Field of the invention

Arrangement for a lifting device for the transporting of objects between a landing surface on an installation and the surface of the sea, where the lifting device comprises a crib that can hold the object. The invention also relates to a method.

Background to the invention

The background to the invention is a requirement to be able to save personnel that are in lifeboats or in a crashed helicopter up from the sea within a reasonably short time. Today’s equipment and methods for saving and salvaging are too time consuming and, to a large extent, are limited by the weather and height of the waves.

Description of prior art

The product is developed based on the product Sealift Rescue. Sealift Rescue is a lifting device to rescue personnel that are in the sea. Sealift Rescue is comprised of a rotary column with one arm that can be lowered and raised. At the end of the arm there is a transverse beam with an associated net which can be manipulated between being a stretched-out surface and being a basket. The net is used to capture personnel in the sea and then to lift them on-board a vessel. Sealift Rescue can not lift heavy objects up from the sea, such as lifeboats or helicopters.

Traditionally, there are different types of Davit cranes which are used to lift lifeboats and other boats to and from a larger vessel. The common feature for these cranes is that a hook or a similar fastening appliance must be connected to the vessel that lies in the sea to be able to lift it on-board the mother vessel where the Davit crane is placed. The disadvantage with this is that that one cannot capture a vessel, it must lie relatively stable next to the mother vessel. This makes it challenging to carry out a lift of a boat from the sea onto the mother vessel in poor weather conditions. SU765114 A1 describes a device for saving personnel from the water. The device is comprised of a basket fastened at the first end of an arm that can retract and extend telescopically, which in turn is fastened to a column at its other end so that it can rotate. The arm can be rotated about a horizontal axis with regard to the column. The column is in turn fastened to a vessel so that it can be rotated about a vertical axis with respect to the vessel. The basket can thereby be swung between a position above the vessel and down into the water over the edge of the vessel to bring up personnel.

WO 88/03495 A1 describes an appliance for collecting personnel or objects out of the water. The appliance is for use on board boats. The appliance is comprised of a beam that can be swung out over the side of the boat. Rotary coupled to the beam are pendular arms that keep open the mouth of the net to receive personnel or objects. When a person or an object is in the net, the net is pulled in with the help of a guiding rope. As the net is pulled in it is released from the arms.

The object of the present invention.

It is an object to provide a new construction for a lifting device to bring an object between a stored position on a foundation and the sea and the opposite way.

It is a further an object of the invention to provide a lifting device with a compact, folded construction that takes up very little space when stored and which can be pushed out and unfolded into its use position.

It is a further object to provide a lifting device that can be used to capture and lift on board buoys or other objects that float in the sea and which are connected to a line, such as an anchor line.

Summary of the invention

The construction according to the invention is characterised by the features that appear in the claims 1-7, while the method appears in the claims 8 and 9. An arrangement for a lifting device for bringing objects between a landing surface on an installation and a sea surface, where the lifting device comprises a crib that can hold the object. It is characterised in that the lifting device comprises a first lifting system comprised of a number of telescopically retractable and extendable units which at the bottom hold the crib and which is mounted in an above-lying housing part which, via a beam, is anchored to a vertical column which can be rotated about a vertical axis, and where the beam extends substantially horizontally out from the column to rotate the lifting device between a position connected to the landing surface and a position for operation of the telescopically retractable and extendable units along a vertical side surface belonging to the installation. The crib to catch or launch an object is anchored to the end of the downwardly extending pistons and is set up to be re-set from a folded position to an unfolded, crib position, where the parts of the crib are defined by an inner frame, a bottom frame and an outer frame.

The lifting device is characterised in that the housing part is connected to the beam via a second lifting system comprising telescopically retractable and extendable pistons that run inside and are driven in connected cylinders anchored to the beam to raise and lower the housing part with respect to the beam.

