US3863590A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic mooring system
Assignee: AMSA MARINE Corp
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Filing: 1974-01-14
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Granted: 1975-02-04
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Expires: 1994-01-14
Abstract
Abstract A system for mooring a ship to a buoy and making hose connections between them, using only personnel who remain on the ship, including a pulley on the buoy and a hauling line extending about the pulley and with its opposite ends lying in the water. The ship picks up the ends of the hauling line, attaches one end to a mooring block and the other to a winch, and operates the winch so that the block is pulled from the ship to the buoy. The mooring block contains pulleys about which hose lines extend, so that after the block is secured to the buoy one end of each hose line can be attached to a hose and the other to a winch at the ship to pull a hose to the buoy.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert D Karl
- 👤 Thomas D Stearns
- 👤 Ian B Engh
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 12:00
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16L; F16L37/00; F16L37/002; B; B63; B63B; B63B21/00; B63B22/00; B63B22/02; B63B22/021; B63B27/00; B63B27/24; B63B35/00; B63B35/44; B63B2035/442
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
127 words
Apparatus for mooring a ship to a buoy or other offshore installation, comprising: pulley means mounted on the offshore installation; a hauling line extending about the pulley means and having a pair of opposite ends normally lying in the water; a mooring block mounted on the ship and attachable to one of said ends of said hauling line; a haul-line winch mounted on the ship, for pulling on another of said ends of said hauling line so that the mooring block is pulled to the offshore installation; at least one second line stored on the ship and attached to the mooring block so that it is pulled to the offshore installation with said mooring block; and means for locking the mooring block securely to the offshore installation
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
127 words
Apparatus for mooring a ship to a buoy or other offshore installation, comprising: pulley means mounted on the offshore installation; a hauling line extending about the pulley means and having a pair of opposite ends normally lying in the water; a mooring block mounted on the ship and attachable to one of said ends of said hauling line; a haul-line winch mounted on the ship, for pulling on another of said ends of said hauling line so that the mooring block is pulled to the offshore installation; at least one second line stored on the ship and attached to the mooring block so that it is pulled to the offshore installation with said mooring block; and means for locking the mooring block securely to the offshore installation
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
171 words
The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein: said second line includes at least one hose line, said mooring block includes a hoseline pulley, and said hose line has first and second ends at the ship and a middle portion which extends from the ship around the hoseline pulley and back to the ship; and including a hoseline winch mounted on the ship and engaged with the second end of the hose line; a cargo hose normally mounted on the ship and engageable with an end portion of the hose line nearest said first end thereof, so that after the block is secured at the offshore installation and the hoseline winch is operated to pull the second end of the hose line, the hose moves towards the block at the offsore installation; a conduit extending to said offshore installation; a first hose coupling connected to the conduit; and a second coupling mounted at an end of the cargo hose for engaging the first coupling when the hose end reaches the offshore installation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus described in claim 1 including: a messenger line normally lying in the water and having one end tied to the opposite ends of the hauling line and a second end, and a marker buoy tied to the second end of the messenger line.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus described in claim 1 including: a ramp mounted at the offshore installation for guiding the mooring block along an upward incline along its last movement prior to locking in position.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
136 words
A method for mooring a ship to a buoy comprising: maintaining a hauling line in extension about a pulley at the buoy; lifting the ends of the hauling line onto the ship and tying a first end of the hauling line to a winch on the ship and a second end to a mooring block on the ship; operating the winch to pull the first end of the hauling line, so that the second end with the mooring block thereon moves to the buoy; trying a hawser line to the mooring block prior to operating the winch, so that an end of the hawser line is brought to the buoy with the mooring block; and securely locking the mooring block to the buoy, to thereby securely couple an end of the hawser line to the buoy.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
136 words
A method for mooring a ship to a buoy comprising: maintaining a hauling line in extension about a pulley at the buoy; lifting the ends of the hauling line onto the ship and tying a first end of the hauling line to a winch on the ship and a second end to a mooring block on the ship; operating the winch to pull the first end of the hauling line, so that the second end with the mooring block thereon moves to the buoy; trying a hawser line to the mooring block prior to operating the winch, so that an end of the hawser line is brought to the buoy with the mooring block; and securely locking the mooring block to the buoy, to thereby securely couple an end of the hawser line to the buoy.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
94 words
The method described in claim 5 including: extending a hose line about pulley means on the mooring block while the mooring block is on the ship, and tying a first end of the hose line to a hose line winch on the ship and a second end to a cargo hose on the ship; and operating the hose winch after the mooring block has reached the buoy, to wind up the first end of the hose line so that the second end and the hose tied thereto moves from the ship to the buoy.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
208 words
In a mooring system wherein a ship picks up the ends of a hauling line that extends about a pulley on a buoy, so that the ship can transfer a second line to the buoy by tying one end of the second line to an end of the hauling line and pulling in the other end of the hauling line, the improvement comprising: a mooring block on the ship, said block having a hoseline pulley thereon; a hose line having opposite ends on the ship and extending about the hoseline pulley on the block; a hose disposed on the ship and attached to a first end portion of the hose line; a hauling line winch disposed on the ship for pulling one end of the hauling line while the other end of the hauling line is attached to the mooring block, to pull the block to the buoy; and a hose line winch disposed on the ship and engaged with a second end portion of the hose line which is opposite the first end portion, whereby when the mooring block is moved to the buoy and the hoseline winch is operated, the first end of the hose line and the hose attached thereto are pulled to the buoy.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
208 words
In a mooring system wherein a ship picks up the ends of a hauling line that extends about a pulley on a buoy, so that the ship can transfer a second line to the buoy by tying one end of the second line to an end of the hauling line and pulling in the other end of the hauling line, the improvement comprising: a mooring block on the ship, said block having a hoseline pulley thereon; a hose line having opposite ends on the ship and extending about the hoseline pulley on the block; a hose disposed on the ship and attached to a first end portion of the hose line; a hauling line winch disposed on the ship for pulling one end of the hauling line while the other end of the hauling line is attached to the mooring block, to pull the block to the buoy; and a hose line winch disposed on the ship and engaged with a second end portion of the hose line which is opposite the first end portion, whereby when the mooring block is moved to the buoy and the hoseline winch is operated, the first end of the hose line and the hose attached thereto are pulled to the buoy.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
62 words
The improvement described in claim 7 including: a buoy having a hose coupling, means for attaching the buoy to said mooring block, and a pulley; a hauling line extending about the pulley on the buoy; and a messenger line tied to the opposite ends of the hauling line, said messenger line lying in the water to facilitate its pickup by a ship.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-02-03 | 1978-08-05 | 1979-02-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-02-03 | 1982-08-05 | 1983-02-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-02-03 | 1986-08-05 | 1987-02-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |