Hopper barge with bottom flaps and a suction channel

In a hopper barge comprising one or more cargo spaces and a series of discharge openings in the bottom of the hold, each opening having a bottom flap which in the downwards displaced position realizes a connection between the hold through the respective discharge opening to the water outside the barge and further comprises a suction channel extending in the longitudinal direction of the barge wherein the bottom flaps each have at least one wall which assures the continuity of the channel in case the flaps are completely closed and connects said channel to the hold when the flap is in an intermediate position in which the discharge opening is still closed;

• the improvement in which each flap comprises a hollow body with a pivot shaft extending along one side of the hollow body and with a wall on the side of the body opposite the pivot shaft, which wall extends concentrically in relation to said shaft from top to bottom of said opposite side of said hollow body, the shafts of all flaps extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the barge and portions of the barge construction positioned above each other forming sealing and stop means cooperating with each flap in the upper closed position and in the intermediate suctioning position, said portions comprising an upper longituinal edge that stops the flaps in their closed position and a lower longitudinal edge that seals against said opposite wall in the closed and intermediate positions of the flaps.