The lifting device is characterised in that the connected cylinders in the second lifting system anchored to the beam extend through the beam and a distance down on its underside, while the upper ends of the pistons are anchored to the underside of the housing part.

The lifting device is characterised in that one end of the cylinders in the first lifting system is anchored to the underside of the housing part at a distance from the fastening points of the pistons of the first lifting system in the underside of the housing part.

The lifting device is characterised in that during operation the column is placed adjoining the railing of the installation and the beam is substantially in parallel with the railing so that the first lifting system can operate the telescopically retractable and extendable units downwards to the sea on the outside of the railing and optionally, the column can be displaced standing upright along the landing surface between a storage position and a suitable location.

The lifting device is characterised in that the outer frame of the crib is curved to form an upward open slit in the railing and which, when the crib is fully extended, can catch and immobilise a line connected to an object such as a buoy that is caught in the crib and which the line is connected to.

The lifting device is characterised in that the beam is set up to rotate about its longitudinal axis Y-Y.

A method to catch an object in the sea by the use of the lifting device, in that the object is brought into the crib and carried up to the landing surface of the installation, where the lifting device has lowered the crib in an extended position down to the sea level. It is characterised in that in a first initial lifting operation, the crib is lifted by activation of the first lifting system, by the pulling in of the pistons until these are lifted upwards up under the housing part and pulls the crib along to the formation of a compact unit of pressure pistons and crib. In a subsequent second lifting operation the whole housing part with a rack is lifted further upwards to an even higher position above the landing surface by the activation of a second lifting system by the pushing up of the pistons, whereupon the column is rotated P1 about its vertical axis X-X and swings the beam with the first lifting system, including the crib with the object, in over the landing surface for a suitable placing of the object, such as in a boat.

A method characterised in that before the object with the beam is swung in over the landing surface, it is rotated about its longitudinal axis Y-Y to swing the crib with the object 90 degrees upwards and around.

Description of the figures

Preferred embodiments of the invention shall be described in the following in more detail with reference to the enclosed figures, in which: Figures 1 and 2 show an overview of the invention in a preferred area of application associated with an installation 10, such as a ship at sea 11 for the moving of a lifeboat or other objects between the deck of the ship and the sea.

Figure 3 shows in perspective the whole lifting device 30 with a crib 50 or a basket in a compact storage position associated with a column 32 fitted mainly vertically to the landing surface 22 of the ship, where a beam 34 extends out from the column and anchors a housing part 40 that holds the telescopically retractable and extendable units 60, the lower end of which carry the foldable crib 50, see also figure 6. The pressure cylinders 60A, 60B suspended in the housing part 40 together with the crib 50 form a compact unit.

Figure 4 shows an initial lifting of the housing part 40 in respect of the beam 34 and the column 32, the figure 4A shows it swung in onto the deck as in figure 1 , while figure 4B shows it swung out to lower the crib part down along the side of the ship 26 as in figure 2.

Figure 5 shows the start of the lowering of the crib, while figure 6 shows it partially lowered down to the surface of the sea 11.

Figure 7 shows the telescopically retractable and extendable units 60 pushed out and the initial movement of the putting out of the crib to pick up the object, such as a lifeboat 14.

The figures 8 and 9 show the final folding out to form the crib. Figure 9 also shows how an object 53 fastened to a line, such as a buoy, can lie in the crib 50.

The figures 10, 11 and 12 show sequences where the crib has captured a lifeboat 14 in the position in figure 9 and which is lifted up along the side of the ship as high as possible via the first lifting system of the telescopically retractable and extendable units 60. Figure 13 shows how the boat is lifted up another level with the help of the second lifting system in the form of lifting up of the housing part via the second lifting device of the system associated with the horizontal beam to lift the boat sufficiently clear of the railing 24 of the ship.

Figure 14 shows the last swinging movement in onto the deck in that the column is rotated about its longitudinal axis and the housing part is lowered down again to the beam for the placing of the boat on the deck.

