NL2021624B1 - Vessel provided with a device for guiding an anchor line - Google Patents

Abstract

A vessel 1 is provided with an stowage space 5 in which an anchor is present when it is not used. A winch device is provided in the stowage space having a chain drum 7 and an associated drum drive 8. On this chain drum an anchor chain 9 is wound. The anchor arm 3 is part of a device for guiding the anchor chain and is connected via a mounting member 11 to a side wall of the stowage space. The anchor arm is movable between an operative position A in which the anchor arm guides the anchor chain, and a stowage position D. Between the mounting member 11 and the anchor arm 3, a spring 15 is provided. This spring pushes the anchor arm in the direction towards the operational position.

Description

Vessel provided with a device for guiding an anchor line

DESCRIPTION:

Technical filed of the invention

The invention relates to a vessel comprising:

a winch device having a anchor line drum and an associated drum drive, as well as an anchor line connected to the anchor line drum with an anchor attached to the anchor line, a anchor arm which is pivotably connected to a mounting element and is movable between an operational position, in which the anchor arm guides the anchor line, and a stowage position, a first anchor line guide on a tree end of the anchor arm for guiding the anchor line, an element for storing potential energy during the movement of the anchor ami from its operational position to its stowage position and which element is to be connected to the mounting element or to the vessel and is connected to the anchor arm and exerts a force on the anchor arm to force the anchor arm towards the operational position, a second anchor line guide at a location between the mounting element and the first anchor line guide, preferably at or close to the location of the kink, so that a torque can be exerted on the anchor arm, a third anchor line guide provided between the first and second anchor line guides, wherein the first and the second anchor line guides are at one side of the anchor line and the third anchor line guide is at the opposite side of the anchor line, to make it possible to pull the anchor arm all into its stowage position, and a fourth anchor line guide, which is present between the mounting element and the anchor line dram to guide the anchor line to the dram such that it can be wound and unwound correctly on and from the drum.

With anchor line is meant not only a chain but also any other flexible elongate member to which an anchor can be attached, such as for example a cable.

Background of the invention

A vessel according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from GB2339181A. In case a vessel should be anchored one just has to turn the chain drum to put down the anchor and the element for storing potential energy will rotate the anchor arm to its operational position. To store the anchor the chain drum has to be driven in opposite direction and the anchor will hook in the free end of the anchor arm and rotate the anchor arm to its stowage position. Thus no additional drive is required to move the anchor arm, it just can be done by the element for storing potential energy in cooperation with the drum drive.

Summary of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to improve the known vessel. To this end the device according to the invention is characterized in that the fourth anchor line guide being adjacent the third anchor line guide when the anchor arm is in stowage position so that the anchor arm can easily be moved in to its stowage position. An advantage of this is that the forces on the anchor during pulling in, only work in line with the anchor shank (and do not exert a torque on the anchor), so that it is not necessary to hold the anchor firmly on the arm.

The element for storing potential energy can for example be a weight which is connected to the anchor arm via a cable. Preferably, the element for storing potential energy comprises a spring. The spring can be any kind of spring, for example a torsion spring, a linear elastic spring (shock cord), an air spring (pneumatic cylinder) etc.

Preferably, the anchor arm is curved or kinked to easily make it possible to exert a torque on the anchor arm in order to rotate the anchor arm from its operational position to its stowage position.

To Limit the speed with which the anchor arm moves from its stowage position to its operational position during unwinding of the anchor chain from the winch a further embodiment of the vessel is characterized in that a rotational damper is present between the anchor arm and the mounting element.

An embodiment of the vessel according to the invention is characterized in that the vessel is provided with an stowage space in which the anchor is present if it is not used, wherein the mounting element is fixed against a bottom or side wall of the stowage space. This stowage space can be a space under the surface of the deck of the vessel or can just be a place on the deck of the vessel.

