Elevating pilothouse

An hydraulic installation for a water-faring vessel having a plurality of decks and a pilothouse movably mounted atop an uppermost deck, comprising a shaftway extending vertically through the decks beneath the pilothouse;

• an hydraulic jack for elevating the pilothouse above the uppermost deck and lowering the pilothouse onto the uppermost deck, said hydraulic jack including a plunger fixedly mounted in a vertical position in said shaftway and a cylinder attached to the pilothouse and slidably mounted about said plunger for vertical reciprocating movement thereon;
• a stairwell mounted beneath the pilothouse for vertical reciprocating movement in said shaftway with said cylinder, said stairwell including a first door for providing access to the lowermost deck when the pilothouse is lowered onto the uppermost deck and for providing access to the deck directly below the uppermost deck when the pilothouse is elevated above the uppermost deck to a first predetermined elevation, a second door located above said first door for providing access to the deck directly below the uppermost deck when the pilothouse is elevated above the uppermost deck to a second predetermined elevation, said second predetermined elevation being lower than said first predetermined elevation, and a third door located above said second door for providing access to the deck directly below the uppermost deck when the pilothouse is lowered onto the uppermost deck;
• interlock means for preventing the opening of said second door when said second door is elevated above the uppermost deck and for preventing the opening of said third door when said third door is elevated above the uppermost deck;
• safety means for preventing the raising and lowering of the pilothouse if any of said first, second and third doors is open;
• and stairway means located within said stairwell for permitting interior human passage between the pilothouse and at least one deck when the pilothouse is elevated above the uppermost deck to said first and second predetermined elevations and for permitting interior human passage between the pilothouse and at least one deck when the pilothouse is lowered onto the uppermost deck, whereby a safe, weatherproof passageway to and from the pilothouse is provided.

An hydraulic installation for a tugboat having a plurality of decks and a pilothouse movably mounted atop an uppermost deck, comprising a shaftway extending vertically through the decks beneath the pilothouse;

• a source of hydraulic fluid;
• a fluid pressure responsive hydraulic jack for elevating the pilothouse above the uppermost deck and lowering the pilothouse onto the uppermost deck, said hydraulic jack including a plunger fixedly mounted in a vertical position in said shaftway and a cylinder attached to the pilothouse and slidably mounted about said plunger for vertical reciprocating movement thereon, said plunger having an inlet located at the lowermost end of said plunger for receiving hydraulic fluid from said source of hydraulic fluid and an outlet located at the uppermost end of said plunger and communicating with said cylinder and said inlet for supplying hydraulic fluid to said cylinder, whereby said cylinder reciprocates vertically on said plunger under the influence of fluid pressure conditions within said cylinder;
• a stairwell mounted beneath the pilothouse for vertical reciprocating movement in said shaftway with said cylinder, said stairwell including a first door for providing access to the lowermost deck when the pilothouse is lowered onto the uppermost deck and for providing access to the deck directly below the uppermost deck when the pilothouse is elevated above the uppermost deck to a first predetermined elevation, a second door located above said first door for providing access to the deck directly below the uppermost deck when the pilothouse is elevated above the uppermost deck to a second predetermined elevation, said second predetermined elevation being lower than said first predetermined elevation, and a third door located above said second door for providing access to the deck directly below the uppermost deck when the pilothouse is lowered onto the uppermost deck;
• a spiral stairway completely enclosed within said stairwell and having a landing adjacent said first, second and third doors, whereby an interior human passageway between the pilothouse and at least one deck is provided with the pilothouse is elevated above the uppermost deck to said first and second predetermined elevations and when the pilothouse is lowered onto the uppermost deck;
• interlock means for preventing the opening of said second door when said secoond door is elevated above the uppermost deck and for preventing the opening of said third door when said third door is elevated above the uppermost deck;
• and safety means for preventing the raising and lowering of the pilothouse when any of said first, second and third doors is open, whereby a safe, weatherproof passageway to and from the pilothouse is provided.