vessels, and also in “walking” dredging apparatuses, but they are not generally amenable to vessels such as motor yachts wherein aesthetics and discreetness and ease of operation are concerns, as their retraction machinery is unsightly, cumbersome, noisy, and would consume deck space. 
     Also, onboard power generation is becoming increasingly prevalent on marine vessels, and some vessels can be equipped with means for generating electricity by externally-forced rotation of a drive propellor(s) or the like. Water currents that could provide this forced rotation may be difficult to access efficiently, however, due to the difficulty of holding the vessel’s propeller(s) amidst and in line with a current. For example, strong currents often prevail in channels and other locations where holding position on an anchor rode can be fraught and may require the maintaining of corrective propulsion. 
     SUMMARY 
     A hydraulic piston spud pole according to the present invention can be relatively safe and easy to deploy and retrieve, and among other potential benefits it may allow a vessel to anchor more easily and usefully in tight quarters than could be done with a conventional weighted anchor on a long (e.g., chain) rode. A hydraulic piston spud pole for anchoring a vessel according to the present invention may comprise an elongate sleeve configured to be affixed to a vessel and having a top, a hydraulic inlet, and a bottom terminating in a bottom aperture, a portion of the elongate sleeve including the hydraulic inlet being formed to contain a hydraulic column; a spud pole having a piston and vertically-movably seated within the elongate sleeve; and a pump assembly comprising a pump, a pump inlet line connecting the pump to a source of water, and a pump outlet line connecting the pump to the hydraulic inlet. The pump assembly is preferably activated by a controller in order to lift or drop the spud pole as desired. 
     In some embodiments, the hydraulic piston spud pole’s elongate sleeve may comprise a vertically-extending inner surface of a first inner diameter and provided with a sleeve bearing having a sleeve bearing inner surface of a second inner diameter narrower than the first inner diameter, and the spud pole may comprise a vertically-extending outer surface configured to fit closely against the sleeve bearing inner surface with the piston having a piston outer surface configured to fit closely against the elongate sleeve’s vertically-extending inner surface. In some such embodiments, the hydraulic column may be defined between the vertically-extending outer surface of the spud pole, the vertically-extending inner surface of the elongate sleeve, the piston, and the sleeve bearing. 
     In some embodiments, the hydraulic piston spud pole is integrally mounted to the vessel and the spud pole and the elongate sleeve are configured so that the spud pole can rotate within the elongate sleeve when the vessel is anchored via the hydraulic piston spud pole, which may allow the vessel to “weathervane” with a water current. In such embodiments, the hydraulic piston spud pole preferably may be mounted forward and amidships such as through the vessel’s forward deck. 
     The hydraulic piston spud pole preferably may also comprise a lock configured to engage the spud pole as desired to secure it against vertical movement, and may also comprise means for receiving and routing away from the vessel overflow escaped out of the hydraulic column, such as a hydraulic overflow outlet and a plumbing and breather channel and/or other suitable means such as a sump and/or a discharge pump. 
     Herein, where a device or system is described as being configured in a certain way, it is meant that it is configured in at least that way; however, it is to be understood that the device or system can also be configured in other ways than those specifically described. Likewise, the terms “comprise” (and any form of comprise, such as “comprises” and “comprising”), “have” (and any form of have, such as “has” and “having”), “include” (and any form of include, such as “includes” and “including”), and “contain” (and any form of contain, such as “contains” and “containing”) are intended as open-ended. As a result, an apparatus that “comprises,” “has,” “includes,” or “contains” one or more elements possesses those one or more elements, but is not limited to possessing only those elements. The feature or features of one embodiment described herein may be applied to other embodiments, even though not described or illustrated, unless expressly prohibited by this disclosure or the nature of the embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following drawings illustrate by way of example and not limitation. For the sake of brevity and clarity, every feature of a given structure is not always labeled in every figure in which that structure appears. Identical reference numbers do not necessarily indicate an identical structure. Rather, the same reference number may be used to indicate a similar feature or a feature with similar functionality, as may non-identical reference numbers. The figures are drawn to scale (unless otherwise noted) for at least the embodiments shown. 
