Waterborne freight-carrying vehicles

Claim 1

A WATERBORNE FREIGHT CARRYING VEHICLE OF THE HOPPERTYPE CATEGORY COMPRISING A HULL HAVING A HOPPER SPACE THEREIN, A SERIES OF CROSS-STRENGTH MEMBERS EXTENDING LATERALLY ACROSS THE HULL AND PROVIDING SUBSTANTIAL TRANSVERSE BRACING FOR THE HULL, SAID CROSS-STRENGTH MEMBERS BEING MOUNTED IN AND ATHWARTSHIP OF SAID HOPPER SPACE, SAID CROSS-STRENGTH MEMBERS FURTHER INCLUDING SUPPORTING SADDLE PORTIONS, AT LEAST ONE CARGO TANK SUITABLE FOR STORING LIQUIFIED GAS POSITIONED IN SAID HOPPER SPACE AND SUPPORTED THEREIN BY THE SUPPORTING SADDLE PORTIONS OF SAID CROSS-STRENGTH MEMBERS, MACHINERY FOR OPERATING ON SAID LIQUIFIED GAS MOUNTED ON SAID HULL, SAID MACHINERY INCLUDING REFRIGERATING EQUIPMENT FOR KEEPING THE BULK OF THE GAS LIQUIFIED AND PUMP MEANS FOR DISCHARGING THE LIQUIFIED GAS, SAID HULL INCLUDING DOUBLE-SKIN PORTIONS WHICH ARE WATER-TIGHT TO PROVIDE BUOYANCY, PART OF THE WATER-TIGHT PORTIONS EXTENDING ALONG THE SIDES OF THE HOPPER-TYPE VEHICLE AND PART OF THE WATER-TIGHT PORTIONS LOCATED AT EACH END OF THE HOPPER-TYPE VEHICLE, THE TOTAL VOLUME OF SAID WATER-TYPE PORTIONS BEING DESIGNED TO MAINTAIN THE HOPPER-TYPE VEHICLE AFLOAT EVEN WHEN SAID HOPPER SPACE IS FLOODED WITH WATER, AND END PORTIONS LOCATED AT EITHER END OF THE HOPPER-TYPE VEHICLE AND DEFINING THE ENDS OF SAID HOPPER SPACE, ONE OF SAID END PORTIONS BEING LONGER THAN THE OTHER, THE LONGER PORTION INCLUDING AN AREA WHICH IS LOCATED ABOVE THE WATER-LINE OF SAID HULL WHEN SAID HOPPER SPACE IS FLOODED, ALL OF SAID MACHINERY BEING MOUNTED ABOVE SAID WATER-LINE AND AT LEAST PART OF SAID MACHINERY BEING MOUNTED IN SAID AREA; WHEREBY, WHEN THE HOPPER SPACE IS FLOODED, THE HOPPER-TYPE VE, HICLE RETAINS ITS STRENGHT AND RIGIDITY, DOES NOT SINK AND CAN CONTINUE TO FUNCTION.