US 4,003,329 AGranted

Combination positioning and propelling apparatus for barges

AssigneeFMC Corporation

InventorHorace John Robinson

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Abstract

Combination barge positioning and propelling apparatus utilizing a plurality of powered, reversible traction devices in frictional contact with the vertical sides of the barge is disclosed. Several embodiments of the apparatus are shown to accommodate various widths of barges and variations in the water level and/or draft of the barges.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A combination positioning and propelling mechanism assembly for moving barges through a bulk material loading or unloading facility, the combination comprising:

a. a fixed supporting structure secured to piers on each side of a channel through which the barges pass, the structure having a pair of towers on each side of the channel extending vertically above the barge in the highest position of the barge, a pair of longitudinal beams connecting the top of the pair of towers on each longitudinal side of the channel and a pair of transverse beams spanning the channel and connecting the tops of oppositely positioned towers, the towers, the longitudinal beams and the transverse beams forming a single rigid rectangular supporting structure;
b. a liftable bridge spanning the channel and having a rectangular structural frame supported to move vertically within said fixed supporting structure and to be guided by fixed guide rails attached to the piers from a raised non-operating position above the barge to a lowered operating position;
c. a wire rope hoisting system including a drum shaft assembly having three drums on a common shaft rotatably supported on one longitudinal beam, a pair of spaced wire rope sheaves rotatably supported on the other longitudinal beam, a power driven drum type hoist unit mounted on one pier adjacent one of the towers, four wire rope cables, one end of each cable being secured to a corner of said liftable bridge, two of the cables passing vertically upward and over the sheaves then passing transversely to a first and second drum on the three drum shaft assembly, the other two cables passing vertically upward directly to the first and second drums, a fifth wire rope cable connected to a third drum of the three drum shaft assembly passes to the hoist unit, whereby operation of the hoist unit raises and lowers said bridge;
d. a wheeled carriage operating on a pair of horizontal longitudinally spaced rails mounted on one lateral end of said liftable bridge, said carriage movable transversely of the channel;
e. reciprocable power means mounted on said bridge and connected to said carriage providing linear motion to move said wheeled carriage on the horizontal rails of said bridge transversely of the channel;
f. at least one adjustable propelling mechanism unit mounted on said movable carriage, said propelling mechanism unit comprising an elongated vertical shaft rotatably supported from said carriage and extending below said bridge, a traction wheel mounted on the lower end of the vertical shaft and a first power means attached to said carriage and connected to the vertical shaft to reversibly rotate the shaft and the traction wheel, said propelling mechanism unit being adjustable transversely of the channel for positioning the traction wheel against the vertical side of the barge by moving said carriage;
and
g. at least one non-adjustable propelling mechanism unit mounted on the other lateral end of said bridge from said adjustable propelling mechanism, said non-adjustable propelling mechanism comprising an elongated vertical shaft rotatably supported from and extending below said bridge, a traction wheel mounted on the lower end of the vertical shaft, and a second power means to reversibly rotate the shaft and the traction wheel, whereby when said bridge is lowered to bring the traction wheels in position vertically adjacent the upper portion of the barge, and said carriage is moved laterally to bring the traction wheel on said adjustable propelling mechanism unit into contact with the side of the barge, the barge is positioned between said fixed and adjustable propelling mechanism units and rotation of the traction wheels in their proper direction will propel the barge longitudinally in the channel.

5 more elements

A combination positioning and propelling mechanism assembly for moving barges longitudinally in a channel, the combination comprising:

