Lifting spindle arrangement for a retractable thruster unit of a marine vessel
AssigneeWartsila Netherlands B.V.
InventorJan VAN DE SANDE
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lifting spindle arrangement is disclosed for a retractable thruster unit of a marine vessel, the lifting spindle having a lower end and an upper end and being supported at its lower end to a lower support structure by a lower support assembly and at its upper end to an upper support structure by an upper support assembly. The lifting spindle is provided at its both ends with a locking member for such a connection to the support structures such that each end of the lifting spindle may freely move in an axial direction away from the opposite end of the lifting spindle.
Claims16
A retractable thruster unit for a marine vessel having a hull, the retractable thruster unit comprising:
- a lifting spindle arrangement, the lifting spindle arrangement having a lifting spindle, a lifting nut, and a motor, and having a lower end and an upper end and being supported at its lower end to a lower support structure by a lower support assembly and at its upper end to an upper support structure by an upper support assembly, wherein one of the lifting spindle and the lifting nut is fixed and the other one is rotatable for moving the retractable thruster unit;
- and
- locking members provided at both ends of the lifting spindle with a lower locking member being configured to freely move in an axial direction downwards from the lower support structure, and an upper locking member being configured to freely move upwards from the upper support structure.
A method of moving a thruster unit in a marine vessel in a vertical direction by one or more lifting spindle arrangements, each lifting spindle arrangement having a lifting spindle, a lifting nut cooperating with the lifting spindle, a lower support assembly at a lower end of the lifting spindle for connecting the lifting spindle to a lower support structure, an upper support assembly at an upper end of the lifting spindle for connecting the lifting spindle to an upper support structure, one of the spindle and the lifting nut being fixed and the other one being rotatable, the method comprising:
- intitiating movement of the thruster unit in a direction by rotating one of the spindle and the lifting nut;
- and
- allowing a lower locking member to move freely in an axial direction downwards from the lower support structure and an upper locking member to move freely upwards from the upper support structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.