A further embodiment of the vessel according to the invention is characterized in that at the front of the vessel there is a support for the anchor arm that supports the anchor arm both in vertical direction as in horizontal direction perpendicular to the anchor arm and absorbs lateral forces exerted by the anchor chain on the anchor arm.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will be further elucidated below on the basis of drawings. These drawings show embodiments of the vessel according to the present invention. In the drawings:

Figure I is a schematic representation of the front part of a first embodiment of the vessel according to the invention;

Figure IB is an enlarged detail of Fig. 1 at the mounting location of the anchor arm to the vessel;

Figure 1C is an enlarged detail of cross section along line LI in Fig. 1;

Figure 2 shows the front part of the vessel with the anchor arm in operational position;

Figure 3 shows the front part of the vessel with the anchor arm in a first intermediate position;

Figure 4 shows the front part of the vessel with the anchor arrn in a second intermediate position;

Figure 5 shows the front part of the vessel with the anchor arm in a stowage position;

Figure 6 is the front part of a second embodiment of the vessel according to the invention with the anchor arm in operational position; and

Figure 7 shows the front part of the vessel of Fig. 6 with the anchor arm in a stowage position.

Detailed description of the drawings

In Figure 1 the front part of a first embodiment of the vessel 1 according to the invention is represented schematically with the anchor arm 3 in different positions. The vessel 1 is provided with an stowage space 5 in which the anchor is present when it is not used. A winch device is provided in the stowage space having a chain drum 7 and an associated drum drive 8. On this chain drum an anchor chain 9 is wound.

The anchor arm 3 is part of a device for guiding the anchor chain and is connected via a mounting member 11 to a side wall of the stowage space. The anchor arm is pivotable about pivot pin 13 and is movable between an operative position A in which the anchor arm guides the anchor chain, and a stowage position D. In this embodiment the element for storing potential energy is constituted as a torsion spring (15) which is present between the mounting member 11 and the anchor arm 3, as shown in detail in Figure IB. This spring pushes the anchor arm in the direction towards the operational position.

At the front of the vessel 1 there is a support 24 that supports the anchor arm 3. This support 24 is shown in detail in Figure 1C that is a cross section of the arm along line I-I in Fig. 1. The support 24 supports the anchor arm 3 both in vertical direction as in horizontal direction perpendicular to the anchor arm and absorbs lateral forces exerted by the anchor chain 9 on the anchor arm 3.

At the free end of the anchor arm a first chain guide 17 is provided for guiding the anchor chain. The anchor arm 3 is kinked (L-shaped) and is provided with a second chain guide 19 at the location of the kink of the anchor arm. Between the first and second chain guide a third chain guide 21 is provided on the anchor arm. The first -and second chain guides 17 and 19 are present at one side 9a of the anchor chain and the third chain guide 21 is present at the opposite side 9b of the chain.

A fourth chain guide 23 is provided on the bottom of the stowage space

5. This fourth chain guide is located between the mounting member 11 and the chain drum 7. If the anchor arm 3 is in the stowage position A the third chain guide 21 on the anchor arm 3 is present near the fourth chain guide 23 at the bottom of the stowage space.

At the front of the vessel a support 24 for the anchor arm 3 is mounted on the deck. This support 24 supports the anchor arm 3 both in vertical direction as in horizontal direction perpendicular to the anchor arm and absorbs lateral forces exerted by the anchor chain 9 on the anchor arm 3.

Further, in Figure 1, the anchor arm 3 is shown in two intermediate positions B and C. In Figures 2-5, the different positions A-D of the anchor arm are shown during the hauling of the anchor 25. When hauling the anchor by driving the chain drum 7 the anchor will hook in the free end of the anchor arm, see Fig. 2. Further, driving the chain drum 7 will cause the anchor arm to turn around the pivot pin 13, see Fig. 3, as the force in the anchor chain 9 at the location of the second chain guide 19 exerts a torque on the anchor arm 3. When the anchor chain 9 is further wound on the chain drum 7 the anchor chain 9 leaves the second chain guide 19 and is guides by third chain guide 21, see Fig. 4, until the third chain guide 21 is close to the fourth chain guide 23 and the anchor arm is in the stowage space 5, see Fig. 5.

