Simplified midbody section for liquid cargo vessels and method and apparatus for construction
AssigneeUS Shipbuilding Corporation, Inc.
InventorsOle Skaarup, James H. Hara
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a preferred embodiment, a midbody section for a liquid cargo vessel of the double hull type, the midbody section having rectilinear top, bottom, and two side hull portions joined by four curvilinear hull portions, the midbody section including: the top, bottom, and two side hull portions being constructed from substantially identically dimensioned rectilinear sandwich sections and having inner and outer hull plates; and the four curvilinear hull portions being substantially identically dimensioned and having inner and outer hull plates. The invention includes method and apparatus for construction of the sandwich sections.
Claims6
A method of fabricating a sandwich section for the construction of a midbody section for a liquid cargo vessel of the double hull type, said method comprising:
- (a) placing a first hull panel on a first horizontal support;
- (b) placing a plurality of first longitudinal plates vertically on said first hull panel and welding edges of said first longitudinal plates thereto;
- (c) placing a second hull panel on a second horizontal support;
- (d) placing a plurality of second longitudinal plates vertically on said second hull panel and welding edges of said second longitudinal plates thereto;
- (e) rotating said first hull panel 180 degrees and placing said first hull panel over said second hull panel with edges of said first longitudinal plates in contact with said second hull panel and edges of said second longitudinal plates in contact with said first hull panel;
- (f) welding edges of said first longitudinal plates to said second hull panel;
- and
- (g) welding edges of said second longitudinal plates to said first hull panel.
An apparatus for fabricating a sandwich section for the construction of a midbody section for a liquid cargo vessel of the double hull type, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) a first horizontal support for the placement thereon of a first hull panel;
- (b) a second horizontal support spaced horizontally from said first horizontal support for the placement thereon of a second hull panel;
- (c) a fixedly journalled, horizontal, rotatable shaft rotatable about an axis disposed between and parallel to said first and second horizontal support surfaces;
- (d) a plurality of arms fixedly attached to and extending laterally from said shaft, said arms being adapted for the releasable attachment thereto of said first hull panel;
- (e) means to rotate said arms with said first panel attached thereto, after welding to said first panel a plurality of first longitudinal plates, so that edges of said first longitudinal plates are in contact with said second panel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.