The figures 15 - 18 show an alternative way to lift and swing the crib with the lifeboat in over the deck, where the crib with the boat lifted into its highest position is turned 90 degrees about its longitudinal axis before it is swung in over and placed down on the landing surface 22.

Description of preferred embodiments of the invention

The invention shall now be explained with reference to the figures 1 - 2.

Initially, reference is made to the figures 1 and 2 which show the inventive appliance fitted in connection with the landing surface 22 on board an installation 10, for example a ship, and where a lifeboat 14 that is placed, for example in a crib 50 in the installation is to be taken from the sea and up to the deck of the ship or in the opposite direction. The railing on the ship around the landing surface 22 is shown by 24. The railing of the ship is not included in the other figures of the set.

The sea surface is shown by 11 in the figures 1 and 2. The invention is comprised of a lifting device 30 encompassing a column 32 substantially standing upright and fastened to the foundation of the landing surface 22 of the installation 10, in more detail the lifting device can be comprised of two separate lifting systems which both operate with respect to an upper housing part, as is made clear by the following.

Fastened to the column 32 is a beam 34 that extends 90 degrees mainly horizontally out from the column 32. Arranged above or on the beam is a frame-formed housing part 40 with a truss construction and a plate form which extends a distance out over both the sides of the beam 34. The box/housing part 40 is anchored to the beam 34 so that it can be lifted and lowered via two separate vertical pressure cylinders 41-43 and 45-47, respectively connected to the housing part 40 (see figure 4A). The two cylinders 41 and 43 are fixed to the horizontal beam 34 and extend downwards on the underside of it, while the top part of the associated pistons 45 and 47 carries the whole housing part 40. By pressurising the cylinders 41 ,43 the housing part 40 is lifted upwards onto the pistons 45,47 and is lowered by reducing the pressure. The lifting means can alternatively be pneumatic pressure cylinders, cogged wheels in a rack, screws, chains or a combination of said means. This lifting system which can raise and lower the housing part represents the second lifting system as mentioned above.

The underside of the housing part also anchors the telescopically retractable and extendable units 60 that fasten the unfolded crib and are comprised of downwardly extending cylinders 60A and 60B with downwardly running pistons 60C and 60D. At the lower end of the pistons 60C and 60D is the crib 50 fastened as a folded and foldable frame, the parts of which are re-set between a folded position as shown in the figures 3-6 and then a completely folded out position shown in figure 9 to grab objects 15 (a boat) from the sea. This lifting system fastened to the underside of the housing part to raise and lower an object such as a boat, represents the second lifting system of the application mentioned above. The cylinders 60A,60B are anchored to the underside of the housing part 40 a distance to the side of the pistons of the second lifting system, specifically at a distance from the cylinders fastened to the beam 34, so that the first lifting system can be positioned a distance away from the side of the ship 20 along which the rack 50/60 or the lifting rig shall be lowered down. As can be seen in the figures, the pistons 60C and 60D can be pulled up into the cylinders 60A,60B. The pressure cylinders 60A, 60B with associated pistons 60C, 60D can be of the telescopic type that has a very long stroke, in other words they can operate from a short length to a very long length. The pressure cylinders and the pistons are placed under covers with longitudinally, vertical opening slits, which the fastening of the crib 50 can move in when the crib is pulled up. Thereby, the rack 50,60 is comprised of sections which can be telescopically pulled into each other. In this way the whole rack 50,60 can be stored as a very compact unit up against the underside of the housing part 40 as shown in figure 5, from a fully folded out position shown in figure 7.

The crib forms a bottom frame 52 that carries the lifeboat and an outer frame wall that stabilises the boat in the crib. The upper edge 55 of the inner frame 54 is fastened to the underside of the pistons.

