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US 6,182,593 B2Granted
Sea going barge train
OwnerCarlos Kountz Wierickinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerCarlos Kountz Wierickinventor
Estimating the term…
There is provided a sea going barge train or modular tanker vessel for ocean transportation of cargo, such as oil or other dry or liquid materials, consisting of a forward traction unit, a rear powered caboose unit and a series of modular units or barges interposed therebetween wherein the units are serially and flexibly interconnected by means of a universal type coupling which permits relative limited yaw, pitch and roll movement between units. The hull of each barge unit is substantially semi-cylindrically shaped so that the hull immersed section is circular and the barge units are detachably coupled to each other fore and aft and to the traction and caboose units at the circle center of the circle segment defined by the hull cross section so that hull continuity of the barge train is maintained as the barge units roll relative to each other. The universal type coupling employed to detachably couple the barge units to each other and to the forward traction unit and rear caboose unit consists of a male coupling shaft extending from a universal joint mounted at the fore or aft of a barge unit and a female socket, for receiving the male coupling shaft, mounted at the aft or fore of a mating barge unit.
A modular tanker vessel adapted for the ocean transportation of cargo, said modular tanker vessel including:
A barge unit for use in a modular tanker vessel adapted for the ocean transportation of cargo, said barge unit having a hull of semi-cylindrical shape so that the hull immersed section is circular and a cross section of said hull defines a circle segment having a circle center lying on a longitudinal axis of the barge unit, said barge unit further including a male coupling mechanism at a first male mating end of said barge unit located at the circle center of the circle segment defined by the cross section of the barge unit hull, and a female coupling mechanism at a second female mating end of said barge unit located at the circle center of the circle segment defined by the cross section of the barge unit hull.
A universal coupling system for detachably coupling together units of a modular tanker vessel adapted for the ocean transportation of cargo, said modular tanker vessel including a forward traction unit, a rear caboose unit, and a plurality of barge units wherein said units have hulls of substantially semicylindrical shape so that the hull immersed section is circular and a cross section of said hull defines a circle segment having a circle center lying on a longitudinal axis of the unit, said universal coupling system including a male coupling mechanism adapted to be mounted on a male mating end of a barge, traction, caboose unit, said male coupling mechanism including a universal joint having a male coupling shaft extending therefrom, said female coupling mechanism including a female socket adapted to receive said male coupling shaft, wherein said female coupling mechanism further includes means for mounting said female socket so as to permit movement thereof so that said female socket can be aligned with the male coupling shaft of the associated male coupling mechanism during the coupling operation.
A universal coupling system for detachably coupling together units of a modular tanker vessel adapted for the ocean transportation of cargo, said modular tanker vessel including a forward traction unit, a rear caboose unit, and a plurality of barge units, said universal coupling system including a male coupling mechanism adapted to be mounted on a female mating end of a barge, traction, caboose unit and associated female coupling mechanism adapted to be mounted on a male mating end of a barge, traction, caboose unit, said male coupling mechanism including a universal joint having a male coupling shaft extending therefrom, said female coupling mechanism including a female socket adapted to receive said male coupling shaft, wherein said female coupling mechanism further includes means for mounting said female socket so as to permit movement thereof so that said female socket can be aligned with the male coupling shaft of the associated male coupling mechanism during the coupling operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.