US2546353A - Bow construction for barges and the like - Google Patents

Description

March 27, 1951 B. WILLIAMSON 2,546,353

BOW CONSTRUCTION FOR BARGES AND THE LIKE Filed July 3, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 /0 T 7 7 2 m7 m7 ,3 ,,J Flga 1 I Fig.4

Jnventor Bore: Wzummsou W, KM

attornegs March 1951 B. WILLIAMSON BOW CONSTRUCTION F OR BARGES AND THE LIKE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 3, 1948 Juventor Bone VV/Lumwso/v Gttornegs B. WILLIAMSON March 27, 1951 Filed July 3, 1948 March 1951 B. WILLIAMSON BOW CONSTRUCTION FOR BARGES AND THE LIKE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 3, 1948 Patented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Bow ooNsTRUoTIoNroaBARGEs AND THE-LIKE Boyce Williamsom; Birmingham, Ala., assignor t Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation, a corporation of Delaware A1313liczttibn Jilly 3, 1 948, Serial N0. 37,000

" 8' Claims. 1 My present invention relates to barges and has for an object the provision of a barge having improved towing, and strength characteristics and one which may be easily and cheaply constructed.

More" particularly, an objectof my invention is to provide an improved bow construction for barges in which the rake bilge plates are formed of continuous fabricated plate sections which are warped from a point aft of the rake to form the sides and bottom" of the corners of the bow,

and to so warp the rake bilge plates that stif-' feners secured thereon liein substantially straight linesemanatingfrom a common point at the corner of the barge, thereby simplifying the constructionand adding stren'gthto the rake bilge without havi ng'toform the stifieners.

Another object is: to provide a barge of the character designated in which the contour and shape ofthe'rake bilge plates are mathematically calculable; thereby permitting the plates to be accurately laid out and formed by pressing, thus eliminating the necessity of having to lay the same out in the mould: loft.

Another object is" to provide a' bow in which the upper chine lines of the rake bilge plates are straight lines, whereby the remaining portions of the bow to whicl'i the upper edges of the bilge plates are" joined may likewise be cut on straight lines, thus further simplifying the construction and assembly of the bow.

A further object is to provide a bow construction of the character designated" in which the rake bilges are formed of plates which" extend from the bow to a point'well aft of fake of the bow, thereby affording a structure in'which the rake bilge plates: are securely joined tothe barge closely adjacent the midships section thereof.

In the art towhich my invention relates, one of the most functionally efiicient types of bow constructions for barges heretofore developed is thattypecommonlycalled thespoon bow. While functionally eflicient the spoon bow is difiicult to fabricate dueto its irregular, dished shape. A- further disadvantage of the spoonbow'is tl'i at the stifieners for the plates forming the same must be formed to fit the contour of the bow. Even when accurately formed, stiffeners-for a spoon how are difficult to secure in'place with the result that the strength of a spoon bow is considerably less thandesirable.

In seeking to provide a more functionally efficient'bow than the spoon bow and at the same time one which may be fabricatedby regular plate working methods and tools, I- have disbrief, each of the bi-lges of my improved bow comprises a plurality of plates, preferably butt welded together to form a' complete plate section of a length to extend from well aft of the rake to the upper corners of the bow.- The aft end of the rake bilge plates are relatively narrow, and when assembled may lie at an inwardly directed angle to the vertical sides ofthe barge, thus to match the angular bilge portions of the midships section ofthe barge. Fromthe aft end forward, the entire bilge plate section is gradually warped or twisted until the wide for ward end lies substantially horizontal. The periphery of the bilge plates are joined by butt welding to adjacent plates-forming the remainder of the bow. It will thus-be seen that the rake bilge plates are the only major irregular shaped port-ionsc-f the bow of my'improved barge, and that these irregular shapes areeasy to produce and fabricate with the usual plate working machinery, as will later appear.

