The present invention relates to a man overboard device creating a possibility of rescue for people fallen into the sea and in need for rapid supply of rescue equipment simple in structure as well as functionally and operationally simple. The rescue equipment comprises a raisable/lowerable lifting crane pivotable about a vertical axis and mounted on a ship such as a supply boat, said crane with the beam thereof carrying a man overboard device having at least one individual rescue means, and wherein, preferably, on at least one boat side, is mounted a rescue net, to which a man overboard fixed to said rescue means possibly may be transferred, before the person in question is brought to land on the deck of the boat.

A person hanging from the rescue means of the man overboard device may also be lifting on board the boat.

In heavy sea, it might be dangerous with relatively large ships, e.g. supply boats, to go too close to men overboard drifting in the sea, because they may be pressed down into the sea by the ship side.

Most standby ships or man overboard boats operating in the areas around offshore installations such as platforms, drilling ships, etc., are equipped with the above-mentioned

raisable and lowerable as well as pivotable lifting crane, and in order to avoid the foregoing problem, it is known to attach a basket at the outer free end of the crane beam, so that this basket-shaped rescue means upon the occurence of a crane beam position corresponding to a more or less swung-out beam, will be situated at a certain distance from the ship side, dependent on the angle which the crane beam forms in relation to the longitudinal direction of the ship side. If the crane beam takes a position approximately at right angles on the ship side, the rescue basket will be located at a maximum distance therefrom.

Especially in bad weather, it is difficult to operate the basket such that the man overboard in the sea gets hold of it. Moreover, it may cause problems to get into such a rescue basket, and its suspension at the outer free end of the crane beam causes restrictions in respect of its extent and, thus, capability of accommodation. In practice, one will only be capable of constructing such a rescue basket for the accommodation of only a very few people at a time, while the need for rapid rescue often will concern a substantially larger number, particularly at low sea water temperatures.

Therefore, the object of the present invention has been to provide a simple man overboard device of the kind defined introductorily, exhibiting a large capacity, and wherein men overboard floating in the sea are offered downwardly suspending rope-like rescue means having additional equipment simple in structural shape and design, and which are easy to use for men overboard drifting in the sea.

According to the invention, this object is realized by means of a man overboard device shaped, designed and adapted in accordance with the characterizing clause of claim 1.

The raisable and lowerable as well as pivotable lifting crane's beam which e.g. may project 20 metres horizontally out from the ship side, is provided with fasteners for ropes,

lines or similar elongate, flexible elements, distributed, preferably equidistantly, along the longitudinal extent of the beam. Said ropes, lines, etc. may e.g. have an individual length of 10 - 40 metres, and the space between adjacent fasteners on the crane beam may e.g. constitute one metre.

Men overboard drifting along in the sea, will often float relatively gathered along a row due to wind and stream conditions. In a condition of readiness, the rescue means in the form of ropes, lines or the like may be kept accommodated in a storage case on deck. Adjacent the outer ends, opposite to the end to be connected to one of the fasteners of the crane beam, they may each have a shackle or a similar means for a spring or snap hook or a similar closable hook and, closer to the outer end, hoisting straps/braces.

When searching for men overboard, the rescue means in the form of said ropes are immediately connected to the fasteners of the crane beam, whereafter the lifting crane is operated such that it, possibly, is raised prior to the crane beam being swung outwards, outside the ship side, whereafter it, possible, is somewhat lowered. The ship is operated such that the crane beam and the ropes suspended therefrom and submerged partly into the uppermost layer of the sea, "sweep" the area of the sea in which men overboard are supposed to be. The ship is operated at such a low speed which is compatible with justifiable steering and manoeuvring conditions.

During this "sweep" across the field of the sea wherein the men overboard are assumed to be situated, they would have a relatively good possibility of fetching a grip of the downwardly suspended rescue lines, as compared with the known rescue basket, which only would be in a position to sweep a substantially narrower sea field than the row of rescue lines, the man overboard device according to the invention being in a position of sweeping a field in the sea surface having a

width corresponding to the distance between the outermost and innermost rescue line, e.g. a width of about 15 metres.

When one or more men overboard have got hold of one rescue line each and made themselves temporarily connected to a shackle or a similar attachment means, the person(s) concerned pull(s) the immediately adjacent hoisting straps/braces or the like, which may have the form of a ring of soft, flexible band which is placed beneath the arms. The person(s) in question will, thereafter, be well secured. At low sea temperatures and, thus, narrow time limits, the rescue work may, possibly, be assisted by helicopter which may hoist the man overboard up through the hoisting straps.

If several persons each have fastened themselves to the hoisting straps of the rescue line, the crane beam is rotated about the vertical rotational axis of the lifting crane until it approaches the ship side, where said persons have the opportunity of using the downwardly suspended rope net in a manner known per se. Also, it is possible to hoist injured, possibly heavy persons directly on board the ship's deck by means of the lifting crane.