The crib that hangs down from the box is lowered relative to the plate by the use of corresponding mechanical means for linear movement. The part of the structure described as the crib can have three main forms, a folded form, a form as a crib with two sides and a bottom and a completely unfolded form. In the unfolded form the three main parts form a large surface 54,52,56 as shown in figure 8. In the form as a crib the bottom frame 52 extends outwards ninety degrees out from the inner frame 54 towards the vessel and the outer frame 56 away from the vessel stands 90 degrees to the bottom frame, so that the three surfaces form an open crib with two side frames 54,56 and the bottom frame 52. In the folded form all three sides lie flat against each other as shown in the figures 3-6. The crib can have any form that lies between said three main forms. Movement that leads to an orientation between the three sides can be produced by internal pressure cylinders or other suitable means that are not described here.

The crib is adjusted to catch and lift on board all types of objects. In the case where one shall catch and lift on board (or launch) floats or buoys that are fastened to the ocean bed or another installation, via a hawser, a line or the like, the crib is especially adapted to this. According to this embodiment the framework for the outer frame 56 is curved to form a slit 57, which is opened upwards when the frame part vertically for the catching of the buoy, as can be seen in all the figures. For example, when a round buoy 53 as shown in figure 9 is caught in the crib while the attached line 58 is guided in and lies down in the slit. This solution leads to the buoy 53 lying stably in the crib with much less risk of falling out of the crib. As can be seen, the housing part 40 carries the whole rack 50/60, as the housing part can also be raised and lowered onto the beam 34.

In another embodiment of the invention the second lifting system can be omitted. Then, it will not be possible to raise and lower the housing part 40 with respect to the beam 34 but it will stand fixed in respect to the beam 34. Such an embodiment can be relevant, for example, if the lifting device 30 is fitted on a ship without a railing 24, or if the railing 24 is removed where the lifting device is fitted. In such a case it can be that there will be no need for the lifting height one gets from the second lifting system as there is no railing over which one has to lift the object.

The column 32.

The column is mounted standing on the landing surface 22 near the railing 24 of the ship, so that when the beam 34 is swung to stand parallel with the railing of the ship, the pressure cylinders in the first lifting system will be lowered down on the outside of the side of the ship 20. The column can be rotated about its longitudinal axis x-x (see P1 figure 3) with the help of a drive body under the landing surface 22 to swing the crib 50 between the position for movement up and down along the side of the ship and in onto the deck. The column 32 is made of a truss-work to tolerate large weights and momentum loads via the beam 34 which shall carry the housing part 40, the rack 50/60 and also the boat 14 in the crib 50. Pressure fluid to the two hydraulic systems is delivered via hoses (not shown) via the column 32 and the beam 34, and correspondingly relates to cables for delivering electricity and steering of signals to the pressure cylinders.

According to a preferred embodiment the column from its position at the railing 24 of the ship can be displaced standing upright and along the deck via a rail so that it can be pushed away from the railing 24 of the ship with its fitted beam 34 and both lifting systems and to a different storage position on the ship. The beam 34 is also constructed so that it is possible to rotate (P2) it about its longitudinal axis, to carry out the function which is shown in the figures 15-18, during the launch and bringing up of a lifeboat from the sea.

Figure 15 shows the position corresponding to figure 13 where the boat is completely lifted up with the crib just below the“roof” of the housing part 40 which in turn is lifted up by pressurising the pressure cylinders 41 ,43 associated with the beam. From this position, the beam is rotated about its longitudinal axis Y-Y as show by the arrow P2 in figure 3. Thus, the boat is rotated about its longitudinal axis and is flipped upwards and to the side. All the pressure cylinders 41 ,43 and 60A,60B are thereby rotated and remain lying approximately in a horizontal position as shown in figure 15. From this position the column rotates the rig and the boat 90 degrees in over the landing surface 22 as shown in figure 16, and thereafter sinks the crib and the boat down onto the deck as shown in figure 16.

Here, a typical movement pattern for the lifting device shall be explained:

1. Parked position. The crib is folded together and lifted up under the housing part which is lowered down towards the beam and the column is swung into a position where the beam is above the deck of the vessel.