A barge illustrating the features ofmy invention is shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this applicationin which- Fig. l: is a side-elevational view of the forward end of my improved barge;

Fig: 2 is a sectional plan view taken generally along line II-II of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 to 8" inclusive are detail sectional views taken generally along the respective lines indicated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is a fragmental front elevational view;

Fig. 10 is a somewhat diagrammaticperspective view of one of the side bilge plates detached from the remaining portions of the barge;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of one of the rake bilge plates with the center linesfor the stiffeners indicated thereon;

Fig. 12 is a developed plan view of one of the rake bilge plates;

Fig.1'3is a somewhat diagrammatic perspective view looking aft at the underside of the bow of the barge;

Fig. 14 is a View corresponding generally to Fig. 2 of the drawings, drawn to an enlarged scale and broken away andshowing the stiiiening plates for one of the rake bilge plates laid there- Figs. 15 to 19 inclusive are detail sectional views taken generally along the respective lines indicated on Fig. 14; and,

Fig. 20 is a detail sectional View taken generally along line of Fig. 14.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of my invention, I illustrate my improved bow construction in association with a; barge having a midsh'ips section I'll. As is customary, the midships section is formed of bottom plates II and side plates [2. Adjacent the bottom of the barge, I may bend the side plates l2 under as indicated at l3, whereby to lie at an angle of substantially 45 to the horizontal, and secure the under bent portions to the bottom by welding or the like. The bottom plates H and the side plates l2 may be reinforced by means of stiffeners l4 and I6, respectively. The barge may be divided longitudinally by a bulk head I! passing down the longitudinal center of the barge and may be strengthened by means of transverse bulkheads, not shown. If desired, the barge may be decked, a portion of which is indicated at i8.

The bow section of the barge, indicated generally by the numeral I 9, is formed by extending the bottom plates H of the midships section forwardly and upwardly as indicated at 2 l. The plates 2| are curved to form cylindrical surfaces and are disposed slightly at an angle to each other, thereby to form a V-bottom at the center of the bow as indicated at 22. The rake commences at the point indicated by the letter R in Fig. 1 of the drawing, and it will be noted that the rake bilge plates, hereinafter particularly described, extend well aft of the rake.

The bow is completed by the provision of the vertically disposed transverse end plate or heedlog 23, corner plates 24, and my improved rake bilge plates 26.

As shown more clearly in the several detail views of the drawing, each of the rake bilge plates 26 is made up of individual plates 2'! Welded along the lines 28 to form the complete rake bilge plate. The aft ends 29 of the plates 2% correspond in width to the length of the angled portion [3 of the side plates I2, while the forward end 3! of the plate 26 is considerably wider than the aft end. Each plate 26 is formed by warping or twisting the same throughout its length so that the aft end 29 remains at an angle of approximately 45, thereby to abut the end of the side plates [3. The forward end 3! is twisted and warped until it lies substantially horizontal as indicated in Figs. 9 and 13. The result of thus bending the plate 26 may be determined from an inspection of the various cross sectional views thereof, more particularly the views in Figs. 15 to 19 inclusive. 29 of the plate 26 is perfectl flat and plane and that forwardly of the aft end the plate commences to be warped transversely at approximately the point at which the transverse sectional view, Fig. 15, is taken. Progressing farther toward the forward end 3 I, the plate is transversely warped successively more as indicated by the sectional views, Figs. 16 to 19 inclusive. It is to be noted that the transversely disposed warped sections of the plate lie closer to the upper chine line 3! than to the lower chine line 38. Thus bending and warping the plate provides a structure which when placed against the plates 24, 23, and I2 permits the same to be welded in substantially straight lines along the upper chine line 31.

