US3163873A - Gangways - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 5, 1 965 KqN. HOPKINS 3,163,873-

' Y GANGWAYS Filed March 21, 1961 SSheets-Sheet 1 lNVENTOR KENNETH WILUAM HOPKINS 44,511 JW/az ATTORNEYS Jan; 5, 1965 K. W.'HOPKINS 3,163,373

, GANGIAYS' I Filed larch 21. 1961 s Sheets-Shet 2 INVENTOR W M /Z1 ATTORN EYS KENNETH WILLIAM HOPKINS Jan. 5, 1965 K; w. HOPKINS 3,163,373

GANGWAYS Filed March 21. 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3,

32 IO I l INVENTOR KENNETH WILLIAM HOPKINS- ATTORNEYS:

United States Patent 3,163,873 GANGWAYS Kenneth Hopkins, London, England, assignor to B? Tanker Company Limited, London, England, a

'Eritish joint-stock corporation Filed Mar. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 97,363

Claims priority, application Great Britain, Mar. 30, 1%0,

3 Claims. (Cl. 14-71) This invention relates to gangways and to the provision of a convenient means of access to and from ships.

In the past, means of access to and from ships has been provided by a gangway one end of which rests on a quay and the other end of which rests on the ship or ships rail; these gangways are not particularly convenient for use with ships such as the larger modern oil tankers. These ships are not only very large but they are unloaded with great rapidity so that they are subject to large changes of level relative to the quay. Thus when a tanker ties up to unload its deck may be level with the quay and it will only require a short gangway. When unloaded the deck of the tanker may be much above the quay and it will require a long gangway. It may happen that the width of the quay does not allow the use of a gangway long enough to give a reasonable angle for boarding or leaving the ship.

According to a first embodiment of the invention a means of access to a first location from a second location, and vice versa, comprises a gangway capable of attachment at or near one of its ends to the first location, and supportable by the second location in such a manner that at least a part, but preferably the whole, of the gangway is able to move longitudinally, such movement causing an opposite motion of a counterbalance whereby substantially the whole weight of the gangway is taken by the second location. single segment only.

According to a second embodiment of the invention a means of access to a first location from a second location, and vice versa, comprises a gangway capable of attachment at or near one of its ends to the first location and supportable by the-second location in such a manner that it is able to rotate either about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the gangway or about both said horizontal axis and a vertical axis, a counterbalance being provided for the gangway sothat the gangway is substantially balanced about the said horizontal axis so that substantially the whole weight of the gangway is taken by the second location.

Desirably, in a means of access according to the invention, the gangway is able to move longitudinally as hereinbefore described and is also able to rotate as hereinbefore described. Conveniently the same counterbalance may be used to balance both the rotation about the horizontm axis and the longitudinal motion.

When the first location is a ship the gangway may conveniently be attached to the ships rail;

In a preferred embodiment of the invention a means of access to a ship from a quay to which the ship is moored comprises a gangway capable of attachment at or near one of its ends to the ship, preferably to the ships rail, said gangway' being supportable above the quay in such a manner that it is able to rotate about both a vertical axis and a horizontal axis perpendicular to the gangway, a counterbalance for the gangway being provided so that the gangway is balanced about saidhori zontal axis wherebysubstantially the Whole of the weight of the gangway is taken by the quay, the mounting of the gangway being such that the gangway is able to move longitudinally, such longitudinal movement causing an Preferably the gangway consists of a I "ice opposite movement of a counterbalance so that the gangway remains balanced about said horizontal axis and substantially the whole of the weight of the gangway remains taken by the quay.

The means provided for moving the counterbalance may also be used to impart a longitudinal movement to the gangway to facilitate its attachment to the ship.

Conveniently the attachment of the gangway to the I ship is automatically broken if the gangway fouls the quay.

Access to the gangway may be provided by means of a horizontal platform secured alongside the gan gway at its point of balance, or as near thereto as convenient. Access from the quay to the platform is conveniently provided by means of a staircase secured relative to the platform.

Preferably the gangway is mounted on a carriage so as to enable the means of access to be moved from one part of the quay to another. The carriage may be provided with jacks to enable the carriage to be stabilised during use. The gangway may be provided with steps which remain horizontal whatever the inclination of the gangway.

A particular embodiment of the invention willnow be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a side view of a means of access according to the invention.

FTGURE 2 shows an end view of a means of access according to the invention.

FIGURE 3 shows an arrangement of safety rails.

FlGURE 4 shows a suitable counter-balance mechanism for the means of access shown in the other figures.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURES l and 2 a gang- I way it which may be attached to a ship at or near its end 18, is supported in a gangway-holder 11, which also carries a counterbalance 12, by means of pairs of rollers 21. (Only one pair of these rollers is shown in FlGURE 2 but in practice several such pairs would-be fitted.) This method of supporting the gangway ll allows it to move longitudinally; lateral motion -is preventedby means of. roller guides 22 and any tendency of the gangwaylil to lift from the gangway-holder 11 is overcome'by castors 23. (FIGURES l and 2 show suitable positions for the roller guides 22 and the castors 23 but do not indicate the numbers to be fitted.)

of rollers 24.

