WO2013008197A1

WO2013008197A1 - Anchor

Info

Publication number: WO2013008197A1
Application number: PCT/IB2012/053556
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stefan Maurice NEWMAN; Darryn Anthony NEWMAN; David James WELLS
Original assignee: ECO-NOMIC CONSTRUCTION Ltd
Current assignee: ECO-NOMIC CONSTRUCTION Ltd
Priority date: 2011-07-13
Filing date: 2012-07-12
Publication date: 2013-01-17
Anticipated expiration: 2014-01-13
Also published as: NZ594038A

Abstract

An anchor which includes a plurality of spaced cross-members rigidly attached to a longitudinal spine which extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the anchor; and which further includes an attachment point located on the part of the anchor which is uppermost in use, said attachment point being adapted to secure a load to be applied to the anchor.

Description

TITLE: ANCHOR

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an anchor for securing a heavy load, such as one end of a sky line. As used herein, the term "sky line" means a rope or wire along which a carriage supporting a load can travel. In general, a carriage and its load are arranged to slide down the sky line under gravity, but the carriage may also be driven along or up the line. The anchor of the present invention has been developed specifically for securing the lower end of a sky line below water, but the anchor of the present invention could also be used for securing either end of a sky line, on land or underwater.

Further, the anchor of the present invention could be used for securing any of a wide range of heavy loads. For example, it is envisaged that the anchor of the present invention will have a major application in anchoring marine farms. The anchor of the present invention also would be useful for acting as a strong point for salvaging ships which have been washed onto shore or onto a sand bank or onto rocks.

Background Art

Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification is not an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field.

It is known to use a sky line to move loads in situations where it is necessary to move large and/or heavy loads over steep or difficult terrain, where there are no suitable roads or where the load is too large to be accommodated on a vehicle. The most common setup is to anchor the upper end of the sky line above the position at which the loads are secured to the carriage, and to anchor the lower end of the sky line at or near the position to which the loads are to be delivered; the upper and lower ends of the sky line are spaced apart both vertically and horizontally.

If a load is to be delivered to a barge or ship, it has been the usual practice to anchor the lower end of the sky line to the barge or ship. However, this has two major drawbacks:- first, it places a great stress on the barge or ship and limits the load which can be transferred; second, it means that once the barge or ship is fully loaded, the lower end of the sky line must be released before the load can be transported.

Disclosure of Invention

An object of the present invention is the provision of an anchor which can be constructed economically and which is both robust and versatile.

The present invention provides an anchor which includes a plurality of spaced cross- members rigidly attached to a longitudinal spine which extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the anchor; and which further includes an attachment point located on the part of the anchor which is uppermost in use, said attachment point being adapted to secure the load to be applied to the anchor.

Preferably, that surface of the anchor which is uppermost in use provides a substantially planar platform, except at the attachment point.

Preferably also, the longitudinal axis of each cross-member is substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal spine.

Preferably also, said longitudinal spine includes a pair of parallel, spaced, elongated members such as I-beams.

Preferably, said attachment point includes an elongated member inclined at an acute angle (e.g. 45°) to the longitudinal axis of the anchor, towards the end of the anchor which forms the rear of the anchor in use.

Preferably, said anchor is capable of accommodating a radial pull on said attachment point, in directions spaced apart by up to 90 °.

Preferably, said anchor further includes a pair of elongated members arranged to form the sides of the anchor with one elongated member of the pair being secured across one end of each cross-member and the other elongated member of the pair being secured across the other end of each cross-member. Preferably also, the edge of each cross-member which is lowermost in use extends below the lower surface of said spine and said sides of the anchor, so as to facilitate the anchor digging in to any underlying surface upon which the anchor rests.

Preferably also, at least some of the cross-members are bent to form a scoop shape in longitudinal section, most preferably with the included angle of said scoop in the range 135 ° to 150°.

Preferably, at the end of the anchor which is the front of the anchor in use, at least the foremost cross-members are inclined with the length of each said cross-member at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the anchor; typically, said acute angle is 45° ± 10°.

Depending upon the intended application, the above anchor may be used alone, or in combination with one or more weights which are loaded upon the surface of the anchor which is uppermost in use.

Preferably, the or each said weight is hollow and has an interior cavity provided with at least one air inlet/outlet and water inlet/outlet, each of which is valved, such that said cavity may be filled with either air or water.

