Automated all-weather cargo transfer system
OwnerDonald E. Leeinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An advanced automated vessel cargo transfer system for loading and unloading of ships and lighters. It includes an articulated manipulator arm mounted on a frame. The arm is provided with a spreader bar at the distal end thereof. The spreader bar is provided with facilities for grasping cargo. Sensors track the movement of the vessel, and automatically responsive controllers adjust the motion and position of the spreader bar to follow the motion of the vessel. Berthing modules are provided to aid in controlling the motion of the vessel. In a major embodiment, the manipulator arm is mounted on a transverse frame that bridges spaced-apart floating barges, and provisions are made for serving vessels both on the outboard and inboard sides of the barges. In another embodiment, the manipulator arm is shore-based.
Claims12
An automated vessel cargo transfer system comprising elements, said elements comprising:
- a plurality of support barges, said barges being in parallel and laterally displaced position, a transverse frame extending between said barges, an interface between each of said barges and said transverse frame, at least one manipulator arm extending from and mounted on said transverse frame, a spreader bar on said manipulator arm, said spreader bar having six adjustable degrees of freedom of motion, sensing means to determine the relative positions of a vessel and elements of said cargo transfer system, computer means operatively connected to said sensing means and to said transverse frame of said vessel cargo transfer system, said interface comprising at least one actuator system, each said actuator system comprising three electro-hydraulic/pneumatic actuators forming an inverted tripod, the length of each actuator being adjustable in response to signals from said computer means, whereby the motion of said vessel is adjusted for by appropriate following motion of said transverse frame.
An automated vessel cargo transfer system comprising elements, said elements comprising:
- a plurality of support barges, said barges being in parallel and laterally displaced position, a transverse frame extending between said barges, an interface between each of said barges and said transverse frame, at least one manipulator arm extending from and mounted on said transverse frame, a spreader bar on said manipulator arm, said spreader bar having six adjustable degrees of freedom of motion, sensing means to determine the relative positions of a vessel and elements of said cargo transfer system, computer means operatively connected to said sensing means and to said transverse frame of said vessel cargo transfer system, at least one berthing module on at least one of said barges, said berthing module being capable of six degrees of freedom, at least five of said degrees being controllably adjustable, whereby the motion of said vessel is adjusted for by appropriate following motion of said transverse frame.
A shore-based automated vessel cargo transfer system comprising elements, said elements comprising:
- a pier, a frame extending from said pier, an interface between said frame and said pier, at least one manipulator arm extending from and mounted on said frame, a spreader bar on said manipulator arm, said spreader bar having six adjustable degrees of freedom of motion, sensing means to determine the relative positions of a vessel and elements of said cargo transfer system, computer means operatively connected to said sensing means and to said frame of said vessel cargo transfer system, said interface comprising at least one actuator system, each said actuator system comprising three electro-hydraulic/pneumatic actuators forming an inverted tripod, the length of each actuator being adjustable in response to signals from said computer means, whereby the motion of said vessel is adjusted for by appropriate following motion of said frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.