It may be an advantage to connect the separate rescue lines mutually at a relatively short distance from their outer ends by means of a lateral line or the like, in order to keep the rescue lines approximately equally spaced from each other at the ends adjacent the hoisting straps and, also, in order to prevent the separate rescue lines from becoming entangled.

In association with said lateral connecting line, a winch line from a first winch, preferably carried by the crane beam, may be fastened at the free end thereof to the outer rescue element (situated furthest away from the boat) , while a second winch line from a second winch which, likewise, preferably, is attached to the crane beam, is fastened to the inner rescue element (situated nearest to the boat) adajcent the outer end thereof, said winch lines, possibly by means of

assigned guide/control means, are allotted a course in a downwardly suspended position substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rescue elements.

The outer end of each winch line may be attached to the rescue element belonging thereto through the shackle of the latter, so that already existing fasteners are utilized for the attachment.

When the two winch lines are wound maximum up on the winches belonging thereto, during which winding operation men overboard connected to the man overboard device will be hoisted up from the sea, to be subsequently swung in onto the boat deck by means of the crane beam, it may happen that the lateral connecting line and rescue line portions connected thereto form a too large, downwardly suspended arch.

In order to remedy this disadvantage of the last discussed embodiment of the invention, the man overboard device may further comprise at least one third winch line located between the two first-mentioned winch lines, and assigned a (third) winch of its own. This third winch may advantageously be carried at the middle of the length of the crane beam, so that the winch line thereof, possibly through a guide/control means (groove wheel, caster, rowel) , receives such a course that the free end thereof may be attached to the middle portion of the man overboard device, adjacent the outer edge thereof, e.g. through the lateral connecting line.

The invention is further explained in the following in association with a non-limiting examplary embodiment and with reference to the accompanying drawings, where:

Figure 1 shows a perspective situation view showing a man overboard boat in the form of a standby boat with a lifting crane installed on the deck thereof, rescue lines suspended downwardly from the crane beam;

Figure 2 shows a perspective detailed view from figure 1 on a larger scale, and from where appears the lower portion of two adjacent rescue lines with equipment coupled thereto;

Figure 3 shows a perspective view corresponding to figure 1, where two winches have been disposed on the crane beam, the winch lines thereof being connected to the man overboard device at the outer ends of the two outer rope-like rescue elements (the nearest and most remote in relation to the adjacent hull side) ;

Figure 4 shows a perspective view substantially corresponding to figure 2, but where the outer (lower) portion of one of said winch lines has been attached to a shackle or the like, carried by the rescue element belonging thereto;

Figure 5 shows a view seen in the longhitudinal direction of the boat, where the crane beam has been swung out to take a position approximately at right angles to adjacent hull side portion, the man overboard device taking a downwardly suspended position;

Figure 6 corresponds to figure 5, but here the man overboard device has been hoisted by means of two winches;

Figure 7 corresponds to figure 5, but here a further (third) winch has, additionally, been disposed; and

Figure 8 shows an embodiment of the man overboard device according to figure 7, where the man overboard device has been hoisted up by means of three winches.

In figure 1, a man overboard boat has been shown, e.g. a socalled standby boat, generally designated at reference numeral 10. On the deck of the man overboard boat 10, as known per se, a lifting crane 12 has been installed, the crane beam 14 thereof being rotatable about a vertical axis 16, such that the crane beam 14 can be swung outwardly from

the ship side, to form a desired angle therewith.

The lifting crane 12,14 exhibiting known features such as raisability and lowerability, has, at the outer, free beam end, a caster 18 for a standard lifting hook 20 fastened to a wire 22 passing to a winch 24 at the inner portion of the crane beam 14. Along the ship side on which the lifting crane borders, a rope net 26 has been tightened, as known per se, and to which men overboard can be transferred from the man overboard device on which they have caught a grip, in case they are in such a condition that it is assumed that they will manage to climb up to the deck of the man overboard boat 10 through the rope net 26.

In accordance with the present invention, the crane beam 14 is, preferably spaced approximately equally along the longitudinal extent thereof, provided with a number of fasteners 28a, 28b, 28c 28h, totally eight fasteners in the examplary embodiment. To each of these fasteners 28a - 28h, which may be in the form of hooks, rings, shackles or other simple fastening means, is attached one rescue line 30a

- 3Oh which, according to the shown examplary embodiment, is attached individually in a suitable manner to a fastener 28a

- 28h belonging thereto. The fasteners 28a - 28h may, alternatively, be attached to a rail, not shown, displaceable along a guidance fixed to the underside of the crane beam 14. Each line end may e.g. be equipped with a socalled snaphook or another closable hook for immediate attachment to a respective fastener 28a - 28h.