The lower chine line 38 of each plate 26 is substantially straight from the aft end forward to approximately the point 40. From that point to the forward end 3|, the lower chine line is curved as the plate is viewed in developed plan, Fig. 12. This particular outline of the developed bilge plate causes the lower chine line to accurately match the edges of the plates 2| forming the bow bottom when the bilge plate is warped.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 11, it will It will be noted that the aft end be apparent that from the theoretical point 39 at the corner of the barge, radial lines emanating therefrom are perfectly straight. It is on these lines that I lay the stiffeners 4| for reinforcing the rake bilge plates; As. shown, these stiffeners are preferably in the form of angles with one leg welded to the plate 26. By thus forming the rake bilge plates, it is unnecessary to bend the stiffeners 4|, since they lie along straight lines, indicated in Fig. 11' by the center lines 42. The arrows on the centerlines Fig. 11, indicate the points where the stiifeners are interrupted by the transverse plates 4 Id, thoughobviously the stiffeners may be continuous if desired.

The above description relative to the stiffening members 4| may be more clearly understood by reference to Figs. 14 to 20 inclusive. It will be seen from these views that all of the stiffeners 4! lie on lines emanating from the theoretical point 39 adjacent the corner of the barge. As diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 11, the transversely disposed reinforcing members 41a for the rake bilge plate are disposed at intervals, generally equally spaced from the bow aft, and the ends thereof may lie alongside the ends of transverse members 4 l b in the bottom of the barge. Vertical stiffening members in the form of channels indicated at 4&0 may be employed along the sides of the barge and also along the forward part of the bow.

One of the co-planar surfaces heretofore spoken of and lying along the plate 26 is clearly illustrated in Fig. 20 wherein one of the stiffening members on the plate 26 is shown to be flat, the view being taken along the line XXXX illustrated in Fig. 14... Thus, and as before stated bendingof the stiffeningmembers 4| is unnecessary. The curvature for the bottom edges of the transverse members 4la may readily be cut to shape.

In assembling the plate 26, I preferably butt weld the same to the bottom plate ll along the lower chine line 38. The plate 26 preferably is joined to the side plate l2 by lapping and weld ing the same along the upper chine line 3'1. At the upper corner adjacent the plate 24 it will be found that a slight dip in the plate 26 occurs at the corners, indicated by the numeral 43. This curved configuration occurs by reason of the rounding of the corner of the rake bilge plate at the meeting point of the forward edge 3! and the upper chine line 31. The plate 24 therefore is left slightly long and may be out to shape with a torch during the assembling of the barge.

In actual tests run on models made in accordance with my invention, I have found that my bow improves considerably the towing characteristcs of the barge. While improved towing characteristics are noted both in deep and shallow water tests, I have found that the improvement is particularly noted when towing the barge in shallow water. For instance, at a towing speed of 7 /2 knots I have found that my improved barge requires approximately less power than does a barge embodying a spoon bow of conventional shape.

By extending the plates 26 considerably aft of the point of commencement of the rake, I provide a completely unitary bilge structure for the bow. It will be apparent that by welding such plates in place, I gain considerable strength for the bow since the plates extend continuously to a point almost to the midships section l6.

While I have disclosed my improved bow in association with a midships section having angularly disposed bilges, it will be apparent that my improved bow is equally adapted for association with a barge having square or rounded bilges. Likewise, while I have not shown or described any particular form of stern section, the stern may be made similar to the bow disclosed, or if desired, in other shapes.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have devised an improved bow for barges which is simple of construction, in which the stiffeners for the rake bilge plates are secured to the plates along straight lines, and in which the towing characteristics are greatly improved over bows hereto-fore designed. In actual construction, I have found that the exact configuration of the outline of the developed plates 26 may be calculated, and that this procedure is by far cheaper and more expedient than moulding the bow as has heretofore been customary in connection with spoon bows. I have also found that the strength characteristics of my improved bow construction are considerably improved over existing bows, and further that valuable cargo space is not lost by the need of excessively deep and heavy stiffeners.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore. that only such limitations shall be placed there upon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is: v V

1. In a barge, an upwardly sloping plate forming the bottom of the bow, rake bilge plates for the bow each comprising a plate warped from its aft end toward the forward end, said aft end lying at an angle to the horizontal and the forward end lying substantially horizontal, and headlog and. corner plates secured to the horizontal forward end of the rake bilge plates.

