Buffer system for ships

Claim 2

A buffer system for rough-sea alongside-mooringlines interconnecting said ships, comprising: A. means for spacing one of said ships from the other of said ships, said spacing means having I. at least one vertically oriented guide-track positioned on the outside hull portion of one of said ships; II. a structural framework adapted to move vertically along said vertically oriented guide-track; III. means for providing lateral stability of said spacingmeans, comprising a plurality of guide-elements positioned on said framework, and coacting with said guide-track; IV. means for vertically positioning said framework along said guide-track; V. means for braking said framework at a desired vertical position along said guide-track at substantially the waterline in correspondence with the instantaneous draft of said ships; VI. a buffer element positioned on each framework comprising: a. at least one inflatable tire, mounted on said framework for rotation in a vertical plane, for rotating along said other ship''s hull as the relative vertical positions of said ships change in a rough sea; b. impact-minimizing means, mounted effectively between said tire and said framework, for absorbing impact-energy, said means comprising a gas/fluid snubber protruding from and disposed normal to said one ship''s hull during activation thereof, and wherein said impact forces said fluid through apertures and compresses said gas for providing a long strike dual snubbing action produced by tire-compression and by snubber action; c. minimized-rebound means for urging said tire outwardly toward the other ship for establishing a separation-distance between said ships, said urging means comprising the pressurized gas in said gas/fluid snubber.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 wherein said structural framework comprises a. a mainstrut having its inboard-end pivotably attached to one of said guide-elements, said tire being attached to the outboard-end of said main-strut; b. said snubber being pivotably attached between said tire and another of said guide-elements; c. support-strut means, having its inboard-end pivotably attached to said other guide-element and having its outboard-end pivotably attached to said mainstrut, for maintaining said snubber in a substantially horizontal position.

Claim 4

said impact-minimizing means comprises a plurality of snubbers pivotably attached between said tires and respective said lower-disposed guide-elements;

Claim 5

said impact-minimizing means comprises a plurality of snubbers pivotably attached between said tires and respective said lower-disposed guide-elements;

Claim 6

a like plurality of support-struts having their inboard-ends pivotably attached to respective lower-disposed guide-elements and having their outboard-ends pivotably attached to said main-strut.

Claim 7

a like plurality of support-struts having their inboard-ends pivotably attached to respective lower-disposed guide-elements and having their outboard-ends pivotably attached to said main-strut.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 2 wherein said structural framework further comprises a plurality of parallel mainstruts, a plurality of associated supportion Struts, and a plurality of associated snubbers.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 3 including a source of controllable-pressure gas and a source of controllable-pressure fluid; and means for providing said snubbers with said controllable-pressure gas and fluid.

Claim 10

A buffer system for rough-sea alongside mooring of two ships comprising: A. a first ship; B. a second ship; C. a plurality of mooring lines interconnecting said ships; D. means for spacing said first ship from said second ship, said spacing means having I. a plurality of sets of vertically oriented guide-tracks positioned on the outside hull portion of one of said ships; II. a plurality of structural frameworks, respective frameworks positioned along respective sets of said vertically oriented guide-tracks, each said framework having at least a pair of two vertically spaced guide-elements positioned to coact with respective guide-tracks; III. motor means for vertically positioning said frameworks along respective said guide-tracks; IV. means for braking said motor means at a desired vertical position along respective said guide-tracks at substantially the waterline in correspondence with the instantaneous draft of said ships; V. a buffer-element positioned on each framework, comprising: a. at least a plurality of inflatable tires mounted on each said framework for tire-rotation in a vertical plane; b. impact-minimizing means for absorbing impact-energy, said means comprising a long-stroke gas/fluid snubber, protruding from and disposed normal to said one ship''s hull and between said tires and said framework; c. minimized-rebound means for urging said tires outwardly toward the outer ship for establishing a separation-distance between said ships, said means comprising said gas/fluid snubber; d. means for controlling the air and fluid pressures of said snubber, for controlling the approach and separation of said ships.

Claim 11

A buffer system for rough-sea alongside mooring of two ships comprising: A. a first ship; B. a second ship; C. a plurality of mooring lines interconnecting said ships; D. means for spacing said first ship from said second ship, said spacing means having I. a plurality of sets of vertically oriented guide-tracks positioned on the outside hull portion of one of said ships; II. a plurality of structural frameworks, respective frameworks positioned along respective sets of said vertically oriented guide-tracks, each said framework having at least a pair of two vertically spaced guide-elements positioned to coact with respective guide-tracks; III. motor means for vertically positioning said frameworks along respective said guide-tracks; IV. means for braking said motor means at a desired vertical position along respective said guide-tracks at substantially the waterline in correspondence with the instantaneous draft of said ships; V. a buffer-element positioned on each framework, comprising: a. at least a plurality of inflatable tires mounted on each said framework for tire-rotation in a vertical plane; b. impact-minimizing means for absorbing impact-energy, said means comprising a long-stroke gas/fluid snubber, protruding from and disposed normal to said one ship''s hull and between said tires and said framework; c. minimized-rebound means for urging said tires outwardly toward the outer ship for establishing a separation-distance between said ships, said means comprising said gas/fluid snubber; d. means for controlling the air and fluid pressures of said snubber, for controlling the approach and separation of said ships.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 5 wherein:

