GB2257350A

GB2257350A - Boat cleaning

Info

Publication number: GB2257350A
Application number: GB9114791A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thomas Edward Eatenton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-07-09
Filing date: 1991-07-09
Publication date: 1993-01-13
Also published as: GB9114791D0

Abstract

Apparatus for cleaning the hull of a boat while the boat remains in the water is intended for mounting on opposed walls separated by a body of water, such as, for example, a dock. It comprises two or more oppositely inclined rotatable cleaning brushes 14a, 14b arrangeable at substantially the same angle as the deadrise angle of the hull of the boat, one or more rotatable cleaning brushes 8 disposable perpendicular to the mid-line of the boat, and means for actuating rotation of the cleaning brushes as the boat travels over the apparatus. A method for cleaning the hull of the boat while the boat remains in the water is also disclosed. It is anticipated that the method and apparatus of the present invention will allow the hulls of boats to be cleaned relatively quickly and inexpensively. <IMAGE>

Description

BOAT CLEANING The present invention relates to boat cleaning, and more particularly to method and apparatus for cleaning the hull of a boat while it remains afloat.

Growth of algae etc., on the hull of a boat causes an increase in the resistance of the hull in the water and thus a decrease in the speed at which it can travel.

For powered boats, this causes an increase in fuel consumption. Currently, boats are removed from the water or placed in dry dock approximately annually to have this growth removed as part of their "antifouling". This is a time consuming and expensive process.

Hitherto there has not been an effective way of cleaning the hulls of boats while they remain afloat.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for cleaning the hull of a water-going vessel while said vessel remains in the water, comprising, for mounting on opposed wall means separated by a body of water with a said vessel disposed therein: i) two or more oppositely inclined rotatable cleaning elements arrangeable at substantially the same angle as the deadrise angle of the hull of the vessel, ii) one or more rotatable cleaning elements disposable perpendicular to the mid-line of said vessel, and iii) means for actuating rotation of said cleaning elements as said vessel travels over said apparatus.

The cleaning elements may be brushes and, in one embodiment, the two angled brushes are mounted on a twopart drive shaft joined at its centre by a universal joint. The two-part drive shaft may be supported by hydraulic rams so that the universal joint can be removed to allow deep-keeled vessels to pass through the apparatus.

In another embodiment, the two angled brushes are independently mounted on two inclined drive shafts which do not even need to be in-line.

Preferably, all the brushes are carried on mounting arrangements which are movable vertically, which vertical movement may be achieved by winches, cables and pulleys.

The mounting arrangements may themselves be mounted on supports which are movable inwardly and outwardly, preferably by means of hydraulic rams. Indeed the angle at which the brushes are disposed may be varied by appropriate mounting of the brushes. The range of movement that the brushes have enables cleaning of hulls of a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

Moreover, the brushes may be made to rotate in the opposite direction to the direction of travel of the vessel.

These observations concerning direction of rotation and also mounting and height adjustability are generally applicable to the or each cleaning element which is disposable perpendicular to the mid-line of the vessel and which may be situated forward of the angled cleaning elements.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for cleaning the hull of a water-going vessel while said vessel remains in the water, comprising causing the vessel to travel through a body of water laterally bounded by opposed wall means, on which wall means are mounted: i) two or more oppositely inclined rotatable cleaning elements arranged at substantially the same angle as the deadrise angle of the hull of the vessel to contact said hull, and ii) one or more rotatable cleaning elements disposed perpendicular to the mid-line of said vessel, to contact the underside of the vessel as said cleaning elements are made to rotate.

The method and apparatus of the present invention allow the hulls of boats to be cleaned relatively quickly and inexpensively and hence makes it an attractive proposition to clean them regularly. The hulls accumulate less algal growth and thereby the efficiency of the boats when they are in the water increases.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the same embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 is a partial diagrammatic view of another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1, the apparatus of the present invention is mounted between two walls la, ib which are preferably the two sides of a dock or the two sides of a lock or at the exit of a harbour or port. The placing of the apparatus at such an exit allows a boat to be cleaned as it leaves a harbour or port rather than requiring a special operation or manoeuvring of the boat.

Left and right forward support pillars 2, 3 are carried by hydraulic cylinders 4 mounted within the dockside 1. Access to the cylinders 4 is preferably by means of inspection holes (not shown) within the dockside la, lb. The support pillars 2, 3 are movable inwardly and outwardly under the action of the cylinders 4.

A telescopic drive shaft 5 is mounted in tracks on the respective front support pillars 2, 3 by means of waterproof, sealed bearings so as to be movable vertically, and a brush 6 is mounted for rotation on the drive shaft 5. Motors 7, which are also mounted on the support pillars 2, 3, operate to rotate the drive shaft 5 via a suitable drive means, e.g. gears. The motors 7 are mounted so as to be movable vertically with the drive shaft 5. The drive shaft 5 is telescopic so as to accommodate inward and outward movement of the support pillars 2, 3.