         FIG.  1    is a partial perspective view of a vessel provided with a hydraulic piston spud pole in the forward section of the vessel, showing the spud pole deployed downwardly. 
         FIG.  2    is a transparent side view corresponding to  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  3    is a perspective view of a hydraulic piston spud pole of  FIG.  1    with parts of the vessel through which the hydraulic piston spud pole is mounted partially shown, with the spud pole fully raised. 
         FIG.  4    is a transparent side view corresponding to  FIG.  3   , with the spud pole nearly fully raised. 
         FIG.  5    is a transparent side view corresponding to  FIG.  3   , with the spud pole deployed. 
         FIG.  6    is a front view of the hydraulic piston spud pole of  FIG.  1   , with parts of the vessel through which the hydraulic piston spud pole is mounted partially shown. 
         FIG.  7    is a sectional view taken through lines B-B of  FIG.  6   . 
         FIG.  8    is a sectional view taken through lines A-A of  FIG.  6   . 
         FIG.  9    is a partial cutaway perspective view showing the breakaway joint of the spud pole and the sleeve bearing at the bottom of the elongate sleeve. 
         FIG.  10    is a partial cutaway perspective view showing the piston of the spud pole within the elongate sleeve. 
         FIG.  11    is a partial side view showing the pump assembly driving the spud pole and its piston upwardly within the elongate sleeve. 
         FIG.  12    is a partial side view showing the spud pole and its piston at its maximum upward extent within the elongate sleeve, with the two leftmost arrows indicating hydraulic pressure and the two rightmost arrows indicating the passage of water overflowing out of the hydraulic column and out through the hydraulic overflow outlet and the plumbing and breather channel. 
         FIG.  13    is a sectional view showing the elongate sleeve’s cap and its lock securely engaged with the locking abutment at the top of the spud pole. 
         FIG.  14    is a partly-transparent perspective view of the spud pole showing its top and its breakaway joint. 
         FIG.  15    is a perspective view of the elongate sleeve’s cap. 
         FIG.  16    is a sectional view of the cap taken along lines A-A of  FIG.  15   . 
         FIG.  17    is a sectional view of the cap taken along lines B-B of  FIG.  15   , showing the lock in an engaged position. 
         FIG.  18    is a sectional view like that of  FIG.  17   , but showing the lock in a disengaged position. 
         FIG.  19    is a perspective view of a controller for controlling the pump assembly. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the drawings in more detail, a hydraulic piston spud pole  10  according to the present invention may be used advantageously on a variety of vessels, including ones having relatively shallow drafts that can enter into relatively shallow estuaries, anchorages, channels, and the like. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, a 100-foot tri-deck vessel  1  as shown in  FIG.  1    and  FIG.  2    having a displacement of about 75 tons and a gross tonnage (IMO) of about 250 tons has a keel the deepest extent of which extends about four-and-a-half feet below the waterline  8  (and which in the illustrated vessel  1  includes a hull  3  fitted with a bulb  4  extending about three-and-a-half feet below the waterline  8 ), with the vessel 1’s main propellers (not shown; e.g., shrouded in raised tunnels to minimize draft) preferably projecting somewhat less (e.g., four feet) below the waterline  8 . 
