IE42603B1 - Improvements in or relating to vessels having twin hulls - Google Patents

Abstract

1508066 Catamaran vessels J J STENGER 16 June 1975 [18 June 1974] 25595/75 Heading B7A A catamaran vessel has an opening in the stern with a removably hingedly mounted stinger 9, e.g. for pipe laying, located therein, the stinger having tracks (10) Fig. 5, not shown, for a movable device. The stinger is formed from hollow tubes 14 interconnected by transverse tubes so that it is buoyant, and is located by means of conical end portions (17) Fig. 6, not shown, which locate a transverse cylinder 8 which is rotatable about a horizontal axis. The stinger has rollers (21) below the tracks (10). A stern bridge 6 supports a control cabin 7. The opening can be closed by hatch covers. A hoist 12 can move along the deck of the vessel.

Description

This invention relates to a vessel having twin hulls connected together side-by-side by a deck. --; The invention provides a vessel having twin hulls : connected together side-by-side by a deck, the normal water 5 lines of the hulls being located below the deck so that the deck is supported clear of the water in use, each hull having a minimum beam at its water line and increasing in beam below its water line so that the centre of buoyancy of each hull is located below the water line of the respective hull, the deck having an opening extending along the deck in the ' fore and-aft direction of the vessel and a stinger being mounted for movement upwardly and downwardly in the opening.

( Preferably the stinger is hinged at one end thereof to the deck of the vessel. The stinger may be provided with a movable device selected to suit the function to be performed. For example the device may be a platform or carrier and in the upwardly swung horizontal position Of ; the stinger the platform or carrier may be located in any required position along the opening and used for carrying / apparatus for executing operations on devices, which are temporarily situated in the opening of the hull. in the downward position the end of the stinger sticks into the water so that the apparatus can be lowered and moved up— wardly respectively. 2 6 0 3 It is preferred to give the stinger a buoyancy. The end of the stinger remote from the hinge can then be allowed to move upwardly and downwardly with the waves within the opening of the hull, which latter is not or scarcely moved by the waves. This facilitates the lowering and pulling up of floating apparatus. With this embodiment it is possible to lower divers into the water and to fish them up again; the same holds true for a mini-submarine. The stinger, however, can also be swung vertically or almost vertically downwardly for lowering tube-sections or other Objects to the bottom of the sea down the stinger.

Preferably the stinger is hinged to the deck by a rotary member mounted on the deck adjacent the forward most end of the opening to rotate about an axis extending transversely of the vessel, the member having conical openings therein and said one end of the stinger having conical projections secured in the conical opening of the member, the stinger extending rearwardly of the member through the opening in the deck. The conical projections may be removably secured in the conical openings of the rotary member . The removability of the stinger makes it possibl e to use the opening also for other purposes. ‘Ibe rotary member, in the absence of the stinger, can form a guidesurface for instance for cables, pipes or hoses.

Preferably the stinger consists of parallel hollow tubes, said tubes being interconnected by transverse tubes, which tubes at the upper part carry track elements for a movable platform. This track of course can he connected to a track upon the fixed deck of the vessel. 43603 The opening can be provided with hatches, for instance, of a hydraulically or mechanically foldable or tip-up type, which makes it possible to create a closed deck above, the opening. The rear-end of the opening can be bridged and at that location a control platform can be situated for controlling the vessel· and for operating the stinger.

. The invention now will be elucidated with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 shows a side-view of the vessel according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view; Figure 3 is a front view; Figure 4-is a longitudinal cross-section through the rearward part of the. vessel .

Figures is a cross-section on the line V-V of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a cross-section on the line VI-VI of .

Figure 4.

. Figures 1, 2 and 3 in the first place serve to clearly indicate the type of vessel.

This vessel has two hull-portions 1 and 2 the beam of each of which is a minimum at its waterline and increases below the waterline so that the centre of buoyancy is below the waterline. Typically the depth of the centres of buoyancy of the hulls will be at submarine periscope depth, that is the depth to which a typical submarine is submerged when using its periscope. The hulls which reduce in beam are coupled by a profiled bottom-portion 3 below the Water level and above the water level are interconnected by an upper structure or deck 4. -4-.

The rear-end of the vessel has been provided with a longitudinal rectangular opening 5, being bridged at the rear-end by a bridge 6 with a control-cabin 7.

At the front end of this opening a cylinder 8 has been situated, being rotatable around a horizontal transverse axis. In this cylinder, which also can serve for guiding cables or chains, a stinger 9 is detachably secured. This stinger carries a track 10 for a carrier or platform 11.

Upon the deck a movable hoist- or cable-guiding device 12 has been situated, which can be located above the opening.

The opening can be closed at the top by means of hatches 13.

As shown in the Figures 4 to 6 the stinger consists of tubes 14, being interconnected by spaced parallel trans15 verse tubes 15. Adjacent the front of the opening, short tubes 16 having forwardly projecting conical ends 17 are secured to the undersides of tubes 14. Said conical ends engage in transversely extending conical sleeves 22 spaced apart along the cylinder 8. The conical ends 17 of the tubes 16 are provided with transverse tubes 18 into which pairs of cross-pins 19 mounted in the cylinder 8 can engage.

These pins preferably are remotely controlled to hold the conical ends 17 in the sleeves 22 of cylinder 8.

The rearward end of the stinger further is suspended 25 from winches 20 (Figure 4) which makes it possible to move the stinger into the horizontal position.

The transverse tubes 15 can be provided with rotatably supported rollers 21, by means of which cables or the like can be guided over the stinger but below the track.

Claims (9)

. CLAIMS i- '

1. A.--vessel having twin hulls connected together’ side-by-side by a deck, the normal water lines of the hulls being located below the deck so that the deck is supported

2. A vesselas claimed in claim 1 wherein the stinger is hinged at one end thereof to the deck of the vessel.

3. A vessel as claimed in claim 2 wherein a rotary 15 member is mounted on the deck adjacent the forward most end of the opening to rotate about an axis extending transversely of the vessel, the member having conical openings therein and said one end of the stinger having conical projections secured in the conical opening in the member, 20 the stinger extending transversely rearwardly of the member through the opening in the deck.

4. A vessel as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein means are provided for rendering the stinger buoyant. 25 5. A vessel as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the stinger comprises parallel hollow tubes, said tubes being interconnected by transverse tubes, which tubes at the Upper:part thereof carry track elements for a . movable platform.

5. Wherein the opening has removable hatches. 5 clear of the water, in use, each hull having a minimum beam at its water line and increasing in beam below its water line so that the centre of buoyancy of each hull is located below the water line of the respective hull, the deck havihg an opening extending along the deck in the fore and aft 10 direction of the vessel and a stinger being mounted for movement upwardly and downwardly ih the opening,

6. A vessel as claimed in claim 5 wherein the transverse tubes carry rollers for guiding cables, pipes or hoses. - 6 42G03

7. A vessel as claimed in any of the preceding claims

8. A vessel as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the rear end of the opening is bridged and a control platform is provided at that location, means being provided on the platform for controlling the vessel and 10 operating the stinger.

9. A vessel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.