Ship mooring system and method
AssigneeShoreTension Holding B.V.
InventorGerrit Van Der Burg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mooring post unit is provided with a cable holding device on top of the mooring post. The cable holding device has a first pulley wheel, a second pulley wheel and a cable clamp, arranged to guide a mooring cable from a ship over the first pulley wheel to the clamp, back and forth via the second pulley wheel. A hydraulic force limiter is coupled between the second pulley wheel and the mooring post. The hydraulic force is expandable and compressible in the direction of a force exerted by the axis of the pulley wheel. The hydraulic force limiter temporarily gives way when a peak in the force exceeds a threshold. The clamp comprises a pair of drums, around which the mooring cable runs back and forth. By synchronously rotating the drums, the mooring cable may be hauled in or paid out under stress.
Claims14
A mooring post unit comprising a mooring post and a cable holding device on top of the mooring post, the cable holding device comprising:
- a first pulley wheel, a second pulley wheel and a cable clamp, arranged to guide a mooring cable from a ship over the first pulley wheel to the clamp, back and forth via the second pulley wheel,
- a hydraulic force limiter coupled between the second pulley wheel and the mooring post, with a rotation axis of the second pulley wheel mounted on the hydraulic force limiter transverse to a direction wherein the hydraulic force is expandable and compressible, the hydraulic force limiter being configured to start limiting a reaction force from the hydraulic force limiter in response to force exerted by the second pulley wheel as a result of a pulling force on the mooring cable during expansion or compression of the hydraulic force limiter when the pulling force exceeds a predetermined threshold,
- wherein the cable clamp comprises a cable clamping device, the cable clamping device comprising,
- a first rotatable friction drum, having a first axis of rotation;
- a second rotatable friction drum, offset from the first rotatable friction drum in an offset direction transverse to said axis of rotation, the second of rotatable friction drum having a second axis of rotation, the first and second axis of rotation having a rotation relative to each other around said offset direction;
- the first and second friction drum defining a mooring cable path that runs back and forth between the first and second friction drum alternately in successive semi-circles around the first and second rotatable friction drum;
- wherein an angle of the relative rotation of the first and second rotation axis is so that intersections of the mooring cable path with a virtual plan perpendicular to said offset direction, on opposite sides of the second rotatable friction drum, are at least approximately offset in the direction of the first axis of rotation by a pitch of the mooring cable path;
- a motor or motors arranged to drive rotation of the first and second rotatable friction drum, synchronously around the first and second rotation axis respectively.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.