GB2314814A - Vessel Flotation and Anti-capsize System - Google Patents

Abstract

A monohull vessel such as a ferry, which may be prone to sudden lateral instability in the event of water ingress, is provided with multiple inflatable air/gas flotation units mounted at each side of the vessel above the water line. A gas or compressed air cylinder F is mounted at the lower end of a pendulum arm C with a double-acting plunger/actuator knob E. When the knob E is operated directly or remotely by a crew member or, due to heel of the vessel, comes into contact with a stop or stops B, air or gas passes from the cylinder to inflate the buoyancy units.

Description

INSTANTANOUS AND AUTOMATIC VESSEL SAFTY FLOATATION AND ANTI CAPSIZE SYSTEM.

Astudy of maritime disasters of the past years seems to indicate an urgent need for built in sealed buoyancy which would prevent the vessel sinking and also capsizing.

It is however most difficult to incorporate the urgently required buoyancy without taking up valuable cargo or passenger space.

The object of the system herin described is to provide essential buoyancy for all monohull vessels when in a dangerous sinking and capsize situation.

The system is designed to provide instantaniuus buoyancy automaticaly when or before a dangerous heel angle is reached or alternatively may be operated by crew members if the vessel is sinking but remaining on an even keel.

The first and formost objective is to prevent a sudden capsize and rollover which can apply to monohull vessels with high superstructures such as ferrys which are prone to sudden lateral instability in the event of water ingress. A small angle of heel can be critical with such vessels.

In these events an automatic and instantanious device is imperative for the safty of the vessel crew passengers and cargo.

The basic componants of the safty system are first the multiple inflatable air/gas floatation units which.

are mounted on the outside (or inside) the hull each side of the vessel and remain deflated and flush with the hull each side of the vessel inside cargo type nets(optional) and secured at a suitable level above the water line.

The second componant of the system is a gas or compressed air cylinder mounted on the lower end of a pendulum arm The gas or compressed air cylinder incorporates a plunger/ actuator knob which will eject the contents of the cylinder when the plunger/actuator knob is depressed by a crew member or automatically on coming into contact with a stop or stops as the pendulum with the cylinder swings due to the heel angle of the vessel.

The contents of the cylinder will eject the gas/air into the buoyancy units via a tube or pipe connected to the buoyancy units.

The pendulum actuator units may be mounted in any convenient position such as the inside of the safty rails of the vessel or on a freestanding unit.

The plunger actuator knob is preferably designed to be double acting so that whichever way the vessel heels the buoyancy units will be inflated so providing a positive resistance to excessive heel to both port and starboard sides at the same time, which will also provide a powerfull resistance to the vessel sinking and so maintain a level and safe attitude on the waters surface.

The vessel safty system may be operated automaticaly by a roller or ball etc. also by water pressure on the hull above the water line actuating pressure switches.

A further method of actuating the buoyancy safty system is by remote electronic means such as from the bridge of the vessel.

The same basic vessel safty system may be employed for any type of water craft including which are not easily prone to capsize such as tankers and bulk carriers which are subject to excessive structural stresses in bad weather.

In the event of the vessel breaking up one or more sections of the vessel could be saved from sinking or at least delay the process of going down so that the crew have time to launch life saving apparatus and send a distress signal.

The emergancy floatation system may also be inflated by air compressers and pumps etc.

Further fully mobile inflation units may be stored within the vessel preferably in airtight/watertight compartments for additional safty use as required.

In view of recent sea disasters the above described automatic safty buoyancy system is put forward with some urgency The importance of saving a vessel in extreem storm conditions is also imperative for the safty of passengers and crew where the launching of lifeboats and liferafts is an extreemly hazardous operation.

DRAWING 1 Instantaneous and automatic vessel safety flotation and anti-capsize system.

A. Pendulum stand B. Actuator plates C. Pendulum arm enclosing tube H D. Pendulum pivot E. Air/gas actuator knobs F. Air/gas cylinder G. Deck mounting plates H. Flexible tube gas/air to buoyancy units.

NOTE: Actuator plates (B) may be detachable and adjustable to provide variable angles of pendulum travel. Ref. critical angles of heel for various vessels.

DRAWING 2 Vessel in danger of capsize.

Instantaneous and automatic vessel safety flotation and anti-capsize system.

A. Quick deployment buoyancy installed outside along the hull. The buoyancy units mounted inside rope nets inflated by gas cylinders.

B. Built in fixed buoyancy positioned along the inside of the hull under deck. Note: may be inflatable units if cargo space is restricted.

C. Pulley block and tackle to manually position the buoyancy units.

D. Water in hull causing dangerous heel situation.

* * * * * * * *

Claims (1)

1. o ArstlS A pendulum mounted to pivot in a position on a vessel to change angle relative to the vessel ie. listing or rolling to port or starboard The pendulum may be suitably weighted with ballast and/or consist of a gas or compressed air container with the actuator knobs positioned to port and starboard in order that Zas/air will be ejected up the pendulum arm on strikirg he actuator plates to a tube which. is connected to buoyancy units positioned to port and starboard on the sizes of the vessel.

   A pendulum mounted on a structure or vertical surface with a pivot to allow free swinging to port and starboard as the vessel heels over.

   A pendulum a gas or compressed air cylinder at its base with actuator knob positioned to strike a stop plate on each side of the pendulum travel.

   The stop plate may be adjustable in order to allow a smaller or greater pendulum travel to provide the required safty for any vessel type, reference the critical heel angle.

   A pendulum carrying a gas or compressed air cylinderwhich is designed to be adjusted for sizing or travel to activate the air or gas supply automaticaly and instantaniously to the buouancy floatation units before any water ingress into the hull, which would cause a dangerous increase in capsize potential.

   A pendulum mounted to operate on any vertical surface of a vessel above or below the deck level.

   A pendulum which may alternatively be weighted by ballast such as lead, with the gas/ air cylinders positioned at each end of the pendulum travel so that the pendulum ballast at the base serves as the actuator to strike the actuator knobs on each gas cylinder.

   A pendulum safty system for vessels which are not equipped with any self righting lateral stability buoyancy.

   A pendulum safty system for vessels which carry a large proportion of thier weight at a high level above the water line, (high centre of gravity) such as FERRIES.

   A pendulum safty system for vessels which are prone to capsize and rollover in the event of water ingress into the hull.

   A pendulum safty system for vessels which become lateraly unstable in rough water and high winds when cargo movement to port or starboard is extreemly dangerous with a tendancy to capsize and rollover.

   A pendulum safty buoyancy system may be adaptable and adjustable to any water craft type or size.

   A pendulum safty buoyancy system which can be activated by a crew member if the vessel is taking in water on an even keel, either manualy or by electronic means fror the bridge.

   A pendulum safty buoyancy system which can be activated by a crew member in the event of an uncontrolable fire situation when the vessel can be flooded to deck level or beyond if nessesary in order to provide the possibility of salvage work being carried out from the surface.

   The buoyancy safty system keeping the vessel in a stable situation on the surface.

   P7blDULW,i ALTERNATIVES.

   Heavy ball rolling in a horizontally mounted and vertically curved track or tube. The ball coming into contact with the actuator knobs on the gas/air cylinders mounted at each end of the tube or track when the vessel heels over.

   A FURTHER ALTERNATIVE is to horizontally mount a vertically curved rod with a pulley wheel or wheels mounted to run on the rod and and stabilised by a ballast weight suspended from the pulley wheel/wneols. The ballast weight coming into contact with the actuator knobs on the gas/air cylinders mounted at each end of the vertically curved rod when the vessel heels over.