US3861342A

US3861342A - Large-capacity transport ship

Info

Publication number: US3861342A
Application number: US340684A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lothar Stahl
Original assignee: Arn Jung Lokomotivfabrik GmbH
Current assignee: Jung Jungenthal GmbH
Priority date: 1973-03-13
Filing date: 1973-03-13
Publication date: 1975-01-21
Anticipated expiration: 1992-01-21

Abstract

A large-capacity transport ship composed of a bow and of individually equally constructed ship sections (3) which are releasably or fixedly connected to one another. The ship sections each consist of two laterally spaced floating members which are connected at least at their ends. The floating members form the sidewalls of a ship section and the space between the floating members is open freely to the water which supports the ship.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Stahl Jan. 21, 1975 1 LARGE-CAPACITY TRANSPORT SHIP [75] Inventor: Lothar Stahl,

Niederasdorf/Wehbach, Germany [73] Assignee: Arn. Jung Lokomotivfabrik GmbH,

Jungenthal bei Kirchen a.d. Sieg,

Germany [22] Filed: Mar. 13, 1973 [21] Appl. N0.: 340,684

[52] US. Cl. 114/77 R, 114/74 R [51] Int. Cl B63b 3/08 [58] Field of Search.... 114/77 R, 77 A, 74 R, 74 T, 114/72, 73, 78, 116, 117,173, 174,176, 37, 43.5, 235 R, .5 T

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,369,615 2/1945 Smith 114/77 R 3,186,369 6/1965 McLennan et al. 114/77 R X 3,191,568 6/1965 Schroeder et al 1l4/43.5 X

3,349,742 10/1967 Bylo 114/77 R 3,478,711 l1/l969 Combs ll4/77 R X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 320,600 4/1920 Germany 114/74 R Primary ExaminerLloyd L. King Assistant ExaminerRandolph A. Reese Attorney, Agent, or FirmWoodhams, Blanchard & Flynn [57] ABSTRACT A large-capacity transport ship composed of a bow and of individually equally constructed ship sections (3) which are releasably or fixedly connected to one another. The ship sections each consist of two laterally spaced floating members which are connected at least at their ends. The floating members form the sidewalls of a ship section and the space between the floating members is open freely to the water which supports the ship.

13 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures LARGE-CAPACITY TRANSPORT SHIP This invention relates to a ship which is used for transporting of large amounts of goods, preferably for transporting of oil, thus to a ship with which several hundred thousand tons of goods can be transported.

Ships for transporting oil are already being built which are dimensioned for several hundred thousand gross registered tons. However, such ships require a large amount of steel. They are endangered during rough sea by leakage which has serious consequences. Furthermore these ships are, due to their large draught, limited to certain ports capable of handling these ships.

The purpose of the invention is to construct a ship having a low weight and low expense and yet capable of transporting large amounts of goods.

According to the invention, a large-capacity transport ship is constructed so that it is composed of a bow and of individual ship sections which are connected releasably among one another and to the how, each of said ship sections consisting of two floating members which are connected at least at their ends, and which floating members form the sidewalls of one ship section, and that the space enclosed by the floating members communicates freely with the water carrying the ship. A ship according to the invention forms a tank for receiving floatable goods or nonfloatable goods which are loaded on load carrying floating members. Thus the ship of the invention does not actually carry the loads which are supposed to be transported but supports only its own weight, that means it can be manufactured relatively easily and inexpensively. The load itself is, as above stated, stored either in floatable containers which thus float within the actual transport ship and are held in a suitable manner in said transport ship or in large floating bubbles of plastic if the floatable goods are supposed to be transported, as for example oil. The floating members can be moved into and out ofthe ship which is openable at the stern end or the ship can separate from the floating members by travelling on and away therefrom.

Ships according to the invention offer the members which they enclose, which float and which carry the goods, sufficient protection also during rough sea especially since the ship sections can be constructed with a large draught. The individual floating members can neither be destroyed nor can they get lost. The dimensions of such a ship have practically no limitations because said ships are no longer forced to enter a port, they can receive or deliver their cargo also in the free sea, thus they may have a large draught. The cargo can be brought to the ship or can be picked up by tug boats. The docking times in the ports are no longer required.

Two exemplary embodiments of the invention are described hereinafter in connection with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a ship embodying the inventron,

FIG. 2 is a top view of the ship,

FIGS. 3 to 6 are cross-sectional or front views of the ship sections from the front and rear,

FIGS. 7 and 8 are a side view and top view, respectively, of a second embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view,

FIG. 10 is an end view of the stern of the ship, and

FIG. II is a front view of the bow of the ship.

The ship which is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 consists ofa bow 1 with bridge 2 and several identical ship sections 3 which are connected releasably or fixedly among one another and with the bow. Each ship section 3 consists, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, of two floatable sidewalls 4 and 5 at the ends of which elliptical rings 6 are secured. These rings have a large number of holes 7 therein for receiving fastening means which are used to connect the individual ship sections with one another. The rings of one ship section are connected at their lower side by a web 8.

Each ship section 3 or each half 4, 5 has a drive mechanism not illustrated. The drive mechanism drives a propeller which is identified with 9.

