WO2009037440A1

WO2009037440A1 - Mooring aid

Info

Publication number: WO2009037440A1
Application number: PCT/GB2008/003144
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anthony William Parsons
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-09-19
Filing date: 2008-09-17
Publication date: 2009-03-26
Anticipated expiration: 2010-03-19
Also published as: GB0718192D0

Abstract

A mooring aid for a water-borne vessel has bars (30) which are pivotally mounted at (28) on arms (20) and carry cushion, members (34, 38) at their ends. Initially, the bars (30) adopt the position shown in solid lines, with the cushions (34) relatively close together. An elastic member (50) biases the bars 30 to this position. When the bow (42) of a vessel approaches the region 40, between the arms (20), the bow (42) will push on the swing members (24) to move the (cushions 34) into the region (40). This causes the cushions (38) to swing against the bow (42) (dotted line position). As the vessel engine continues to drive the bow (42) gently into the region (40) the bow is temporarily held by the cushions (34, 38), particularly against sideways movement. This allows mooring lines to be attached more easily, elsewhere on the vessel, before the engine is turned off. Mooring is made more convenient and reliable, even in a confined mooring and when the vessel is under single-handed control.

Description

MOORING AID

The present invention relates to mooring water-borne vessels.

Embodiments of the invention provide a mooring aid for a water-borne vessel, comprising:

an arrangement defining a region for receiving the bow of a vessel driven towards the aid; and

an arrangement operable to move into engagement with the bow to hold the bow in the said region.

The said arrangement may comprise at least one pivotally mounted member. The, or each pivotally mounted member may be mounted to close against a bow in the said region. The, or each pivotally mounted member may be mounted to pivot about a generally vertical axis. The, or each pivotaliy mounted member may include an arm carrying a cushion member to bear against the bow. The arm may be variable in length.

The, or each pivotally mounted member may comprise a first portion against which the bow initially engages to cause the member to swing, and a second portion which swings into engagement with the bow. The first and second portions may be arms extending from a common pivot. Each arm may carry a cushion member to bear against the vessel. Each arm may be variable in length.

The, or each pivotally mounted member may be biased to a position at which the bow may engage the first portion, whilst the said second portion is away from the bow. The mounting position of the, or each pivotally mounted member may be adjustable.

The aid may comprise two pivotally mounted members as aforesaid, operable to close toward a bow from opposite sides thereof.

Examples of the present invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig 1 illustrates a mooring arrangement incorporating a mooring aid in accordance with the present invention;

Fig 2 is a plan view illustrating the structure of the mooring aid; and

Fig 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating the manner in which a mooring aid of the type illustrated in Fig 2 may be fixed to a mooring arrangement of the type illustrated in Fig 1.

Fig 1 illustrates a mooring arrangement of the type which is typical in a commercial marina and many other mooring situations. A pontoon 10 (which may be a floating pontoon or a fixed quay or other floating or fixed structure) is provided with cleats 12, or other hardware for taking mooring lines of a vessel. The pontoon is generally L-shaped, having a first portion 10a, which lies alongside a vessel brought into the berth, generally in the direction of the arrow 14, and a forward portion 10b which will lie ahead of the bow of the vessel, when the vessel in moored.

In the example being illustrated, a vessel brought into the berth along the arrow 14 will be moored, port side to, but it is to be understood that the mooring being described is equally useful when moored starboard side to, or with pontoons to both sides.

In the arrangement of Fig 1 , a mooring aid 16 is mounted to the forward pontoon portion 10b and can now be described in more detail, with reference to Rg 2.

The mooring aid 16 includes a mounting bar 18, carrying two support arms 20, adjustably mounted on the mounting bar 18 by slide mounts 22.

Each support arm 20, at its end remote from the corresponding slide mount 22, carries a pivotally mounted swing member 24. The swing member includes a leg 26 pivotally attached at one end to the corresponding support arm 20, to pivot about a generally vertical axis 28. At its other end, each leg 26, carries a bar 30. The leg 26 is attached part way along the length of the bar 30. Accordingly, the bar 30 includes a first portion 32, with a cushion member, soft roller or the like mounted at its free end. A second portion 36 also has a cushion member, soft roller or the like mounted at its free end. In this example, the second portion 36, is extensible to be adjustable in length. This may be achieved telescopically, with appropriate means for locking the length, such as a locking pin. Accordingly, the separation of the cushion members 34, 38 can be adjusted. In other examples, the first portion 32 may be adjustable in length, or both portions 32, 36 may be adjustable in length.

The swing members 24 are preferably biased toward an initial position in which the cushion members 34 are furthest from the mounting bar 18. This is the position illustrated in solid lines in Fig 1. The bias may be achieved by a spring arrangement, such as an extension spring connected between the second portion 36 and the mounting bar 18 or the support arm 20, or by an appropriate torsion spring within the pivot between the leg 26 and the support arm 20. It can readily be seen from Fig 1 that in the initial position, to which the swing members 24 are biased, the cushion members 38 are further apart than in the alternative position illustrated in broken lines in Fig 1.

The legs 26 may carry abutment members to abut against the support arms 20, to limit the range of pivotal movement between the two extreme positions illustrated in Figl

The support arms 20 define between them a region 40 for receiving the bow of a vessel driven toward the aid 16. The initial position of a bow approaching the region 40 is illustrated in chain-dotted lines in Fig 1. In this situation, the bow 42 has not reached the region 40 and the swing members 24 remain in their initial position, with the cushion members 38 at their uppermost positions.