     The hydraulic piston spud pole  10  comprises a spud pole  20 , which in the exemplary embodiment may desirably comprise an eighteen-foot section of eight-inch, 316 stainless steel schedule-40 pipe weighing about five-hundred pounds, with a piston  25  including a piston outer surface  26  provided at the top of the spud pole  20 ; a vertically-extending outer surface  24 ; and an anchor end face  39  provided at the bottom of the spud pole  20 . The piston  25  may comprise, e.g., four pairs of one-inch-thick ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene plate half-rings  28  (e.g., 12.265-inch outer diameter, with an inner diameter preferably chosen to closely fit around the vertically-extending outer surface  24  of the spud pole  20 ) sandwiched together with a cup seal  29  (e.g., an Allegheny York 12.5-inch outer diameter urethane cup seal, part no. CT12500-1250) and secured to a top plate  27  (e.g., quarter-inch thick stainless steel) of the spud pole  20  by bolts  81 , washers  82 , and nuts  83  (which are preferably made of stainless steel). In the depicted embodiment, the spud pole  20  further comprises a lifting eye  21  and a locking abutment  22  (seen in cross-section in  FIG.  10    and  FIG.  13   ) secured through (e.g., threadedly) to a generally conical top plate anchor  33  beneath the top plate  27 . The anchor end face  39  optionally may be configured to enhance anchoring to the bottom, for example, with a pointed conical shape (not shown). 
     The spud pole  20  is encased in an elongate sleeve  50 , which in the depicted embodiment may be a twelve-inch diameter 316 stainless steel schedule  10  pipe integrally mounted in the vessel  1  amidships through the forward deck 2. As depicted, the elongate sleeve  50  may extend substantially above the forward deck  2  and preferably may be configured to provide a support for other structures functionally unrelated to the hydraulic piston spud pole  10 , such as a canopy, radar, etc. The elongate sleeve  50  includes a vertically-extending inner surface  54  against which the piston outer surface  26  fits closely (but this fit optionally may be not quite watertight), and a sleeve bearing  65  is provided at the bottom of the elongate sleeve  50 , the sleeve bearing inner surface  66  of which fits closely (but this fit optionally may be not quite watertight) around the vertically-extending outer surface  24  of the spud pole  20 . The elongate sleeve  50  terminates at its bottom end in a bottom aperture  63  around which the elongate sleeve  50  is preferably hermetically sealed to the bottom  5  of the keel. The sleeve bearing  65  in the illustrated embodiment preferably may comprise, e.g., four one-inch-thick ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene plate rings  68  having an outer diameter of 12.375 inches and an inner diameter of 8.75 inches (with the uppermost ring’s upper inner and upper outer perimeters preferably being beveled) and sandwiched together with a sleeve bearing seal  67  (which may comprise, e.g., a solid nitrile seal such as a Timken National Seals product no. 417567) against a sleeve fastening plate  69  (which is in turn fastened to the bottom  5  of the keel, and is made of, e.g., quarter-inch stainless steel) with bolts  81 , washers  82 , and nuts  83  as seen in  FIG.  8   . 
     When the spud pole  20  of the depicted embodiment is dropped to its lowest extent within the elongate sleeve  50 , its anchor end face  39  protrudes through the bottom aperture  63  of the elongate sleeve  50  about ten feet below the bottom  5  of the keel, allowing the exemplary vessel  1  to use the hydraulic piston spud pole  10  to anchor in up to about thirteen feet of water. When the spud pole  20  is lifted to its maximum height, the anchor end face  39  is preferably flush with the bottom  5  of the keel (or optionally it could be configured to raise above the bottom  5  of the keel with the bottom aperture  63  coverable by a movable closure, not shown). The spud pole  20  is seen just below its uppermost position in  FIG.  4   , and extended substantially (but not maximally) down in  FIG.  5   . 
     The elongate sleeve  50  preferably is covered at its top with a cap  55  fastened at cap connection means  51  to (e.g., bolts) to the top of the elongate sleeve  50 . In the depicted embodiment, the cap  55  is provided with a top aperture  56  configured to allow passage of the lifting eye  21  vertically fully therethrough when the spud pole  20  is raised to its maximum height. The bottom of the cap  55  preferably includes a pair of stop pads  57 , which may be made of a material that preferably has some degree of shock-absorbing capacity but does not deform significantly, such as one-inch-thick ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, for cushioning the impact of the top of the piston  25  when the spud pole  20  reaches its highest extent within the elongate sleeve  50 . 