The gangwayholder 11 is pivotally attached at 13 to way/ gaugway-holder/ counterbalance assembly is situated substantially on the horizontal axis of rotation situated at 13. A longitudinal motion of the gangway 10 causes an, opposite motion of the counterbalance 12, so that whatever the longitudinal (or rotational) motion of the gangway til the centre of gravity of the said assembly remains situated on said horizontal axis. A suitable counterbalance mechanism is shown in FlGURE 4; the parts of this mechanism are also shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

The turn-table 14 is mounted on an undercarriage 15 which is provided with wheeled castors 16 to enable the whole assembly to be moved from one part of the jetty to another. The undercarriage 15 is also provided with jacks 17 to enable the wheeled castors 16 to be lifted clear of the surface on which the means of access stands while it is in use.

Access to the gangway is via staircase 19 which. leads ontoa platform 29. The staircase 19 and platform 20 are attached to the turntable 14.

safetyrrails are attached to the platform 29, the gangway-holder l1 and the gangway 10 as shown in FIGURE 7 Patented Jan. 5, 1965 t The counterbalance :12 is similarly supported in the gangway holder '11 .by means 3. Thus the gangway It is provided with a safety-rail 3ilalong its entire length on the side away from the platform 23. A similar safety rail cannot be provided on the sideof the gangway adjacent to the platform as this would prevent access from the'platform 2% to the gangway It On this side of the gangway It a safety rail 31 1's only provided adjacent to the end 13, which may be attached to the ship. On the portion of the gangway V 10 adjacent to the. platform 28 the safety rail 32 is'attached to the gangway-holder 11. Access to the unused portion of the gangway 33 is prevented by a rail 34 which extends across the gangway 1t) and is mounted on the gangway-holder 11. The staircase 19 and the platform 20 are also, provided with safety rails. Y

The counterbalance mechanism shown inPEGUREv 4 consists of a rack-and-pinion mechanism which comprises a rack 40 attached to the gangway (not shown in FY"- URE 4) and a rack 41 attached to the counterbalance 12. Conveniently the means of attachment 42 alsoprovides the support for the counterbalance 12. Both the racks 40 and 41 engage with a single pinion "t3 mounted on the gangway-holder (not shown in FIGURE 4). The rack-and-pinion mechanism may comprise a single assemblage consisting of the pinion 43 and the racks 40 and 41'. However it may comprise several such assemblages and a preferred number of these assemblages is two. It will be apparent that a motion of the'gangway 10 towards theright will cause a similar motion of the counterbalance towards the left. If the total mass of the counterbalance system is equal to the total mass of the gangway system there will be no resultant motion ofthe centre of gravity of the combined system. Therefore, the'gang- Way-holder (not shown in FIGURE 4) may be pivoted about a horizontal axis passing through this fixed centre of gravity and the gangway will remain balanced whatever movement it makes. a

As the gangway is able. to rotate about a horizontal axis as well as being able to move longitudinally and the gangway carriage can rotate about a vertical axis, the

end of the gangwayattaehed'to the ship is able to make whatever movement is required to follow the ship. As the centre of gravity does not move the ship does not have to' do any work'against gravity. Thus the only forces the ship is required to apply to the gangway are those needed to cause (and to st0p) motion in the mechanism, to provide .additionalsupport when the gangwayis carrying a load and to overcome imperfections inthe balancing mechanism. Thus the ship does not have to support the gangway and this is convenient when the gangway is to be atv tached to the ships rail.

Any convenient mass may be chosen for the counterbalance provided a suitable gear-ratio is chosen for-the rack-and-pinion mechanism. Thus if the counterbalance has twice the mass of the gangway it is necessary to move the counterbalance halt the distance of the gangway. In the rack-and-pinion mechanism described with reference to FIGURE 4 this may be achieved by the use of pairs of pinions, the ones engaging with the racks 41 having half the radii of the ones engaging with racks 4-9, insteadof the single pinions 43.

The gangway may be moved longitudinally to facili-- tate attachment to a ship by rotation of the pinion "43. .To do this the pinion 43' isconnected to a first crown wheel .44 which may be engaged with a second crown wheel 45. The second crown wheel 45 is mounted on the top of a vertical axle, 46 which is supported by a bearing 51 attached to the undercarriage (not shown in FIGURE ,4) by means of a screw thread 52. The axle 46 is providedwith a driving wheel 47 which engages with a worm drive 48. The worm-drive148 may be turned by hand using'the handle 49. Alternativelythe pinion 43'may be rotated directly, e.g. by applying a handle to its axle. If desired a motor may be used to rotate the pinion.

a The axle 46-is supported at its lower end Si by thebearing 51 which canbe raised and lowered upon the way to be moved longitudinally by rotation of the handle The parts shown in FIGURE 4 are also shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2.