2. In a barge, an upwardly sloping plate forming the bottom of the bow, rake bilge plates forming the bottom sides of the bow and each comprising a plate secured to the outboard edge of the bottom of the bow, said plates having a wide forward end with the edge thereof substantially horizontal and a narrower aft end with the edge thereof diposed at an angle to said forward edge, said plate being warped substantially throughout its length to provide substantially plane surfaces lying along straight lines emanating from a point at the forward corner of the barge, and stiffeners secured to the plates along said plane surfaces.

3. In a barge, sides for the barge, an upwardly sloping bottom forming the bottom of the boW, rake bilge plates forming the outboard bottom portions of the bow, each of said plates having a relatively narrow aft end and a wider forward end, the upper chine line of each plate being a straight "line and the lower chine line thereof being partially straight and partiall curved, said plates being warped whereby the narrower end lies at an angle of less than 90 to the vertical and the forward wider end lies substantially horizontal, means to secure the side bilge plates along the upper chine line to the barge sides, means to secure the bilge plates along the lower chine line to the bottom of the barge, vertically disposed end and corner plates, means to secure the horizontally disposed ends of the bilge plates to the end plates, and means to secure the corners of the bilge plates along the upper chine lines to the corner plates.

4. A barge as defined in claim 3 in which each rake bilge plate is straight along the lower chine line at the aft end, and is curved along the lower chine line at the forward end thereof.

5. A barge as defined in claim 3 in which the rake bilge plates are warped so as to provide plane surfaces lying along straight lines emanating from a common point adjacent the corner of the bow, and in which stiffeners are secured to the plane surfaces of the rake bilge plates along said lines.

6. In a bow construction for barges embodying a substantially rectangular midships section formed of side and bottom plates, an upwardly and forwardly extending portion of the bottom forming the bottom of the bow, vertically disposed continuations of the side plates forming the sides of the bow, a headlog plate forming the upper forward end of the bow, other vertically disposed plates forming the corners of the bow, rake bilge plates forming the bottom sides of the bow, each of said bilge plates being warped throughout its length whereby the aft edge thereof lies substantially parallel with the barge sides, and the forward edge thereof lies substantially parallel with the lower edge of said headlog plate, and means to join the periphery of the rake bilge plates to adjacent edges of the plates forming the remaining portions of the bow.

7. In a barge embodying a midships section formed of a bottom and vertically disposed sides connected by angularly disposed plates, a bow for the midships section comprising forwardly and upwardly sloping portions of the bottom forming the bottom of the bow, vertically disposed forwardly extending continuations of the sides forming the sides of the bow, vertically disposed corners and a headlog for the bow, rake bilge plates each comprising a plate having a narrow aft end and a wider forward end, means to secure the edge of the aft end of the bilge plate in alignment with the angularly diposed connecting plates of the midships section; said bilge plates being warped throughout their length to the extent that the edge of the wide forward end lies substantially parallel with the lower edge of the headlog, said bilge plate being so warped as to provide coplanar surface disposed on straight lines emanating from a common point at the adjacent corners of the barge, means to secure the remainder of the periphery of the bilge plates to adjacent members forming the remainder of the bow, and stifi'eners secured to said coplanar surfaces along said lines.

8. In a barge embodying a midships section and a bow having a rake, members forming the bow bilges comprising a continuous plate extending from the forward end of the bow to a point aft of the rake, said plate being warped to provide coplanar surfaces along its length lying on lines emanating from the corners of the bow, and stiffeners secured to the plates along said lines.

BOYCE WILLIAMSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,823,699 Norton et a1. Sept. 15, 1931 2,054,410 Dawson Sept. 15, 1936 2,100,472 Dawson Nov. 30, 1937 2,299,992 Kennedy Oct. 27, 1942

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