     Referring to  FIGS.  7 ,  12 ,  13 , and  15 - 18   , the cap  55  in the depicted embodiment is further configured to include a lock  58 . The cap  55  is configured so that when the spud pole  20  is lifted to its maximum height, the locking abutment  22  passes into the top aperture  56  and is aligned to be engaged securely by the lock  58  at the top of the elongate sleeve  50 . In the depicted embodiment, the cap  55  also includes a proximity sensor  60  (e.g., an Automation Direct inductive proximity sensor model KSM-AP-4H) and a proximity switch  61 , the proximity sensor  60  being configured so that when the spud pole  20  reaches its highest extent in the elongate sleeve  50 , the locking abutment  22  reaches a position where it is sensed by the proximity sensor  60 . The proximity sensor  60  is connected to the proximity switch  61  (e.g., a McMaster Carr 7674K814 3-wire direct current metallic-object proximity switch), and when the proximity sensor  60  senses the locking abutment  22 , it triggers the proximity switch  61 . The proximity switch  61  is in turn connected to a pair of pneumatically-actuated rams  59  (e.g., Bimba model SSFO-041.375-3FCFTEE0.25), so that when the proximity switch  61  is triggered, the pneumatically-actuated rams  59  are actuated and driven inwardly against the locking abutment  22 , securely holding the spud pole  20  at its highest position within the elongate sleeve  50 . The pneumatically-actuated rams  59  preferably may be fitted with a pair of clamp blocks  59   a  (made, e.g., of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene) that are formed with inner faces formed to fit securely against the locking abutment  22 . A variety of other means for locking the spud pole  20  in place vertically can be employed with the present invention, however, and at other possible locations than the top of the hydraulic piston spud pole  10  - for example, an insertable/removable lateral crossbar could instead be provided through the bottom aperture  63  (and just below the anchor end face  39  when the spud pole  20  is at its maximum height). The means for locking the spud pole  20  in place vertically also need not include automatically-acting components and instead may be partly or fully manual, and thus need not include the proximity sensor  60  and proximity switch  61 . And likewise, suitable locking means may employ various other types of lock mechanisms instead of pneumatically-actuated rams  59 , such as the crossbar just noted, screws, wedge mechanisms, gravity locks, etc. The lifting eye 21- which is configured to permit manual lifting (e.g., by crane, after removal of the cap  55  from the elongate sleeve  50 ) of the spud pole  20  for maintenance or emergency removal - also optionally may be engaged by insertion of a pin (e.g., one-inch diameter, not shown) therethrough, for added backup security to the lock  58  such as during cruising in rough waters. 
     In embodiments such as the one illustrated, a hydraulic column  40  is defined between the vertically-extending outer surface  24  of the spud pole  20 , the vertically-extending inner surface  54  of the elongate sleeve  50 , the piston  25 , and the sleeve bearing  65 , with the hydraulic inlet  45  being located far enough down on the elongate sleeve  50  so that it always remains in communication with the thus-defined hydraulic column  40  including when the spud pole  20  has been dropped to its lowest extent. Other configurations of hydraulic columns are within the scope of the invention, however, such as noted in paragraph [0041] below. Pressure in the hydraulic column  40  of the present invention is used to move the spud pole  20  vertically (meaning along the elongate axis of the elongate sleeve  50 ). 
     As the moving seal between the spud pole 20’s piston outer surface  26  and the vertically-extending inner surface  54  of the elongate sleeve  50  may not be perfectly watertight at all times, high pressure in the hydraulic column  40  may cause some amount of water  7  to escape the hydraulic column  40  and exit out therefrom above the piston  25 . Therefore, a means for receiving and routing away from the vessel  1  overflow escaped out of the hydraulic column  40  preferably can be provided such as with a hydraulic overflow outlet  46  defined through the elongate sleeve  50  near its top and a plumbing and breather channel  52  (seen front-on in  FIG.  6   , and may be formed of 12 GA 316 stainless steel sheet) attached to the elongate sleeve  50  (at channel connection means  53 , which may comprise interference fitting nubs and corresponding apertures as depicted) and configured to route escaped water  7  away from the vessel (or, e.g., through a check valve back into the pump inlet line  74 , not shown). 
