GB2141074A - Pontoons - Google Patents

Abstract

A pontoon section 2 having means to couple it to an adjacent pontoon section at both the top and bottom of an end face of the section wherein the bottom coupling means 5 comprises a pair of vertical lugs and a horizontal pin mounted between the lugs. This horizontal pin may then be engaged by a standard upward or downward facing hook 20 forming part of the coupling means of an adjacent pontoon section. If the pontoon section in a scow end, which is preferred, this scow end may then be connected to either end of a standard central pontoon section. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to pontoons The present invention relates to pontoons and the coupling of pontoon sections together.

Pontoons made up from several sections are shown in our British Patent Specification No.

804, 207. Normally the sections comprise one or more centre rectilinear sections and raked ended bow and stern sections also known as scow ends" coupled to the centre sections. The coupling of these sections is by means of a top and bottom coupling. The top coupling comprises a single vertical lug on one section engaging between a pair of vertical lugs on the other section. The bottom coupling comprises an upward facing hook on one section and a downward facing hook on the other section. A central section has at one end an upward facing hook and at the other end a downward facing hook for the bottom coupling. For the top coupling one end of a central section has a single lug for a male connection and at the other end a pair of lugs for a female connection. The lugs in the female connection or coupling are set apart a standard distance.Thus it is clear that sections have effectively a male or female end and adjacent sections can only be coupled one way i.e. male to female. This is inflexible and if a male scow end is damaged it is clear that only by providing an adaptor can a female scow end be substituted.

A pontoon section according to the invention is provided with a bottom coupling means comprising pair of vertical lugs with a horizontal pin mounted between the lugs such that the pin may be engaged by an upward or downward facing hook coupling of an adjacent pontoon section.

The pontoon section of the invention preferably comprises a scow end In one preferred embodiment of the invention the pontoon section is provided with a top coupling means comprising a pair of vertical lugs space apart a distance greater than the standard distance apart of a female connection. Thus when the top coupling means of a pontoon according to this embodiment is coupled to a standard or known section the lugs of the coupling means extend either side of the standard connection whether male or female. In the case of a male or single lugged standard connection it is preferable to provide a pair of packing members which may be formed as thick washers through which the coupling pin passes.

In a second preferred embodiment a pontoon comprising a plurality of pontoon sections is provided wherein the top is coupled by three coupling means. Each top coupling may be formed as a female coupling with a pair of vertical lugs, or the lugs may be alternatively double and treble lugged to provide matched interdigitation.

A top coupling adapter may be provided comprising a single vertical lug facing one way and a pair of vertical lugs facing the opposite way, the centre line of the single lug being preferably central to the pair of lugs.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a scow end according to the invention with an adjacent portion of a pontoon section with standard fittings, Figure 2 is an end view of the scow end of Fig. 1 seen from 'A' in Fig. 1, Figure 3 is a standard central pontoon section as seen from the side showing the top and bottom couplings and similar to that shown in our British Patent specification No.

804,207, Figure 4 is a plan view of the bottom coupling means of the scow end of Fig. 1, Figure 5 is a side view of the bottom coupling means of Fig. 4 engaged with a standard bottom coupling hook, Figure 6 is a side view of the top coupling means of the scow end of Fig. 1, Figure 7 is a plan view of the top coupling means of Fig. 6, Figure 8 is a plan view of the top coupling means of the scow end of Fig. 1 coupled to a standard single lug male coupling means, Figure 9 is a plan view of the top coupling means of the scow end of Fig. 1 coupled to a standard double lug female coupling means, Figure 10 is a plan view of a second top coupling arrangement according to the invention, and Figure 11 is a plan view of a third top coupling arrangement according to the invention.

The scow end 2 of Figs. 1 and 2 has identical bottom coupling means 4 and 5 welded to vertical corner members 6 and 7 and top coupling means 8 and 9 similarly welded to members 6 and 7.

The bottom coupling means 4 and 5 are shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5 and each comprise a plate 10 to which are welded a pair of vertical lugs 1 2 and 1 3 spaced apart 90 mm with a pin 1 5 welded horizontally across the lugs. Pin 1 5 is fixed at a distance of 11 5 mm from the back of plate 10 to leave a gap between the pin and plate 10 of about 90 mm sufficient to accept a standard hook 20 as shown in Fig. 5 of a standard central pontoon section 22. The standard hook accepted may be facing downwards as shown in Figs. 1 and 5 or upwards as shown at 21 in Fig. 3.

The top coupling means 8 and 9 (see Figs.

6 and 7) of the scow end comprises a pair of lugs 24 and 25 spaced apart at 90 mm and sufficiently wide as shown in Fig. 9 to extend either side of a standard female or double lugged coupling means 26. In the event of it only having to couple with a single lugged or male coupling means 28 of standard section 22 the link between the upper novel and standard coupling means is a pin 30 secured in holes 31 in lugs 24 and 25 by a spring 32 inserted in hole 34 in the pin. In the case of coupling means 8 and 9 having to couple with a standard male coupling means 28 a pair of packing means or wide washers 36 should be provided.

In Fig. 10 an alternative top coupling arrangement is shown in which pontoon sections 40 and 42 each have three top coupling means 44 - 46 and 47 - 49 respectively. In this arrangement each lug of each coupling means has a side profile similar to coupling means 9 as shown in Fig. 6. The coupling means are alternatively double and triple lugged, a double lugged coupling means mating with a triple lugged coupling means.

In Fig. 11 a further top coupling arrangement is shown in which pontoon sections 50 and 52 each have three top coupling means 54- 56 and 57 - 59 respectively. Each coupling means has a pair of lugs, each lug being of a similar side profile to that shown in Fig. 6. Mating is by interdigitation of lugs, opposed mating coupling means being set off one to another with respect to the centre line 60 of the pontoon sections.

In both arrangements of Figs. 10 and 11 linkage between coupling means is by pins 62 passing through opposed lugs.

Claims (7)

1. A pontoon section having means for coupling to an adjacent pontoon section at or adjacent a bottom end surface of the pontoon comprising a pair of vertical lugs having a horizontal pin mounted between the lugs so arranged that the pin may be engaged either by an upward or downward facing standard hook coupling of an adjacent pontoon section.

2. A pontoon section as claimed in Claim 1 which is a scow end.

3. A pontoon section as claimed in either Claim 1 or 2 having coupling means located at or adjacent the top of an end wall comprising a pair of vertical lugs spaced apart by a distance which is greater than the overall thickness of a standard female coupling means.

4. A pontoon section as claimed in either Claim 1 or 2 having means for coupling to an adjacent pontoon section located at or adjacent the top of an end wall which is in the form of at least three pairs of vertical lugs.

5. A pontoon section as claimed in Claim 4 wherein at least one of the pairs of vertical lugs is provided with an additional vertical lug to form two recesses.

6. A pontoon section as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the coupling means which is in the form of a spaced apart pair of vertical lugs is provided with a pin arranged to pass through the holes in both vertical lugs.

7. A pontoon section having coupling means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 9 and 10 and 11 of the accompanying drawings.