Method for hauling a vessel alongside a mooring platform
OwnerHendrik Magchiel Willem Croeseinventor
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Abstract
This relates to a method for positioning and hauling a vessel alongside a mooring structure wherein the vessel is connected to the mooring structure by two cables and the vessel is hauled by shortening one of the cables and lengthening the other of the cables utilizing rotating winches over which the cables are passed, and each of the winches is provided with two drive mechanisms, one of the drive mechanisms being for actuating the winches and the other of the drive mechanisms being for applying a substantially uniform cable tensioning torque on the winch, the other drive mechanisms being in the form of hydraulic motors which include high pressure and low pressure lines and a system for maintaining a substantially constant pressure within the lines.
Claims11
A method of positioning a vessel alongside a mooring structure comprising the steps of providing two rotary hauling devices on a selective one of said vessel and said mooring structure, extending cables from said hauling devices to the other of said vessel and said mooring structure and anchoring said cables, providing each of said rotary hauling devices with a hydraulic drive motor for applying a rotary torque thereon in addition to existing drive means of said hauling devices, interconnecting the hydraulic drive motors by means of high and low pressure lines, and normally maintaining a constant pressure in each of said high and low pressure lines to apply a cable tensioning torque on both of said hauling devices.
Apparatus for positioning a vessel alongside a mooring structure comprising a pair of winches each including a drum, cables extending from said drums for individual shortening and loosening, each of said winches including first rotary motor means for selectively driving said drum, each of said winches including second rotary motor means for exerting a like cable tensioning torque on said drum thereof independently of said first rotary motor means to normally apply a like tensioning force on each of said cables, said second motor means being a hydraulic motor, high and low pressure lines connected to both of said second motor means, and control means maintaining a constant pressure in each of said high and low pressure lines, said control means includes a source of substantially constant pressure hydraulic fluid, identical control valves for said second motor means selectively providing for opposite directional driving of said second motor means and isolation of said second motor means from said hydraulic fluid source, and said first motor means being in the form of hydraulic motors, a separate source of hydraulic fluid under pressure, and interconnected valve means for selectively independently connecting and isolating said first motor means relative to said separate source.
Apparatus for positioning a vessel alongside a mooring structure comprising a pair of winches each including a drum, cables extending from said drums for individual shortening and loosening, each of said winches including first rotary motor means for selectively driving said drum, each of said winches including second rotary motor means for exerting a like cable tensioning torque on said drum thereof independently of said first rotary motor means to normally apply a like tensioning force on each of said cables, said second motor means being a hydraulic motor, high and low pressure lines connected to both of said second motor means, and control means maintaining a constant pressure in each of said high and low pressure lines, said control means including means for connecting said second motor means high and low pressure lines directly to one another whereby when one of said winches is shortening its respective cables and the other of said winches is loosening its cable, said second motor means coupled to said other winches is driven as a pump to drive said second motor means coupled to said one winch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.