Load indicator for mooring line

Claim 3

The method according to claim 1 wherein the value of the angle of the mooring line at the point of support is measured with reference to a horizontal reference line.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 2 wherein the vessel floats on the surface of the body of water, the point of support is located above the water surface, and the measurement of value of the angle is obtained by a. providing a graphical representation of the value of said angle as functions of the height of the point of support above the water surface and of the length of mooring line exposed between the water surface and the said point, b. measuring said height and said exposed length, and c. locating on the last mentioned graphical representation a unique point common to the last mentioned measurements to obtain a value of said angle.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 2 wherein the vessel floats on the surface of the body of water, the point of support is located above the water surface, the mooring line is defined by a length of chain, and the measurement of the value of said angle is obtained by a. providing a graphical representation of the value of said angle as a function of the height of the point of support above the water surface and of the number of links of the chain exposed between the water surface and said point of support, b. measuring said height, c. counting the number of chain links exposed between the point of support and the water surface, and d. locating on the last mentioned graphical representation a unique point common to the values of the last mentioned measurement and said count to obtain a value of said angle.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 1 wherein the amount of mooring line paid out between the point of support and the anchor is at least five times greater than said vertical distance.

Claim 11

Apparatus for use in measuring the tensile load in a mooring line extending from a submerged anchor to the point of line support on a moored vessel floating above the anchor, said point of support being that most outboard of the vessel along the mooring line, the apparatus comprising shoe means laterally releasably engageable with the mooring line adjacent to and outboard of said point of support for assuming an attitude determined by the slope of the mooring line outboard of and next-adjacent to the point of support, the shoe means being arranged for paying out and taking in mooring line relative to the vessel during engagement of the shoe means with the mooring line, means for connecting the shoe means to the vessel to prevent movement of the shoe means along the mooring line, means connected to the shoe means and responsive to a change in attitude of the shoe means for manifesting the value of said slope at the location of the shoe means on the line, said slope manifesting means including an inclinometer mounted to the shoe means for generating a signal indicative of the angle of the mooring line at the shoe means relative to a horizontal reference plane, and means for correlating the angle of the mooring line as manifested by said signal to the amount of tension in the line at the point of support.

Claim 12

Apparatus for use in measuring the tensile load in a mooring line extending from a submerged anchor to the point of line support on a moored vessel floating above the anchor, said point of support being that most outboard of the vessel along the mooring line, the apparatus comprising shoe means laterally releasably engageable with the mooring line adjacent to and outboard of said point of support for assuming an attitude determined by the slope of the mooring line outboard of and next-adjacent to the point of support, the shoe means being arranged for paying out and taking in mooring line relative to the vessel during engagement of the shoe means with the mooring line, means for connecting the shoe means to the vessel to prevent movement of the shoe means along the mooring line, means connected to the shoe means and responsive to a change in attitude of the shoe means for manifesting the value of said slope at the location of the shoe means on the line, said slope manifesting means including an inclinometer mounted to the shoe means for generating a signal indicative of the angle of the mooring line at the shoe means relative to a horizontal reference plane, and means for correlating the angle of the mooring line as manifested by said signal to the amount of tension in the line at the point of support.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 8 including means remote from the shoe means to which said signal is applied for visually indicating the value of tension present in the mooring line with which the shoe means is engaged.

Claim 14

Apparatus for use in measuring the tensile load in a mooring line extending from an anchor to the point of line support on a moored vessel most outboard of the vessel along the line and comprising shoe means releasably engageable with the mooring line adjacent to and outboard of the point of support for assuming an attitude determined by the slope of the mooring line outboard of and next adjacent to the point of support, means for connecting the shoe means to the vessel to prevent movement of the shoe means along the mooring line away from the vessel, a dial member mounted to the vessel adjacent the point of support, a dial pointer mounted to the dial member for movement relative thereto, and means coupling the shoe means to the dial member and the pointer and arranged so that the pointer moves relative to the dial member in response to changes in attitude of the shoe means, the dial member being adapted to receive a scale card, calibrated to indicate the tension in a particular mooring line with which the shoe means may be engaged, in a selected position thereon relative to the pointer.

Claim 15

Apparatus for use in measuring the tensile load in a mooring line extending from an anchor to the point of line support on a moored vessel most outboard of the vessel along the line and comprising shoe means releasably engageable with the mooring line adjacent to and outboard of the point of support for assuming an attitude determined by the slope of the mooring line outboard of and next adjacent to the point of support, means for connecting the shoe means to the vessel to prevent movement of the shoe means along the mooring line away from the vessel, a dial member mounted to the vessel adjacent the point of support, a dial pointer mounted to the dial member for movement relative thereto, and means coupling the shoe means to the dial member and the pointer and arranged so that the pointer moves relative to the dial member in response to changes in attitude of the shoe means, the dial member being adapted to receive a scale card, calibrated to indicate the tension in a particular mooring line with which the shoe means may be engaged, in a selected position thereon relative to the pointer.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the dial pointer is rotatable relative to the dial member, and the pointer has an edge thereof which extends radially of its axis of rotation relative to the dial member.

Claim 17

In combination with apparatus according to claim 10, a scale card defining a graphical representation of the relation, for a given mooring line of characteristic emerged weight per foot and physical type, between a. mooring line slope at the shoe means, B. the vertical distance between the point of support and the anchor, and c. the tension in the given line at said point of support, the representation being displayed upon coordinate axes in which, when the card is received on the dial member in said selected position, varying values of said vertical distance are scaled along an axis parallel to the pointer, varying values of mooring line slope are scaled along an axis extending in the direction of movement of the pointer relative to the dial member, and varying values of tension are presented as contours relative to said coordinate axes.