Attached to the motors 7 are cables 8 which run via pulleys 9 to electric winches on either side of the apparatus (not shown). Driving of these winches causes the motors 7 to travel along the tracks in the supports 2, 3 to raise or lower the drive shaft 5 in the water.

Situated behind left and right forward support pillars 2, 3 are left and right rear support pillars 10, 11 (Figure 2). The rear support pillars 10, 11 are similar in nature to the forward support pillars 2, 3 and are also movable towards and away from each other by means of hydraulic cylinders similar to hydraulic cylinders 4. Mounted between support pillars 10, 11 is a two-part drive shaft 12 joined at its centre by means of a universal joint 13. Each part of the shaft 12 is inclined, preferably at an angle substantially the same as the deadrise angle of the hull of a boat to be cleaned, and brushes 14a, 14b similar to brush 6 are mounted on each part thereof. The shaft 12 is rotatable by means of motors 7 in a manner similar two that described for shaft 5. Vertical movement of the shaft 12 is also achieved by means similar to shaft 5, i.e.

tracks, cables, pulleys and winches.

Where a boat with a deep keel, e.g. a sailing yacht, is to be cleaned, it is envisaged that the universal joint 13 be removed to allow the keel to pass through the apparatus. In this case, the two separated parts of the drive shaft 12 are supported by means of hydraulic rams 15 (see Figure 2). The rams 15 are attached to sleeves 16 which fit around the two parts of the shaft 12 to support and allow rotation thereof.

In another embodiment, the brushes 14a, 14b are attached to separate inclined drive shafts 16, 17 which are mounted between the left and right rear support pillars 10, 11 (see Figure 3).

In operation, a boat to be cleaned is taken into the dock or lock containing the apparatus of the present invention.

Hydraulic rams 4 are operated to adjust the position of the forward and rear support pillars 2, 3, 10, 11, and thus the position of the brushes 6, 14a, 14b, according to the size of the boat that is to be cleaned. Electric winches are operated to raise the brushes 6, 14a, 14b into contact with the hull. In the case of the rear brushes 14a, 14b, the operation of the rams and winches adjusts the angle of inclination of the brushes to substantially correspond to the deadrise angle of the hull of the boat.

As mentioned, for deep keel boats, the universal joint 13 is removed to allow the keel of the boat to pass through the apparatus.

The brushes are set into rotation by means of the motors 7 and the boat is towed over the apparatus. The boat does not pass over the apparatus under its own power so that the propeller, if present, is not turning, and the risk of any of the brushes becoming entangled therewith is minimised. The rotation of the brushes 6, 14a, 14b is preferably in the opposite direction to the direction of travel of the boat so as to obtain maximum cleaning.

Brush 6 is pulled vertically upwards so as to contact the front, keel and transom of the boat as the boat is pulled over the apparatus. It is envisaged that all of the brushes be constructed from stiff nylon or any other such material that is abrasive enough to remove algae and other sources of fouling from the hull of the boat.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Apparatus for cleaning the hull of a boat while said boat remains in the water, comprising, for mounting on opposed wall means separated by a body of water with a said boat disposed therein: i) two or more oppositely inclined rotatable cleaning elements arrangeable at substantially the same angle as the deadrise angle of the hull of the boat, ii) one or more rotatable cleaning elements disposable perpendicular to the mid-line of said boat, and iii) means for actuating rotation of said cleaning elements as said boat travels over said apparatus.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cleaning elements comprise brushes.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the inclined cleaning elements are mounted on a two-part drive shaft joined at its centre by a universal joint.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the two-part drive shaft is supported by hydraulic rams, the arrangement being such that the universal joint can be removed to allow boats having deep-keels to pass through the apparatus.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the inclined cleaning elements are independently mounted on two inclined drive shafts.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cleaning elements are carried on mounting arrangements which are movable vertically.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the mounting arrangements are mounted on supports which are movable inwardly and outwardly.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said supports are movable inwardly and outwardly by means of hydraulic rams.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cleaning elements are rotatable so that the direction of their travel at the position of contact with the hull of the boat is in the opposite direction to the direction of travel of the boat.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each cleaning element which is disposable perpendicular to the mid-line of the boat is situated forward of the angled cleaning elements.

10. A method for cleaning the hull of a boat while said boat remains in the water, comprising causing the boat to travel through a body of water laterally bounded by opposed wall means, on which wall means are mounted: i) two or more oppositely inclined rotatable cleaning elements arranged at substantially the same angle as the deadrise angle of the hull of the boat to contact said hull, and ii) one or more rotatable cleaning elements disposed perpendicular to the mid-line of said boat, to contact the underside of the boat as said cleaning elements are made to rotate.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cleaning elements rotate so that the direction of their travel at the position of contact with the hull of the boat is in the opposite direction to the direction of travel of the boat.

12. Apparatus for cleaning the hull of a boat while said boat remains in the water substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

13. A method for cleaning the hull of a boat while said boat remains in the water substantially as hereinbefore described.