The invention concerns a device and a method for binding objects together and for securing the binding. The invention is especially suitable for holding on heavy, easily moving objects like metal plate rolls in a cargo hold of a ship.

Metal plate rolls are with respect to their size very heav and they move easily. One metal plate roll can weight abt. 16 000 kg and there can be f.ex. 100 - 200 rolls in a cargo hold of a ship. This kind of objects have to be bound firmly for transportation to make sure that no damages are caused.

A generally used method for binding metal plate rolls in a cargo hold of a ship is to use steel wire ropes. As a result of variations of temperature and moving of the ship the wires generally slacken. It is very difficult or simply impossible to tighten the bindings again. When the sea is rough the rol can come loose and such situations have in fact caused seriou accidents, too.

Purpose of this invention is to develop a binding system which makes it possible to bind f.ex. metal plate rolls to- gether so that they surely don't shift. This can be attained by means presented in independent claims. Some favourable applications of the invention have been described in pendent claims.

Device in accordance with this invention comprises arms, on end of which is fixed to a frame part and the free end equippe with a clutch. At least one of the arms can be tightened so that the distance between the clutches can be shortened. The clutch to be tightened is also furnished with a tensiometer. Additionally, at least one of the arms can be turned with respect to the frame part.

The device is used so that the clutches are fixed to the objects to be bound together, f.ex. to holes or projections in them and the device is tightened with desirable force. Main¬ tenance of the tension force is controlled with a tensiometer. Preferably the tensiometer is connected with an automatic control system that gives an alarm if the tension force falls

below the required value. If f.ex. the cargo of the ship is bound with several binding devices, the system can also infor which of the devices has slackened.

The binding force can be effected f.ex. with a hydraulic, electric or pneumatic system.

One application of the invention is described in more deta in the following. Among drawings of the description figure 1 shows a front view of the binding device and the metal plate rolls bound together, that is viewed from the ends of the rolls.

The binding device comprises a platelike frame part 1 with arms 2, 3 and 4 mounted in bearings and movable in direction of the plate level. Free end of each arm has a cross pin 5. One of the arms, arm 2, consists of a hydraulic cylinder to which the hydraulic hoses can be connected through closing valves 6 and 7. Also a manometer 8 is connected with the hydraulic cylinder.

When binding the plate rolls together the pins 5 of the arras are put in the centre holes of three rolls packed tightl together. Another device is fitted to the other end of the rolls.

Valves 6 and 7 are connected with hydraulic hoses and the arm 2 will be tightened with a hydraulic pump, until the de¬ sired tension is reached (f.ex. 10 - 1 000 000 N) that keeps the rolls firmly together. After this the valves are closed and other binding devices can be tightened with the same hydraulic pump. The rolls bound in this way cannot roll or fall even if the sea is rough. When the binding force is to be removed, the hydraulic hoses are connected again to reliev the pressure of the cylinder with the pump to zero.

The groups of three rolls in accordance with figure 1 can be arranged f.ex. in a tight package of two rows in the cargo hold.

By using several binding devices several rolls can be boun together with a desired, adjustable force.

The binding force can be controlled with the tensiometer o the hydraulic cylinder. If the tension falls below the re¬ quired value the device can be tightened again or, if neces¬ sary, f.ex. the hydraulic cylinder can be changed. The binding force can also be controlled automatically.

In that case the tensiometer 8 is equipped with a minimum val adjuster. When the force for some reason falls below the set value, the control system gives an alarm and at the same time informs which one of the devices has failed under the require value of tension force.

The automatic control system can be based on a microproces sor that at regular intervals controls each of the tightened binding devices trough a wireless sensing device.