# US 5,701,836 A · Apparatus for removing a vacuum bag of a ship stern

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- Number: US 5,701,836 A
- Document ID: US5701836A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/798,777
- Filed: 1997-02-11
- Granted: 1997-12-30
- Earliest claimed: 1997-02-11
- Inventors: I-Hua Tsui
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5701836A

## CPC

- B63B 1/38: using air bubbles or air layers {gas filled volumes (waterborne vessels travelling on air cushions B60V3/06)}
- Y02T 70/10: Measures concerning design or construction of watercraft hulls
- B63B: SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING (arrangements of vessel ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning B63J2/00; floating substructures as supports of dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F9/06)
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A device for removing a vacuum bag from a ship stern includes a passageway and plural valve units fixed in holes of an outer wall of the stern. The passageway is formed by air entrances in a rear deck, and a space between an inner wall and an outer wall of the stern is divided into plural sections with vertical support plates bored with air holes, and holes bored in the outer walls of the stern. Each valve unit is fixed with each of the holes, normally closing the hole and opening it when the speed of water filling the vacuum bag is slower than the speed of a moving ship enabling open air to flow into the vacuum bag just behind the stern.

## Claims

### Claim 1

In a snip, a device for removing a vacuum bag from a stern thereof, comprising an air passageway formed in the stern of said ship for open air flow into said vacuum bag arising just behind said stern so as to diminish suction force of said vacuum bag acting on said stern, said passageway comprising a plurality of air entrances provided in an upper surface of a rear deck of said stern, a space formed between an inner wall and an outer wall of said stern, said space being separated with a plurality of vertical support plates into plural sections, a plurality of holes spaced apart in said outer wall and each provided with a valve unit, and a rearwardly projecting generally upwardly concave stop wall extending aft of the stern from a bottom of said ship, whereby air exhausted from said plurality of openings into an area above said stop wall and aft of said stern diminishing said suction drag caused by said vacuum bag.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein each said vertical plate has plural air holes formed therein for air flow through said space.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said passageway further comprises a plurality of vertical air pipes provided in said space and connected with said air entrances, each said vertical air pipe provided with a plurality of openings, a plurality of L-shaped pipes, each having a first end attached to one of said openings, and a second end attached to one of said holes in said outer wall of said stern.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said valve units comprises a T-shaped valve, a plastic buffer gasket, a valve seat having a plurality of air passage openings, and a biasing spring retained by a threaded fastener.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

A device as set forth in claim 3, wherein said air entrances are respectively fixed with a bent air pipe which communicates with each said vertical air pipe, said bent air pipe preventing unwanted debris from falling into said vertical air pipes.