In case the vessel I should be anchored one just has to turn the chain drum 7 in the opposite direction and the spring 15 will rotate the anchor arm 3 to its operational position. A rotational damper can be provided between the anchor arm 3 and the mounting element 11 to limit the speed with which the anchor arm moves from its stowage position to its operational position during unwinding of the anchor chain from the winch. This rotational damper can for example be integrated in the pivot pin 13.

Figures 6 and 7 show the front part of a second embodiment of the vessel 31 according to the invention with the anchor arm in respectively operational and stowage position. All parts which are the same as those of' the first embodiment of the vessel are indicated with the same reference numerals. In this embodiment the element for storing potential energy is constituted as a linear spring 35 instead of a torsion spring. One end of this linear spring is connected to the vessel and the other end to a cable 37. This cable is wound onto a small drum 39 which is rotatable around a pivot pin 13 and which is fixed to the anchor arm 3,

When hauling the anchor 25 by driving the chain drum 7 the anchor will hook in the free end of the anchor arm, see Fig. 6. Further, driving the chain drum wil l cause the anchor arm to turn around the pivot pin 13. When the anchor chain 9 is further wound on the chain drum 7 the anchor chain pulls the anchor arm 3 to its stowage position thereby turning the small drum 39, Turning the small drum 39 causes the cable to be wound onto this drurn and thereby extending the linear spring 35. When the anchor 25 has to be lowered the chain drum 7 has to turned in the opposite direction and the linear spring 35 will unwind the cable from the small drum thereby rotating the anchor arm 3 to its operational position, see Fig, 7.

Although the present invention is elucidated above on the basis of the given drawings, it should be noted that this invention is not limited whatsoever to the embodiments shown in the drawings. The invention also extends to all embodiments deviating from the embodiments shown in the drawings within the context defined by 5 the claims.

Claims (8)

CONCLUSIONS: Vessel (1; 31) comprising: a Reassembly with a chain drum (7) and a drum drive (8) coupled thereto, an anchor chain (9) connected to the chain drum and to an anchor (25), an anchor arm (3) hinged to a mounting element (11 ) and movable 'between an operational position (A), in which the anchor arm guides the anchor chain, and a storage position (D), a first chain guide (17) which is present at a free end of the anchor arm for guiding the anchor chain, an element for storing potential energy during the movement of the arm (3) from its operating position (A) to its storage position (D), which element is connected to the mounting element (11) or to a part of the vessel (1; 31) and is connected to the arm (3) and exerts a force on the arm in the direction of operating position (A), a second chain guide (19) provided on the arm (3) in one place between the mounting element (11) and the first chain guide (17), a third chain guide (21) provided on the anchor arm between the first and second chain guides (17, 19), the first and second chain guides being on one side (9a) of the anchor chain (9) and the third chain guide (21) is on the opposite side (9b) of the anchor chain, and a fourth chain guide (23) is present between the mounting element (11) and the chain drum (7), characterized in that with the arm (3) in storage position (D), the fourth chain guide (23) is present near the third chain guide (21). Vessel according to claim 1, characterized in that the potential energy storage element comprises a spring (15) or weight. Vessel according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the anchor arm (3) is bent or kinked. Vessel according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the anchor arm (3) is kinked and the second chain guide (19) is present at or near the kink in the anchor arm. Vessel according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device further comprises a rotary damper which is present between the anchor arm (3) and the mounting element (11). Vessel according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The vessel is provided with a storage space (5) in which the anchor is present when not in use, the mounting element (11) being fixed against a bottom or side wall of the anchor space. Vessel according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at the front of the vessel a support (24) for the anchor arm (3) 10 which supports the arm (3) at right angles to the arm both vertically and horizontally.