2. The housing part is raised so that the column can be swung without any parts of the rack 50/60 touching the ships railing 24.

3. The column is rotated so that the beam lies parallel with the side of the vessel (railing 24 of the ship).

4. The housing part is lowered with respect to the beam.

5. The crib is lowered with respect to the housing part and the crib is now in the sea.

6. The crib is rearrangedfrom a folded position to the form of a crib with two sides and a bottom.

The lifeboat or the helicopter in the sea is manoeuvred in to the crib/basket and the whole rig with the boat safe in the crib is lifted up in the movement sequence which is shown in the figures 9 to 13, i.e. that the movement sequence according to 3-4-5 is reversed.

With the invention a lifting device is provided in the form of two separate lifting systems associated to a common housing part, where the one (the first) is set up to raise and lower the boat with respect to the housing part and a second system which can raise and lower the housing part with respect to a rotary beam associated with a vertical column on the deck.

In another embodiment, the invention is adapted to catch, secure and lift on-board buoys or other floating objects that are anchored with a hawser or a line down towards the sea bottom. For such an application the crib solution that has been described already can be used or a simplified crib that can not be folded can be used. The movement pattern to catch a buoy 53 can be somewhat different than the movement pattern outlined earlier.

Here is a description of a typical movement pattern for the bringing in of a buoy fastened to a hawser:

1. Parked position. The crib is folded and lifted up under the housing part which is lowered down towards the beam, and the column is rotated into a position where the beam is over the deck of the vessel.

2. The housing part is raised so that the it will be possible to rotate the column without parts of the rack 50/60 touching the railing 24 of the ship.

3. The column is rotated such that the beam stands directly out from the side of the vessel.

4. The housing part is lowered with respect to the beam.

5. The crib is lowered with respect to the housing part and the crib is now in the sea.

6. The crib is re-set from a folded position to a form with one side and bottom, where the inner frame 54 stands vertically while the bottom frame 52 and the outer frame 56 are in parallel with the surface of the water. 7. The ship is manoeuvred such that the outer frame 56 with the slit 57 is moved in under the buoy and catches the buoy with the hawser in the slit opening.

8. The outer frame 56 is then swung up so that the crib gets its crib form with two sides and bottom as shown in figure 9.

9. Further the crib 50 can be swung in towards the side of the ship 20 and be lifted up along the side of the ship 20 before the column 32 swings the crib 50 with the buoy 53 in over the landing surface 22.

In another embodiment the invention can be described as an arrangement for a lifting device for transporting of objects between a landing surface 22 of an installation 10 and a sea surface 11 , where the lifting device comprises a crib 50 that can hold the object, in which

the lifting device comprises a first lifting system encompassing a number of telescopically retractable and extendable units 60, which at the bottom hold the crib 50 and which, via a beam 34, are anchored to a vertical column 32 that can be rotated about a vertical axis and where the beam 32 extends substantially horizontally out from the column 32 to swing the lifting appliance between a position associated with the landing surface and a position outside the landing surface 22, and

the crib to catch or launch an object is anchored to the end of downwardly extending pistons 60C.60D and where the crib is comprised of an inner frame 54, a bottom frame 52 and an outer frame 56, where the outer frame 56 of the crib is curved to form an upwardly open slit 57 that can catch and immobilise a line 58 connected to an object 53 which is captured by the crib and which the line 58 is connected to.

In a second embodiment, the crib is set up to be re-set from a folded position to an unfolded position.

A housing part 40 is in the second embodiment connected to the beam via a second lifting system comprised of telescopically retractable and extendable pistons (45,47) that run in and are driven in permanent connected cylinders (41 ,43) anchored to the beam (34) to raise and lower the housing part (40) with respect to the beam.

Furthermore, the housing part is connected to the basket via the first lifting system.

The lifting device where the described object 53 is a buoy with an anchor line.