Brief Description of Drawings

By way of example only, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of an anchor in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a partial longitudinal section through Figure 1 , on line 2-2;

Figure 3 is a section through a detail of Figure 1 , on line 3-3; and

Figure 4 is an isometric view of a weighting block for use with the anchor of Figure 1 .

Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention

The preferred embodiment has been designed specifically as an underwater anchor for anchoring the lower end of a sky line near a barge or ship. For this type of application, it is advantageous if the anchor is easy to relocate, but is capable of providing a very secure and stable anchorage for the sky line without requiring excessively heavy weights to be placed on top of the anchor. The reason for this is that the anchor has to be moved from time to time, and thus any weights placed on top of the anchor have to be removed before the anchor itself can be moved. Certainly, the anchor of the present invention requires weights to be placed on top of it, but the lighter these weights can be, the more convenient it is when the anchor has to be relocated. It follows that it is an object of the preferred embodiment to provide an anchor which digs into, and grips, the bed of the body of water into which it is placed, but is comparatively easy to relocate.

Further, it is advantageous if the anchor design can permit the upper end of the sky line to be relocated without having to move the anchor; in other words, it is advantageous if the anchor design can provide secure anchorage against load on the skyline in a range of different directions.

Referring to the drawings, an anchor 10 in accordance with the present invention includes a longitudinal spine formed by two parallel elongated members 1 1 , 12 in the form of I-beams. The longitudinal axis of the anchor 10 is indicated in Figure 1 by a broken line L - L, and the elongated members 1 1 , 12 lie parallel to this axis.

Each of the I-beams 1 1 , 12 is of conventional shape and each has an upper plate 1 1 a, 12a, a lower plate 1 1 b, 12b parallel to the upper plate, with the upper and lower plates connected by a web 1 1 c, 12c. The plane of the web of each I-beam is perpendicular to the planes of the upper and lower plates of that I-beam.

Further elongated members in the form of I-beams 14, 15, 16 which have the same shape as the I-beams 1 1 , 12, are used to form a frame around the two opposed longitudinal sides and the rear of the anchor. The longitudinal I-beams 14, 15 are parallel to the I-beams 1 1 , 12, but have a shorter web 14c, 15c, than the I-beams 1 1 , 12. The rear elongated member 16 has the same height of web 16c as the I-beams 1 1 , 12.

A series of spaced cross-members 13 are rigidly secured (e.g. by welding) to the elongated members 1 1 , 12, 14, 15, with the longitudinal axis of each cross-member 13 substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the anchor. The cross-members 13 are depicted as being substantially equidistantly spaced except at the front of the anchor, but need not be. As shown in Figure 3, each cross-member 13 is angled to provide a first portion 13a in the form of a short flange, a central portion 13b the plane of which is perpendicular to the plane of the portion 13a, and a third portion 13c which is inclined to the portion 13b at an angle y of approximately 150°. The precise size of angle y is not critical, and can vary between 135° - 150°.

The first portion 13a of each cross-member lies below the upper flanges 1 1 a, 12a, 14a, 15a, of the I-beams 1 1 , 12, 14, 15, and the portion of each cross-member 13 which is adjacent the lower flange of the I-beam is cut out as shown in Figure 1 , to allow the side edges of each cross-member to contact the adjacent portions of each I- beam. The third portion 13c of each cross-member extends below the I-beams as shown in Figure 1 , so that the cross-members 13 collectively provide a series of angled scoops which tend to dig into the surface of any ground over which the anchor is dragged. This helps to bed the anchor into muddy or gravelly soils or seabeds or lake beds, and assist in securing the anchor firmly in position.

The end 20 of the anchor 10 is designed to be the "front" of the anchor in use, in the sense that the load on the anchor will be in exerted in the general direction of Arrow A. At the front of the anchor, the gap between the ends of the elongated members 1 1 , 12 is bridged by a plate 17 made from a short section of I-beam welded between the members 1 1 , 12. The elongated members 14, 15 which form the sides of the anchor are shorter in length than the length of the elongated members 1 1 , 12 which form the spine of the anchor. The spaces between the forward ends of the side elongated members 14, 15 and the respective adjacent elongated members 1 1 , 12 are closed off by angled sections of cross-member 18, 19, each of which is inclined at an angle of approximately 45° ± 10° to the longitudinal axis L - L of the anchor.