     Referring to  FIG.  11   , the vertical position of the spud pole  20  relative to the vessel  1 , its forward deck  2 , the bottom  5  of the keel, and the waterline  8  is controlled by hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic column  40 , with the hydraulic piston spud pole  10  hooked in parallel to a pump assembly  71  including a pump  72  mounted on a pump compartment floor  70  (shown, inter alia, in  FIG.  3   ). For the exemplary hydraulic piston spud pole  10 , the pump  72  may suitably comprise a three-horsepower, thirty pound-per-square-inch, fifty gallon-per-minute, 1.5-inch, single-stage, centrifugal pump of the type used in firefighting or water extraction, fed by a pump inlet line  74 , and communicating with the hydraulic column  40  via a pump outlet line  73  connected to the hydraulic inlet  45 , with a drain line  75  to discharge water  7  when the spud pole  20  descends. In the depicted embodiment, the pump outlet line  73 , pump inlet line  74 , and drain line  75  preferably may each have an inner diameter that is somewhat oversized, e.g., two inches, compared to the pump 72’s 1.5 inches. The pump inlet line  74  (and preferably also the drain line  75 ) is run to a source of water  7  (e.g., a lake or ocean), preferably with a filter (not shown) to prevent intrusion of contaminants into hydraulic piston spud pole  10  and its hydraulic column  40 . 
     Pumping water  7  into the hydraulic column  40  defined between the spud pole  20  and the elongate sleeve  50  in the exemplary embodiment (e.g., at about twenty pounds per square inch) drives the spud pole  20  upwardly toward the cap  55  of the elongate sleeve  50 , where the spud pole 20’s locking abutment  22  can be engaged securely by the cap 55’s lock  58  (as seen in  FIG.  18   ). To accomplish this in an exemplary embodiment, the pump  72  preferably is purged of air via the (opened) drain line  75 , whereupon (with the pump  72  running) the pump outlet line  73  is opened and the drain line  75  is closed; once the spud pole  20  reaches its highest extent and is vertically locked in place (for example, in the depicted embodiment when the proximity sensor  60  senses the locking abutment  22 ), the drain line  75  preferably is reopened and the pump  72  is turned off (and the pump outlet line  73  preferably is closed). 
     In an exemplary embodiment of hydraulic piston spud pole  10 , to lower the spud pole  20  for anchoring, the pump  72  preferably is purged via the (opened) drain line  75  and then (with the pump  72  running) the pump outlet line  73  is opened and the drain line  75  is closed, whereupon the lock  58  is disengaged (as seen in  FIG.  17   ) and the pump pressure is removed (or lowered). Thus the spud pole  20  is allowed to drop downwardly, preferably at a desired controlled speed (dictated significantly by the resistance of the drain line  75 , which in turn depends on its inner diameter and length), until its anchor end face  39  lodges in the seafloor (or lake bottom, etc.) or the bottom of its breakaway joint  35  reaches and is obstructed by the top of the sleeve bearing  65  at the bottom  5  of the keel (as seen in  FIG.  9   ). 
     As shown in  FIG.  19   , the hydraulic piston spud pole  10  preferably comprises a controller  12 , which preferably includes up and down buttons  13   a  and  13   b  operably connected to the pump assembly  71  (including to the pump  72  to control its operation, and preferably also to one or more of its inlet, outlet, and drain lines) to allow the user to lift and lower the spud pole  20 . Optionally, the controller  12  also may be configured (with or without other buttons than the up and down buttons  13   a  and  13   b ) to directly or indirectly (e.g., in conjunction with automatic operation of sensors, switches, etc., such as described in paragraph [0034] above) control locking and unlocking of the spud pole  20  in the elongate sleeve  50 . The controller  12  preferably may be configured to leave the drain line  75  open while the spud pole  20  is anchored so that the spud pole  20  can “breathe” upwardly and downwardly within the elongate sleeve  50  as waves and tides move the forward deck  2  with respect to the ocean or lake bottom. Various alternative configurations and variations of controllers and additional features also are within the scope of the invention, such as a single-press anchor/weigh-anchor button, hydraulic pressure and/or speed controls, etc. 
