Method and apparatus for cargo handling

Claim 2

A SHIP HAVING A HOLD FOR THE STOWING OF CARGO, A DECK STRUCTURE COVERGING SAID HOLD AND FORMED WITH A HATCHWAY, SAID HOLD COMPRISING AN OPEN FRAME STRUCTURE DEFINING A PLURALITY OF DECK LEVELS AND LOCATED IN SAID HOLD SUBJACENT TO, AND AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF, SAID HATCHWAY, SAID FRAME STRUCTURE ALSO DEFINING A LOADING AND DISCHARGING SPACE IN SUBJACENT REGISTRY WITH SAID HATCHWAY, A PLURALITY OF MOVABLE PALLET DECKS LOCATED AT EACH DECK LEVELD AND MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT ON SID FRAME STRUCTURE BETWEEN A POSITION IN SAID LOADING AND DISCHARGING SPACE AND A STOWAGE POSITION WITHIN SAID FRAME STRUCTURE, THE MOVABLE PALLET DECKS LOATED AT EACH DECK LEVEL BEING ARRANGED IN A ROW ON THE DECK STRUCTURE THEREOF ALONG EACH LONGITUDINAL SIDE OF THE SHIP, EACH ROW CONSISTING OF A NUMBER OF PALLEL DECKS RESPECTIVELY ALIGNED WITH THE PALLET DECKS OF THE OPPOSITE ROW, THE WIDTH OF THE LOADING AND DISCHARGE SPACE AND THE WIDTH OF EACH ROW OF MOVBALE PALLET DECKS CONSTITUTING APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF THE WIDTH OF THE HOLD, MEANS FOR MOVING EACH OF SAID PALLET DECKS BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS, AND SUPPORT MEANS FOR RELEASABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH, AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND BETWEEN, FRAME MEMBERS DISPOSED AT ONE DECK LEVEL BUT AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SPACE, SO AS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR SAID PALLET DECKS DURING THE AFORESAID MOVEMENT THEREOF AND WHEN IN SAID LOADING AND DISCHARGING POSITION.

Claim 3

IN THE LOADING OF A SHIP HAVING A HOLD FOR THE STOWING OF CARGO, AND INCLUDING A DECK STRUCTURE COVERING SAID HOLD AND PROVIDED WITH A HATCHWAY, SAID HOLD COMPRISING AN OPEN FRAME STRUCTURE DEFINING A LOADING AND DISCHARGING SPACE IN SUBJACENT REGISTRY WITH SAID HATCHWAY AND ALSO DEFINING A STOWAGE SPACE INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF DECK LEVELS, SAID FRAME STRUCTURE BEING LOCATED IN SAID HOLD SUBJACENT TO SAID HATCHWAY AND AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID LOADING AND DISCHARGE SPACE, A ROW OF MOVABLE PALLET DECKS LOCATED ALONG EACH LONGITUDINAL SIDE OF THE HOLD ON THE DECK STRUCTURE AT EACH DECK LEVEL, EACH ROW CONSISTING OF A NUMBER OF PALLET DECKS RESPECTIVELY ALIGNED WITH THE PALLET DECKTS OF THE ROW ALONG THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE HOLD, SUPPORT MEANS FOR RELEASABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH, AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND BETWEEN FRAME MEMBERS DISPOSED AT ONE DECK LEVEL BUT AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID LOADING AND DISCHARGE SPACE, SO AS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR SAID PALLET DECKS DURINT THE MOVEMENT THEREOF AND WHEN IN SAID LOADING AND DISCHARGING SPACE, MOVING PALLET DECKS RESPECTIVELY FROM SAID ROWS INTO THE LOADING AND DISCHARGING SPACE BUT FROM ALTERNATE LONGITUDINAL POSITIONS IN SAID ROWS SO THAT ALTERNATE PALLET DECKS ARE IN THE LOADING AND DISCHARGING SPACE FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE HOLD, LOADING CARGO ONTO THE PALLET DECKS OF THE RESULTING ROW IN SAID LOADING AND DISCHARGING SPACE, AND THEREAFTER MOVING THE LOADED PALLET DECKS INTO THEIR ORIGINAL POSITIONS IN THE HOLD AT THE RESPECTIVE SIDES OF SAID LOADING AND DISCHARGING SPACE, WHEREBY LOADED PALLET DECKS OF EACH OF THE OPPOSITE ROWS ALTERNATE WITH UNLOADED PALLET DECKS IN THE HOLD.

Claim 4

IN THE LOADING OF A SHIP HAVING A HOLD FOR THE STOWING OF CARGO, AND INCLUDING A DECK STRUCTURE COVERING SAID HOLD AND PROVIDED WITH A HATCHWAY, SAID HOLD COMPRISING AN OPEN FRAME STRUCTURE DEFINING A LOADING AND DISCHARGING SPACE IN SUBJACENT REGISTRY WITH SAID HATCHWAY AND ALSO DEFINING A STOWAGE SPACE INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF DECK LEVELS, SAID FRAME STRUCTURE BEING LOCATED IN SAID HOLD SUBJACENT TO SAID HATCHWAY AND AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID LOADING AND DISCHARGE SPACE, A ROW OF MOVABLE PALLET DECKS LOCATED ALONG EACH LONGITUDINAL SIDE OF THE HOLD ON THE DECK STRUCTURE AT EACH DECK LEVEL, EACH ROW CONSISTING OF A NUMBER OF PALLET DECKS RESPECTIVELY ALIGNED WITH THE PALLET DECKTS OF THE ROW ALONG THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE HOLD, SUPPORT MEANS FOR RELEASABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH, AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND BETWEEN FRAME MEMBERS DISPOSED AT ONE DECK LEVEL BUT AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID LOADING AND DISCHARGE SPACE, SO AS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR SAID PALLET DECKS DURINT THE MOVEMENT THEREOF AND WHEN IN SAID LOADING AND DISCHARGING SPACE, MOVING PALLET DECKS RESPECTIVELY FROM SAID ROWS INTO THE LOADING AND DISCHARGING SPACE BUT FROM ALTERNATE LONGITUDINAL POSITIONS IN SAID ROWS SO THAT ALTERNATE PALLET DECKS ARE IN THE LOADING AND DISCHARGING SPACE FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE HOLD, LOADING CARGO ONTO THE PALLET DECKS OF THE RESULTING ROW IN SAID LOADING AND DISCHARGING SPACE, AND THEREAFTER MOVING THE LOADED PALLET DECKS INTO THEIR ORIGINAL POSITIONS IN THE HOLD AT THE RESPECTIVE SIDES OF SAID LOADING AND DISCHARGING SPACE, WHEREBY LOADED PALLET DECKS OF EACH OF THE OPPOSITE ROWS ALTERNATE WITH UNLOADED PALLET DECKS IN THE HOLD.