Claim 13

In a buffer system for rough-sea alongside-mooring of two ships having a plurality of mooring lines interconnecting said ships, and having at least one vertically oriented guide-track positioned on the outside hull-portion of one of said ships, the combination comprising: carriage means, movably mounted on the track, for movement therealong; a main strut having an upper end pivoted to the carriage means, and having lower end free; a resilient bumper mounted on said lower end of the main strut; and a shock absorber having one end pivotally connected to said lower end of said main strut, and having its other end pivotally connected to said carriage means, said shock absorber being at a position substantially displaced below the pivotal connection between the main strut and carriage means so that said shock absorber is disposed normal to the hull of said one ship.

Claim 14

In a buffer system for rough-sea alongside-mooring of two ships having a plurality of mooring lines interconnecting said ships, and having at least one vertically oriented guide-track positioned on the outside hull-portion of one of said ships, the combination comprising: carriage means, movably mounted on the track, for movement therealong; a main strut having an upper end pivoted to the carriage means, and having lower end free; a resilient bumper mounted on said lower end of the main strut; and a shock absorber having one end pivotally connected to said lower end of said main strut, and having its other end pivotally connected to said carriage means, said shock absorber being at a position substantially displaced below the pivotal connection between the main strut and carriage means so that said shock absorber is disposed normal to the hull of said one ship.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 7, wherein said carriage means comprises first and second guide-elements pivoted respectively to said main strut and to said shock absorber, said guide-elements being displaced from each other along said track; a stabilizing-strut having one end pivoted to said second guide-element having the other end pivotally connected to the midpoint of the main strut and said stabilizing strut being half as long as said main strut.

Claim 16

A buffer system for rough-sea alongside-mooring of two ships having a plurality of mooring lines connecting said ships, comprising: A. means for spacing one of said ships from the other of said ships, said spacing means having I. at least one vertically oriented guide-track positioned on the outside hull-portion of one of said ships; II. carriage means, comprising vertically spaced upper and lower guide elements that are movably mounted on said respective track for movement along said track; III. a structural framework mounted on said carriage means, said framework having a. a main strut having an upper end pivotally connected to the upper guide-element, and having a lower end free; b. a stabilizing strut having a lower end pivotally connected to the lower guide element, and having an upper end pivotally connected to an intermediate portion of said main strut; IV. a resilient bumper mounted on said lower end of said main strut, said resilient bumper comprising an inflatable tire mounted for rotation in a vertical plane for rotating along the other ship''s hull as the relative vertical positions of said ships change in a rough sea; V. impact-minimizing means, comprising a shock absorber having one end pivotally connected to said lower end of said main strut, and having its other end pivotally connected to the lower guide-element, so that said shock absorber is disposed substantially normal to and protrudes from the hull of said one ship as said bumper moves towards or away from said one ship; VI. motor means for vertically positioning said carriage means along said guide-track; VII. means for braking said carriage means at a desired vertical position along its guide track at substantially the waterline in correspondence with the instantaneous draft of said ships.

Claim 17

A buffer system for rough-sea alongside-mooring of two ships having a plurality of mooring lines connecting said ships, comprising: A. means for spacing one of said ships from the other of said ships, said spacing means having I. at least one vertically oriented guide-track positioned on the outside hull-portion of one of said ships; II. carriage means, comprising vertically spaced upper and lower guide elements that are movably mounted on said respective track for movement along said track; III. a structural framework mounted on said carriage means, said framework having a. a main strut having an upper end pivotally connected to the upper guide-element, and having a lower end free; b. a stabilizing strut having a lower end pivotally connected to the lower guide element, and having an upper end pivotally connected to an intermediate portion of said main strut; IV. a resilient bumper mounted on said lower end of said main strut, said resilient bumper comprising an inflatable tire mounted for rotation in a vertical plane for rotating along the other ship''s hull as the relative vertical positions of said ships change in a rough sea; V. impact-minimizing means, comprising a shock absorber having one end pivotally connected to said lower end of said main strut, and having its other end pivotally connected to the lower guide-element, so that said shock absorber is disposed substantially normal to and protrudes from the hull of said one ship as said bumper moves towards or away from said one ship; VI. motor means for vertically positioning said carriage means along said guide-track; VII. means for braking said carriage means at a desired vertical position along its guide track at substantially the waterline in correspondence with the instantaneous draft of said ships.

Claim 18

The combination of claim 9 including a source of controllable-pressure gas; a source of controllable-pressure fluid; and means for providing said shock absorbers with said controllable pressure gas and fluid.