I claim; V 1. A means of access providing communication between a first location and a second location, said first loca tion being movable in any direction relative to said second location, said means of access comprising, in combination:

a single segment gangway having a platform, said gang- 7 way adapted at its one end to be removably secured to said first location;

a gangway holder;

said gangway slidably movable on and supported by said gangway holder;

a movable undercarriage adapted to be located on said second location and removably secured thereto;

a turntable supported by said undercarriage and rotatable thereon'about a vertical axis;

said 'gangway holder pivotally supported on said turntable for movement about ahorizontal axis;

said gangway longitudinally slidable with respect to its length in said gangway holder to span the distance between said first'and second locations as said locations move with respect to each other from their respective positions at the time the said gangway was secured to said first location;

counterbalance means supported on said gangway holder, a mechanical interlinkage between said counterbalance means and said gangway such that 'said counterbalance means is responsive to changes in said gangway: position, said interlinkage consisting of double racksoperatively associated with a pinion, one of said racks connected to the underside of the gangway and the other of said racks connected to the counterbalance means whereby movement of the gangway is transmitted to the counterbalance means, and the appropriate opposite counterbalance forces are automatically applied to counterbalance the position of the g'angway and maintain the center of gravity of said gangway, gangway holder, and counterbalance means at the said horizontal axis at all times and whereby substantially the whole weight of the means of access is taken by the second location.

2. A means of access according to claim 1, which is provided with means for driving the pinion of the rackand-pinion mechanism whereby the gangway may be moved longitudinally and its attachment to the first loca- 3. A means of access according to claim 1, in which the undercarriage is provided with wheeled castors whereby said means of accessmay'be moved from one part of the second location to; another.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 369,423 9/87 Bagley .14-71 X 848,862 4/07 Sterm 14-71 849,222 "4707' Fleming 14 43 X 1,106,074 8/14 Bidlake 14-72 1,960,355 5/34 Tamini 14-71 X 2,478,177 8/49 Beuteletal. 14 71 2,803,841 8/57 Wellens 14-71 5/62 Smith 14-72 75 JACOB L. NACKENOFE'Primary Examiner;

Claims (1)

1. A MEANS OF ACCESS PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A FIRST LOCATION AND A SECOND LOCATION, SAID FIRST LOCATION BEING MOVABLE IN ANY DIRECTION RELATIVE TO SAID SECOND LOCATION, SAID MEANS OF ACCESS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A SINGLE SEGMENT GANGWAY HAVING A PLATFORM, SAID GANGWAY ADAPTED AT ITS ONE END TO BE REMOVABLY SECURED TO SAID FIRST LOCATION; A GANGWAY HOLDER; SAID GANGWAY SLIDABLY MOVABLE ON AND SUPPORTED BY SAID GANGWAY HOLDER; A MOVABLE UNDERCARRIAGE ADAPTED TO BE LOCATED ON SAID SECOND LOCATION AND REMOVABLY SECURED THERETO; A TURNTABLE SUPPORTED BY SAID UNDERCARRIAGE AND ROTATABLE THEREON ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS; SAID GANGWAY HOLDER PIVOTALLY SUPPOTED ON SAID TURNTABLE FOR MOVEMENT ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS; SAID GANGWAY LONGITUDINALLY SLIDABLE WITH RESPECT TO ITS LENGTH IN SAID GANGWAY HOLDER TO SPAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND LOCATIONS AS SAID LOCATIONS MOVE WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE POSITIONS AT THE TIME THE SAID GANGWAY WAS SECURED TO SAID FIRST LOCATION; COUNTERBALANCE MEANS SUPPORTED ON SAID GANGWAY HOLDER, A MECHANICAL INTERLINKAGE BETWEEN SAID COUNTERBALANCE MEANS AND SAID GANGWAY SUCH THAT SAID COUNTERBALANCE MEANS IS RESPONSIVE TO CHANGES IN SAID GANGWAY POSITION, SAID INTERLINKAGE CONSISTING OF DOUBLE RACKS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH A PINION, ONE OF SAID RACKS CONNECTED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE GANGWAY AND THE OTHER OF SAID RACKS CONNECTED TO THE COUNTERBALANCE MEANS WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF THE GANGWAY IS TRANSMITTED TO THE COUNTERBALANCE MEANS, AND THE APPROPRIATE OPPOSITE COUNTERBALANCE FORCES ARE AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED TO COUNTERBALANCE THE POSITION OF THE GANGWAY AND MAINTAIN THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF SAID GANGWAY, GANGWAY HOLDER, AND COUNTERBALANCE MEANS AT THE SAID HORIZONTAL AXIS AT ALL TIMES AND WHEREBY SUBSTANTIALLY THE WHOLE WEIGHT OF THE MEANS OF ACCESS IS TAKEN BY THE SECOND LOCATION.

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