The ship section 3 which is positioned at the rear ol the ship is closed by gate wings l0 and I1 having slots 12 therein through which the water can penetrate.

The drawings illustrate five ship sections. However. this number can be exceeded and reduced. The length of one ship section can for example be approximately meters, the draught 30 to 40 meters.

As illustrated in the drawings, the room which is defined by the members 4 and 5 is connected to the water so that the load can swim within the ship. A plastic bubble 13 filled with oil is illustrated as the load in FIG. 4.

The exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 7 to 11 differs from the previously described exemplary embodiment in its cross-sectional shape. The rings which are here identified as 14 have the shape of a hexagon. The floating members of each ship section 3 which members are identified as 15 and 16 are shaped trapezoidally. The

gate wings

17, 18 at the stern of the ship are also made to the hexagon shape.

The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

l. A large capacity transport ship, comprising a bow and individual but similar ship sections, said bow and ship sections being fixedly connected to one another in series, said ship sections each comprising two floating members which are connected at least at their ends, said two floating members forming the sidewalls of one said ship section, the space defined by the floating members being open freely to the water which supports the ship, each ship section additionally comprising a pair of transversely disposed rings at and connected to the ends of said floating sidewall members for locating said floating sidewall members in fixed relative relation to define a load receiving room therebetween, said rings being disposed between and effecting the fixed connection between adjacent ship sections.

2. A transport ship according to claim 1 wherein said rings effect a releaseable connection between adjacent ship sections.

3. A transport ship according to claim I in which said floating sidewall members of the ship sections conform in cross section to the radially interior and exterior faces of the rings and the stern of the ship is openable to permit the floatable cargo members carried in the several ship sections to be moved into and out of the ship through said openable stem.

4. A transport ship according to claim 3 in which each ship section is capable of floating therein a plastic bubble filled with oil, said bubble and ship section being of substantially corresponding cross section.

5. A transport ship according to claim 4 which said ship sections are about 100 meters in length and have a draught in the range of 30 to 40 meters.

6. A transport ship according to claim 3 in which the rings are elliptical and the floating sidewall members are correspondingly elliptically curved, providing a longitudinally continuous interior and exterior hull configuration through said ship sections.

7. A transport ship according to claim 3 in which the rings and stem are substantially of hexagonal shape, the floating members connected thereby being substantially trapezoidal in cross section and conforming in external peripheral shape to said rings and stem.

8. A transport ship according to claim 1 including a web extending longitudinally between and connecting the lower sides of the rings of a given ship section.

9. A transport ship according to claim 1 including means defining a plurality of holes in said rings for receiving fastening means for joining the individual ship sections in series.

10. A transport ship according to claim 9 in which said fastening means holes are distributed in the upper and lower portions of said rings, the side portions of said rings connecting to the ends of the floating sidewall members of the adjacent ship sections.

11. A transport ship according to claim 1 including a separate drive on each floating sidewall member of a ship section.

12. A large capacity transport ship, comprising a bow and individual but similar ship sections, said bow and ship sections being fixedly connected to one another in series, said ship sections each comprising two floating members which are connected at least at their ends, said two floating members forming the sidewalls of one said ship section, the space defined by the floating members being open freely to the water which supports the ship, and a gate disposed at the stern of the sternmost ship section for closing said stern-most ship section, said gate having flood slots.

13. A transport ship according to claim 12 in which said gate comprises a pair of gate wings normally closing the rear of the stern-most ship section, said gate wings being closely transversely opposed to each other adjacent the center of the ship, each of said gate wings having ones of said slots for permitting penetration of water therethrough, said gate wings being arranged to permit opening of the stern of the ship for loading and unloading.

Claims

1. A large capacity transport ship, comprising a bow and individual but similar ship sections, said bow and ship sections being fixedly connected to one another in series, said ship sections each comprising two floating members which are connected at least at their ends, said two floating members forming the sidewalls of one said ship section, the space defined by the floating members being open freely to the water which supports the ship, each ship section additionally comprising a pair of transversely disposed rings at and connected to the ends of said floating sidewall members for locating said floating sidewall members in fixed relative relation to define a load receiving room therebetween, said rings being disposed between and effecting the fixed connection between adjacent ship sections.

3. A transport ship according to claim 1 in which said floating sidewall members of the ship sections conform in cross section to the radially interior and exterior faces of the rings and the stern of the ship is openable to permit the floatable cargo members carried in the several ship sections to be moved into and out of the ship through said openable stern.

7. A transport ship according to claim 3 in which the rings and stern are substantially of hexagonal shape, the floating members connected thereby being substantially trapezoidal in cross section and conforming in external peripheral shape to said rings and stern.

12. A large capacity transport ship, comprising a bow and individual but similar ship sections, said bow and ship sections being fixedly connected to one another in series, said ship sections each comprising two floating members which are connected at least at their ends, said two floating members forming the sidewalls of one said ship section, the space defined by the floating members being open freely to the water which supports the ship, and a gate disposed at the stern of the stern-most ship section for closing said stern-most ship section, said gate having flood slots.