Preferably, the arrangement is such that the crane beam 14 at any time carries the fasteners 28a - 28h, while the rescue lines 30a - 3Oh are not mounted before a search for men overboard is to be effected. Alternatively, the rescue lines may be attached to a rail rapidly attachable to the crane beam 14.

Close to the free end of the rescue lines 30a - 30h, spaced

therefrom a certain distance, is disposed lateral connecting line 32 connected to each of the rescue lines 30a - 3Oh at the same or approximately the same distance as between the fasteners 28a - 28h on the crane beam 14. This lateral connecting line 32 keeps the rescue lines gathered, preventing entanglement, simultaneously as the rescue lines 30a - 3Oh can be pulled forwardly within the sea surface layer as some sort of "net".

Adjacent the free end thereof, figure 2, each rescue line 30a - 3Oh has a shackle 34 for a snaphook 36 or some other hook which is the first means with which a man overboard usually comes into contact, and to which he should get anchored. Rescue suits, socalled survival suits, will be provided with a hook fastener on the front.

At the free rescue line end, annular hoisting straps 38 or similar rescue equipment are fastened. The man overboard pulls this equipment closer to him, thereafter positioning it beneath his arms. The hoisting straps 38 are each anchored to the line end through a hook mechanism 40 comprising a ring and a hook engageable therein, so that the person in the hoisting straps 38 can be uncoupled from rescue line and crane beam for, possibly, being hoisted up into a helicopter.

At a crane beam length outside the ship side of the order of 20 metres, 10 - 15 rescue lines 30a - 3Oh or fasteners 28a - 28h therefore may, as mentioned, be disposed along the crane beam 14. The innermost rescue line 30h or fastener 28h, respectively, is placed at a distance from the ship side upon swung-out crane beam 14, figure 1, sufficient to secure that a man overboard drifting in the sea and who has got hold of said inner rescue line, is not subjected to the introductorily mentioned phenomenon of being pressed downwardly into the sea together with the ship side during the downwardly going movements thereof in heavy sea.

The lateral connecting line 32 may, possibly, be omitted.

Alternatively, more than one lateral connecting line 32 may be placed between the same neighbour lines.

Reference is now made to the embodiment shown in figures 3 - 6.

For the wire or winch line 22 of the winch 24 according to figure 1, the crane hook 20 has been omitted according to figures 3 - 8, the free end of the winch line 22 being attached to the outer rescue element 30a in the neighbourhood of the outer (lower) end thereof. The physical attachment point for this winch line, first winch line 22, is in so far not critical. One alternative attachment point might be a crossing point between the rescue element 30a and the lateral line 32.

On the underside of the crane beam 14, in the area of the first winch 24, a second winch 42 having a second winch line 44 has been disposed, the winch line 44 with its lower end being coupled to a shackle 34 carried by a rescue element 3Oh situated nearest the hull side, below its connecting point with the lateral line 32.

Second winch line 44 is guided and controlled through an upper guide means 46, e.g. a caster, carried by the crane beam 14, so that it is allotted a downwardly suspended course substantially parallel with the adjacent rescue element 30h belonging thereto and having approximately the same longitudinal extent as that one; this arrangement giving rise to the least risk for entanglement.

When first and second winch 24 and 42 are run simultaneously, the man overboard device primarily comprising the elements 30a - 30h through the winches 22 and 44, together with men overboard located within the hoisting straps 38, are hoisted upwardly into an upper position, figure 6, from where the man overboard device through the crane beam 14 can be swung inwards above the boat deck.

From figure 6 it appears that an intermediate portion of the man overboard device will sag somewhat in the hoisted-up position, and in some cases, e.g. in heavy sea, this may present problems to a man overboard situated in an intermediate area of the man overboard device.

In order to avoid this disadvantage, a third winch 48 has been disposed in the embodiment according to figures 7 and 8, this third winch 48 likewise being carried by the crane beam 14, approximately at the middle portion thereof, as well as being countersunk in relation to the upper face thereof, so that the upper portion of this third winch's 48 winch line 50 does not interfere with the overlying, first winch line 22. Third winch line 50 is assigned a guide means 52 in the form of a caster or the like.

The third winch line's 50 outer free end is attached to an intermediate rescue element, e.g. 30e, adjacent the lower end thereof, e.g. through a shackle 34.

When a third winch 48 is run simultaneously with first winch 24 and second winch 42, and the approximately equally long winch lines 50, 22 and 44, respectively, are pulled substantially synchronously in, the man overboard device will receive an hoisted-up, contracted position substantially without a sagging intermediate portion, such as shown diagrammatically in figure 8.