The cross-members 21 , 22 located immediately to the rear of the front cross-members 18, 19 are angled at the same angle as the cross-members 18, 19.

The attachment point 24 for the lower end of the skyline may be mounted anywhere along the longitudinal axis of the anchor on the top of the anchor. Preferably, the attachment point 24 is mounted a short distance from the front 20 of the anchor, as shown in Figure 1 . The attachment point 24 is mounted on a brace 25 in the form of a short length of I-beam rigidly secured between the second and fourth cross-members, with the length of the I-beam 25 along the longitudinal axis L - L of the anchor, i.e. midway between the I-beams 1 1 and 12. The brace 25 is cross-braced to the adjacent I-beams 1 1 , 12 by short I-beam sections 26, 27 respectively.

As shown in Figure 2, the attachment point 24 consists of an arm rigidly secured to the brace 25 at an angle x of about 45 ° to the plane of the upper plates 1 1 a, 12a, of the I- beams 1 1 , 12. Attachment point 24 is shown as a solid arm, but may be made from a section of I-beam.

It should be noted that the attachment point 24 is inclined away from the front 20 of the anchor 10. This angling of the attachment point 24, preferably but not essentially in combination with the angling of the first two cross-members 18, 19, 21 , 22, means that the anchor is capable of accommodating a radial pull (i.e. out to one side or the other of the longitudinal axis of the anchor) without becoming dislodged. In other words, the load on the anchor is not restricted to a straight pull in the direction of Arrow A but can vary anywhere between the directions indicated by arrows B and C. The angle between arrows B and C may be about 45 ° or even up to 90 °.

The open structure of the anchor assists the anchor to dig into any ground it lies on, whether the ground is on land or the bed of a lake or a seabed, and whether the ground is rocky or muddy. This "digging in" characteristic is enhanced by the scoop shape of the cross-members 13, as discussed above.

In use, the anchor 10 is positioned by placing it a short distance away from the desired position and dragging it forwards to the desired position to encourage the cross- members 13 to dig in to the underlying soil or shingle or mud. The further the anchor is dragged, the more the cross-members 13 fill up with rocks/shingles/mud/earth, and the more securely the anchor is positioned. Once the anchor is in the desired position, a concrete weight is lowered on the top of the anchor.

One or more concrete weights of any suitable size or shape may be used; preferably, these are distributed evenly over the upper surface of the anchor, except for leaving free access to the attachment point 24 for securing the lower end of the sky wire. It is of course possible to have the weight or weights permanently secured in position, but keeping the weight(s) separate from the anchor means that a lower powered crane can be used, and the anchor is easier to reposition. It should be noted that the upper plates 1 1 a, 12a, 14a, 15a, 16a of all the elongated members lie in substantially the same plane, so as to provide a uniform support for one or more blocks, as described below.

If the anchor is to be used on the bed of a body of water, preferably the weight illustrated in Figure 4 is used: this is a single large hollow concrete block 30 which is dimensioned to cover a major portion of the upper surface of the anchor from just to the rear of the attachment point 24, back to the rear elongated member 16. Once lowered into position, the cavity inside the block 30 fills with water to increase the overall weight of the block. The air inlet 31 is provided with a valve which is opened before the block is lowered into place, to allow air to leave the space as water enters.

Two pairs of exhaust ports 32 (only one pair visible) open into the cavity on each side of the block 30. Each of the exhaust ports 32 is fitted with a valve which can be open or closed:- when the block is being lowered into the water the valve in each of the exhaust ports is opened to allow water to enter the block through the exhaust port 32. At the same time, the air in the block cavity exists through the opened air inlet 31 . The valves in the exhaust ports remain open in use, and also remain open when air is pumped into the cavity through the air inlet 31 , so that the water can leave the cavity. When the block is at the surface, the valves in the exhaust ports are closed, to trap the air in the cavity and maintain the block in the "lighter" condition.

The block 30 is provided with a service hatch 33 which allows access to the inside of the block for repairs and maintenance. In normal usage, the hatch 33 is sealed by a lid.