a. a fixed structure anchored on each side of the channel and transversely spanning the channel;
b. at least a pair of propelling mechanism units, one of said units being located on one side of a barge having a pair of transversely spaced longitudinal sides and the other unit being located on the opposite side of the barge from the one unit, each of said propelling mechanism units having a substantially horizontal tractional device mounted on the lower end of a substantially vertical shaft with a reversible drive connected to the shaft to rotate the shaft and the tractional device;
c. a transverse bridge with a powered hoisting system operably connected between the bridge and said fixed structure, said bridge carrying said propelling mechanism units, said bridge vertically movable within said fixed structure from a non-operating position with said tractional devices above and clear of the barge to an operating position with the tractional devices adjacent the longitudinal sides of the barge;
and
d. means to move at least one of said propelling mechanism units toward and away from the other unit to bring the tractional devices into frictional contact with the longitudinal sides of the barges for moving the barge longitudinally by means of the tangential frictional contact when the tractional devices are rotated, said means to move at least one of said propelling mechanism units comprises a wheeled carriage mounted on said transverse bridge to move transversely of the channel, said wheeled carriage supporting one of said propelling mechanism units, and reciprocable power means connected between said bridge and said movable carriage to move said carriage and the one propelling mechanism unit so the tractional device of the one propelling mechanism unit contacts one longitudinal side of the barge, positions the barge laterally with the opposite side of the barge in contact with the tractional device of the other propelling mechanism unit, and maintains pressure on the transversely adjustable tractional device preventing lateral movement of the barge while the barge is moved longitudinally.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A combination positioning and propelling mechanism assembly for moving barges through a bulk material loading or unloading facility, the combination comprising:

a. a fixed supporting structure secured to piers on each side of a channel through which the barges pass, the structure having a pair of towers on each side of the channel extending vertically above the barge in the highest position of the barge, a pair of longitudinal beams connecting the top of the pair of towers on each longitudinal side of the channel and a pair of transverse beams spanning the channel and connecting the tops of oppositely positioned towers, the towers, the longitudinal beams and the transverse beams forming a single rigid rectangular supporting structure;
b. a liftable bridge spanning the channel and having a rectangular structural frame supported to move vertically within said fixed supporting structure and to be guided by fixed guide rails attached to the piers from a raised non-operating position above the barge to a lowered operating position;
c. a wire rope hoisting system including a drum shaft assembly having three drums on a common shaft rotatably supported on one longitudinal beam, a pair of spaced wire rope sheaves rotatably supported on the other longitudinal beam, a power driven drum type hoist unit mounted on one pier adjacent one of the towers, four wire rope cables, one end of each cable being secured to a corner of said liftable bridge, two of the cables passing vertically upward and over the sheaves then passing transversely to a first and second drum on the three drum shaft assembly, the other two cables passing vertically upward directly to the first and second drums, a fifth wire rope cable connected to a third drum of the three drum shaft assembly passes to the hoist unit, whereby operation of the hoist unit raises and lowers said bridge;
d. a wheeled carriage operating on a pair of horizontal longitudinally spaced rails mounted on one lateral end of said liftable bridge, said carriage movable transversely of the channel;
e. reciprocable power means mounted on said bridge and connected to said carriage providing linear motion to move said wheeled carriage on the horizontal rails of said bridge transversely of the channel;
f. at least one adjustable propelling mechanism unit mounted on said movable carriage, said propelling mechanism unit comprising an elongated vertical shaft rotatably supported from said carriage and extending below said bridge, a traction wheel mounted on the lower end of the vertical shaft and a first power means attached to said carriage and connected to the vertical shaft to reversibly rotate the shaft and the traction wheel, said propelling mechanism unit being adjustable transversely of the channel for positioning the traction wheel against the vertical side of the barge by moving said carriage;
and
g. at least one non-adjustable propelling mechanism unit mounted on the other lateral end of said bridge from said adjustable propelling mechanism, said non-adjustable propelling mechanism comprising an elongated vertical shaft rotatably supported from and extending below said bridge, a traction wheel mounted on the lower end of the vertical shaft, and a second power means to reversibly rotate the shaft and the traction wheel, whereby when said bridge is lowered to bring the traction wheels in position vertically adjacent the upper portion of the barge, and said carriage is moved laterally to bring the traction wheel on said adjustable propelling mechanism unit into contact with the side of the barge, the barge is positioned between said fixed and adjustable propelling mechanism units and rotation of the traction wheels in their proper direction will propel the barge longitudinally in the channel.

5 more elements