Vacuum actuated ship mooring devices
AssigneeIshikawajima-Harima Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsShigeyuki Kakitani, Tadashi Kishi, Takehiko Hirao, Norimitsu Takami, Atsumu Shimizu, Keiichi Outeki, Masato Fujimoto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A suction cup assembly mounted on a mount which in turn is attached to a vessel or pier is attached to the pier or vessel and actuated by a vacuum pump or the like so as to make fast the vessel for towing or mooring without the use of the tow ropes or mooring ropes.
Claims4
A device for mooring a ship comprising a mounting member, a suction cup assembly having a main body with two major surfaces, at least one continuous, circular lip rubber projecting outwardly from one major surface of said main body and defining a space in which a partial vacuum is produced by a vacuum pump when said suction cup assembly is attached to a surface of the ship, said suction cup assembly including a supporting member intermediate said mounting member and said main body, and means interconnecting the supporting member and said main body, means including a universal joint for supporting said suction cup assembly on said mounting member annd a plurality of power cylinders mounted on the mounting member and connected directly to the suction cup assembly whereby the assembly may be freely and positively moved in vertical and horizontal directions about said universal joint by actuation of said power cylinders, to position said suction cup assembly against the surface of the ship regardless of the curvature thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.