As the vessel continues to move forward, driving the bow 42 toward the region 40, the bow will eventually engage the swing members 24, pushing the cushion members 34 into the region 40. As the bow continues to move forward, the cushion members 34 swing apart slightly, while entering the region 40. Behind them, the cushion members 38 swing in from their initial position, closing together about the bow 42. Eventually, a position is reached at which the bow 42 has entered the region 40, has engaged and pushed apart the cushion members 34, and has in turn been engaged by the cushion members 38. In this position, the bow is illustrated in dotted lines in Fig 2.

Further forward drive of the bow 42 is prevented by the presence of the swing members 24 in engagement with the bow 42, respectively to port and starboard. This engagement is gentle, being primarily by ^'means of the cushion members 34, 38. The bow 42 may be further protected by the provision of rubbing strakes or other protection along the length of the bars 30. As the engine of the vessel continues to drive the bow 42 into the region 40, an equilibrium is reached in which the bow 42 is clamped by the swing members 24, which are clamped against the bow 42 by the action of the bow 42 pressing on the first portions 32.

Having engaged the bow 42 in this manner, the bow is held against sideways movement, such as may be created by windage on the freeboard of the vessel. Thus, the bow 42, is held in a temporary manner, while ever the vessel is driven forward by its engine, providing a temporary mooring action. Having temporarily fixed the bow 42 in the region 40, the crew of the vessel may leave the engines running, thereby retaining the temporary mooring of the bow, while the stern is secured by mooring lines to the cleats 12, in ^'conventional manner. Additional mooring lines can then secure the bow to the cleats 12. Once adequate mooring lines are in place, fore and aft, the engine can be turned off. At this point, it may be desirable to adjust the mooring lines to slightly withdraw the bow 42 from the region 40, to release the hold from the swing members 24. Adjustment of this nature is relatively easily achieved, because the vessel can remain moored fore and aft, during the operation.

In the process just described, the temporary hold achieved on the bow 42 by the aid 16 allows convenient and reliable mooring, even in a confined mooring and when the vessel is under single-handed control, since the single crew member can use the mooring aid 16 to hold the bow, whilst stern lines are attached, followed by bow lines.

In the process described above, the bow 42 has been described as driven into the region 40. It is preferred for the bow to be directed to the region 40 by appropriate helming of the vessel, but in the event that the bow 42 is initially not accurately aligned, the open V formed initially by the swing members 24 will tend to guide the bow 42 toward the region 40, thus providing a form of self-centring into the region 40. Fig 3 illustrates a structure by which the mooring aid 16 may be accommodated on a typical pontoon berth. In Fig 3, the berth 44 is constructed on structural steel 46 supporting timbers 48. The cleats 12 are carried by the timbers 48. It is envisaged that the mounting bar 18 of the aid 16 would be attached securely to the steel work 46, or hung from an appropriate cleat 12. After installation in this manner, the position of the side mounts 22 along the mounting bar 18, can be adjusted to accommodate the bow 42 of a particular vessel, at the appropriate position relative to the pontoon 10 (and particularly, relative to the side pontoon 10a). Once installed in this manner, the mooring aid 16 remains available on each occasion that the vessel is berthed.

Accordingly, the examples described above are expected to provide a convenient aid for mooring a vessel, particularly when single-handed and in confined spaces, such as modern marinas.

Many variations can be made to the arrangements described above, in particular many different materials, manufacturing techniques, sizes and relative sizes could be chosen, according to the intended location for installation, the size and weight of the intended vessel, and other factors. In an optional modification, an elastically extendible connection is provided between the first portions 32, perhaps in the region of the cushion members 34. This may be in the form of an elastic or rubber cord, bungee or the like. The position is schematically indicated in Fig. 2 at 50. The connection 50 serves to pull the cushion members 34 together, when free to do so. This biases the arrangement to the initial position until engaged by a vessel, and may also provide further restraint against the bow 42 passing through the gap between the cushion members 34.

Whilst endeavoring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. A mooring aid for a water-borne vessel, comprising:

an arrangement defining a region for receiving the bow of a vessel driven . towards the aid; and

2. An aid according to claim 1, comprising at least one pivotally mounted member.

3. An aid according to claim 2, wherein the, or each pivotally mounted member is mounted to close against a bow in the said region.

4. An aid according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the, or each pivotally mounted member is mounted to pivot about a generally vertical axis.

5. An aid according to claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein the, or each pivotally mounted member includes an arm carrying a cushion member to bear against the bow.

6. Ah aid according to claim 5, wherein the arm is variable in length.

7. An aid according to any of claims 2 to 6, wherein the, or each pivotally mounted member comprises a first portion against which the bow initially engages to cause the member to swing, and a second portion which swings into engagement with the bow.

8. An aid according to claim 7, wherein the first and second portions are arms extending from a common pivot.

9. An aid according to claim 8, wherein each arm carries a cushion member to bear against the vessel.

10. Ah aid according to claim 8 or 9, wherein each arm is variable in length.

11. An aid according to any of claims 7 to 10, wherein the, or each pivotally mounted member is biased to a position at which the bow may engage the first portion, whilst the said second portion is away from the bow.

12. An aid according to any of claims 2 to 11 , wherein the mounting position of the, or each pivotally mounted member is adjustable.

13. An aid according to any of claims 2 to 12, comprising two pivotally mounted members as aforesaid, operable to close toward a bow from opposite sides thereof.

14. A mooring aid for a water-borne vessel, substantially as described above, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

15. Any novePsubject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed herein, whether or not within the scope of or. relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.