When the anchor needs to be repositioned, the block 30 is lightened before lifting off the anchor by connecting an air hose to the air inlet 31 and pumping air under pressure into the block, forcing the water out of the block through the exhaust ports 32. Filling the hollow space inside the block 30 with air lightens the block and makes it easier to lift it off the anchor. The anchor 10 is then lifted separately, and repositioned as described above; the block 30 is then reinstalled, and refilled with water as described above. The dimensions and proportions of the anchor may of course be varied as necessary to suit particular applications. For anchoring the lower end of a sky line for transporting timber, an anchor 12 metres long, 7.2 metres wide, in combination with a concrete block 30 having a weight in the range 45 - 70 tonnes, has been found satisfactory.

The I-beams and cross-members may be made of any suitable corrosion resistant, strong and tough material, but typically would be made of steel.

It will be appreciated that the above described design may be varied to suit particular applications; for example:

- the anchor may be formed with only a single spine, or the spine may be formed from more than two elongated members.

- The spacing between the two or more elongated members may be varied.

- The cross-members need not be equidistantly spaced and all or any of the cross- members need not be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the anchor.

- Some or all of the cross-members may be provided with diagonal braces to strengthen the construction.

- The cross-members need not be of equal length, i.e. the anchor need not be rectangular in plan.

- The elongated members 1 1 , 12, 14, 15, 16 may be made from shapes other than I- beams, e.g. flat plate or channel sections.

- One or more solid weights may be used instead of the hollow weight 30.

- The single hollow weight 30 may be replaced by two or more hollow weights.

Claims

1 . An anchor which includes a plurality of spaced cross-members rigidly attached to a longitudinal spine which extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the anchor; and which further includes an attachment point located on the part of the anchor which is uppermost in use, said attachment point being adapted to secure a load to be applied to the anchor.

2. The anchor as claimed in claim 1 wherein that surface of the anchor which is uppermost in use provides a substantially planar platform, except for said attachment point.

3. The anchor as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said longitudinal spine includes a pair of parallel, spaced, elongated members.

4. The anchor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said attachment point includes an elongated member inclined at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the anchor, angled towards that end of the anchor which forms the rear of the anchor in use.

5. The anchor as claimed in claim 4, wherein said acute angle is approximately 45°.

6. The anchor as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein said anchor is capable of accommodating a radial pull on said attachment point, in directions spaced apart by up to 90°.

7. The anchor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further including a pair of elongated members arranged to form the sides of the anchor, with one elongated member of the pair being secured across one end of each cross- member and the other elongated member of the pair being secured across the other end of each cross-member.

8. The anchor as claimed in claim 7, wherein the edge of each cross-member which is lowermost in use extends below the lower surface of said spine and said sides of the anchor, so as to facilitate the anchor digging in to any underlying surface upon which the anchor rests.

9. The anchor as claimed in claim 7, further including a rear elongated member which is secured between the ends of said side elongated members.

10. The anchor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said elongated members are I-beams.

1 1 . The anchor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein at least some of the cross-members are bent to form a scoop shape in longitudinal section.

12. The anchor as claimed in claim 1 1 wherein the included angle of said scoop is in the range 135° -150°.

13. The anchor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein at the end of the anchor which is the front of the anchor in use, at least the foremost cross-members are inclined with the length of each said cross-member at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the anchor.

14. The anchor as claimed in claim 13, wherein said acute angle is 45 ° ± 10 °.

15. The anchor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a majority of the cross-members are arranged such that the length of each cross-member is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the anchor.

16. A combination of an anchor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and one or more weights adapted to be loaded upon the surface of the anchor which is uppermost in use.

17. The combination as claimed in claim 16 wherein the or each said weight is hollow and has an interior cavity provided with at least one air inlet/outlet and water inlet/outlet, each of which is valved, such that said cavity may be filled with either air or water.

18. A method of using the combination as claimed in claim 17, including the steps of positioning said anchor in a predetermined position on the bed of a body of water, opening the or each said air outlet valve and said water inlet valve, and lowering of the or each said weight on top of said anchor.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 wherein said anchor is repositioned by opening the or each said air inlet valve and connecting the or each said air inlet to a source of compressed air, opening the or each said water outlet valve, and filling said cavity with compressed air to expel water from said cavity, thereby lightening said weight for lifting purposes; lifting the or each said weight off the anchor; repositioning said anchor; opening the or each said air outlet valve and water inlet valve, and lowering the or each said weight on top of said anchor.