     As an alternative to the depicted hydraulic column  40 , the cap  55  and the piston  25  could be configured (not shown) to respectively define the top and bottom of a hydraulic column whereby positive pump pressure would drive the spud pole  20  downwardly rather than upwardly, and negative pump pressure would lift the spud pole  20 . Also, in embodiments such as the exemplary one, the pump  72  optionally may be configured to provide reverse flow (suction) to the pump outlet line  73  (or the pump outlet line  73  could be paired with a selectable alternate pump outlet line that communicates with an opposing column as described in the previous sentence), to assist in driving the anchor end face  39  of the spud pole  20  into the bottom for more secure anchoring. 
     As seen in  FIGS.  2 - 5 ,  7 , and  14   , the spud pole  20  optionally may be divided into an upper pole  31  and a lower pole  36  joined together at a breakaway joint  35  comprising mating upper fastening tubes  32  and lower fastening tubes  37  (e.g., three inch by one inch diameter, 0.12 inch wall thickness, 304 stainless steel) that are bolted to each other and are welded to their respective upper or lower pole section. The breakaway joint  35  is configured to permit the spud pole  20  to be separated into two halves and the upper pole  31  lifted upwardly (e.g., by crane) for example in case the spud pole  20  becomes bent, thus facilitating the freeing of the vessel  1  from the hydraulic piston spud pole 10’s anchorage to the bottom and abating the exertion of excessive force or torque on the hydraulic piston spud pole  10  that otherwise might cause failure of seals in or around the hydraulic piston spud pole  10 . If a breakaway joint  35  is used, an internal bolster  38  preferably may be provided, the internal bolster  38  preferably being sized so as to clearance fit within the spud pole  20  and to extend substantially (e.g., one foot) above and below the breakaway joint  35 , and preferably attached fixedly (e.g., welded) to one of, and to clearance fit within the other of, the upper pole  31  and the lower pole  36 . Alternatively or in addition to a breakaway joint  35 , the hydraulic piston spud pole  10  may be configured to activate an overstress warning system and/or to automatically lift the spud pole  20  in response to a lateral force or torque sensor(s) provided in the hydraulic piston spud pole  10  detecting a lateral force or torque in excess of a predetermined value. 
     While a vessel  1  may be fitted with more than one hydraulic piston spud pole  10 , anchoring with a single hydraulic piston spud pole  10  at the bow can allow the vessel 1’s stern (including the vessel 1’s main propellers) to pivot, or weathervane, freely with the wind or tide or both. Thus, for example, the vessel  1  can be navigated to and anchored with the hydraulic piston spud pole  10  in the entryway of a tidal pool, where it can then weathervane in response to the current. If the vessel  1  is fitted with a hybrid propulsion system that is configured to generate electricity (e.g., for charging onboard batteries) in response to externally-forced rotation of propellers or the like, this weathervaning can optimize the hybrid propulsion system’s ability to generate electricity as the propellers are driven by incoming and outgoing tide to and from the tidal pool, augmenting conventional and/or other means of renewable power generation such as solar and wind and enhancing self-sufficiency and range. 
     The present specification and examples provide a complete description of the structure and use of illustrative embodiments. Although certain embodiments have been described above with a certain degree of particularity, or with reference to one or more individual embodiments, those skilled in the art could make numerous alterations to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope of this invention. As such, the various illustrative embodiments of the methods and systems are not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, they include all modifications and alternatives falling within the scope of the claims, and embodiments other than the one shown may include some or all of the features of the depicted embodiment. For example, elements may be omitted or combined as a unitary structure, and/or connections may be substituted. Further, where appropriate, aspects of any of the examples described above may be combined with aspects of any of the other examples described to form further examples having comparable or different properties and/or functions, and addressing the same or different problems. Similarly, it will be understood that the benefits and advantages described above may relate to one embodiment or may relate to several embodiments.