* * * *

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for leveling life boats. It is known from the prior art to use life boats for cruise ships or simple ships for transporting passengers, which allow to save the passengers from the ship itself in the event of a breakdown of the ship or accident and when there is a need to abandon the ship. Lifeboats are also used for oil platforms or other.

The procedures for landing the life boats of ships on the water are complicated.

A first procedure consists in sliding a completely airtight and self- righting life boat into the sea by means of an inclined guide. The life boat re- emerges and floats. Thereby, the life boat may be used in any condition of inclination of the ship and of the sea but since it is to support the impact in the sea, it is to be very sturdy and is to have equipment adapted to protecting the passengers.

A second procedure largely used by cruise ships provides a crane for lifting the life boat so as to have it protrude from the ship in order to lower it into the sea. In this case, if the ship inclines by more than 20° with respect to a vertical axis, the life boat may not be lowered into the sea. Moreover, the life boat could strike against the shipboard and this could result in a large inclination of the life boat with the subsequent overthrowing of the passengers or the entire life boat.

In view of the prior art, it is the object of the present invention to provide a leveling apparatus for life boats which does not allow the inclination of the life boat during its landing on water.

According to the present invention, such an object is achieved by means of a leveling apparatus for a life boat of a ship as defined in claim 1.

The features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a practical embodiment thereof, shown by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a life boat provided with a leveling apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention; figure 2 is a front view of the life boat in figure 1 ;

figures 3 to 5 are diagrammatic views of various steps of landing on water of the life boat in figure 1 ;

figures 6 and 7 are diagrammatic top views of a part of the leveling apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention;

figures 8 and 9 are diagrammatic views of a part of the leveling apparatus according to one variant of the embodiment of the present invention.

Figures 1 to 7 show a life boat 1 provided with a leveling apparatus 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The leveling apparatus 2 preferably comprises two wheels 21 arranged, preferably removably arranged, on the side wall 11 of the life boat

I at a given distance D (for example, in a range of 1 to 2 meters) therebetween. The wheels 21 are arranged in the lower part of the side wall

I I of the life boat 1.

The leveling apparatus 2 comprises a device 22 arranged, preferably removably arranged, on the side wall 11 of the life boat 1 but at a given height H (for example, in a range of 1 to 2 meters) from the wheels 21 and in a position between the two wheels 21.

The wheels 21 allow the life boat 1 to slide onto the shipboard 3 on which the life boat 1 was accommodated while device 22 allows the leveling of the life boat 1 when the symmetry axis A of the life boat tips from the vertical axis passing through its barycenter G.

As shown in figures 3 to 5, the wheels 21 allow the life boat 1 to slide onto the shipboard. When the life boat 1 inclines during the landing on water by an angle a which is for example 3° greater (figure 4) than a given angle ao. The device 22 pushes the life boat 1 away from the ship to allow to restore the inclination of the life boat with an angle a which is less than 3° (figure 5)

As is better shown in figures 6 and 7, the leveling device 22 comprises two bars 30 hinged to each other in the central part 31 thereof and having the ends 32 sliding along a guide bar 33 and the other two ends 34 pivotally coupled to threaded pawls 35 engaged with a worm screw 36 and with a guide beam 37. Preferably, the worm screw 36 has two opposite threads engaged with the pawls 35. The guide bar 33 carries at least one wheel 38, but preferably two wheels 38. The guide beam 37 comprises two opposite walls with C-shaped profiles and the threaded pawls 35 engage with the C part of beam 37.

An extension of the bars 30 moving the wheels 38 away from the life boat 1 towards the shipboard 3 corresponds with an approaching movement of the pawls 35, by means of action on the worm screw 36 moved by an electric motor 40, while a retraction of the bars 33 approaching the wheels 38 to the life boat 1 corresponds with a movement of distancing the pawls 35, by means of action on the worm screw 36 moved by an electric motor 40.

An angular position level switch 50, preferably calibrated to an angle of 3 degrees and preferably coupled to a PLC, actuates the electric motor 40 when the vertical axis A passing through the barycenter of the life boat 1 tips angularly from the vertical axis by an angle greater than 3°. In particular, a control board comprises a supply battery 60, a control device 61 which actuates the electric motor 40 which rotates screw 36 to extend the bars 30 and to allow the contact of the wheels 38 with the shipboard up to restoring an inclination angle less than 3 degrees when the level switch 50 signals an inclination of the life boat greater than 3° with respect to an axis B perpendicular to the symmetry axis A passing through its barycenter G. Once the life boat 1 has landed on the water, the extended bars may be manually folded or folded by means of action on the electric motor 40.

According to one variant of the embodiment of the present invention shown in figures 8 and 9, the leveling apparatus comprises a pair of plates or slides 60 hinged to the wheels 21 and to wheel 38; said plates allow the life boat 1 to slide on the shipboard even in the presence of recesses such as bridges, for example.

Each plate is hinged on the pins of the wheels 21 and 38 so as to allow the wheels to slide on the shipboard 3.