WO2012017255A1

WO2012017255A1 - Apparatus and method for transporting goods

Info

Publication number: WO2012017255A1
Application number: PCT/GB2011/051495
Authority: WO
Inventors: Graham Kennedy
Original assignee: Graham Kennedy
Priority date: 2010-08-06
Filing date: 2011-08-08
Publication date: 2012-02-09
Also published as: GB201013273D0

Abstract

An apparatus (10) for transporting goods over an obstacle (26), the apparatus comprising: a first trolley arrangement (12A) having a first supporting surface raised above the height of the obstacle; a second trolley arrangement (12B) having a second supporting surface raised above the height of the obstacle; wherein an extended supporting surface protrudes From one or both of the first and second supporting surface to provide a bridge over the obstacle such that the goods may be transferred from one side of the obstacle to the other side of the obstacle on the first and second supporting surfaces.

Description

Apparatus and Method for Transporting Goods

The present invention relates to apparatus for transporting goods over an obstacle, particularly but. not exclusively, an obstacle comprising an upstand of a marine vessel's bulkhead door frame. A method^' of transporting goods over an obstacle is also provided.

Marine vessels such as cargo ships, -oil tankers, aircraft carriers etc. are typically fabricated in stages. Often, ^'the superstructure of a few compartments at one section of the vessel will be constructed before moving onto compartments on the next section of the. vessel. Once -construction of the superstructure is complete at one section of the vessel that section must be "fltied-out" with a variety of equipment. The equipment which is required to be installed varies widely and depends upon the -type of vessel and the intended purpose of that compartment. Much of the equipment installed during the fit-out stage is very heavy which makes it difficult to transport through the vessel. One reason transportation of the equipment through the vessel is so difficult is that the compartments are normally separated by bulkheads. The bulkheads are provided with doors which, when closed, provide a water tight seal between the various compartments. The door frames around the door aperture are not flush with the corridor compartment floor but instead have a raised lip (or "upstand") which projects from the floor of the corridor. The upstand normally projects from the floor by a considerable amount (up to 80 centimetres or possibly higher). This means that crew must step over this lip when moving from one compartment into another. However, this becomes difficult or impossible when carrying a very heavy piece of equipment.

One way of dealing with this problem is to load the heavy equipment onto trolleys which can i^'nen be pushed along the corridors of the vessel. When the trolley reaches an upsland, the equipment is then hooked onto an overhead lifting eye by lifting tackle and is "swung" from thai trolley onto another trolley or lifting fack!e on the other side of the door. However, this is a very slow and labour intensive manoeuvre which becomes particularly problematic in larger vessels which may have a thousand or more such doors.

It is also known to provide ramps (fabricated from e.g. steel, timber, rubber, piastres etc.) on either side of the upstarsd so that the trolleys can be pushed up and over the upstand; however, for heavy equipment the gradient of such ramps must be very shallow; otherwise, the fitters are unable to push the trolley up the ramp, and may have difficulty controlling it as it roils down the other side of the ramp. Since the gradient of these ramps must be shallow, the ramps must be very long which is impractical in the restricted space found in such vessels. Indeed, even when shallow ramps are provided a group .of several fitters are normally needed on one side -of the door to push the trolley up the ramp and another group of several filters are needed on the other side of the door to guide the trolley down the ramp. Again, this is a laborious process.

Another alternative is to weld a temporary overhead I-beam to the roof of the .corridor -and suspend carriages holding the equipment from the i- beam. This avoids the need for a wheeled trolley and allows the carriages to pass through, the bulkhead doors without being hindered by the upstand. However, this system also has several disadvantages; for example, the head height along the corridor and through the bulkhead door is. severely reduced making it difficult for fitters or others to pass between compartments. Furthermore, installation and removal of such a formidable temporary "steel beam, is a relatively expensive and time consuming operation.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for transporting goods over an obstacle, the apparatus comprising:- a first trolley arrangement having a first -supporting surface raised above the height of the obstacle;

a second iroiley arrangement having a second supporting surface raised above the height of the obstacle;

wherein an extended supporting surface protrudes from the first and or the second supporting surface to provide a bridge over the obstacle such that the goods may be transferred from one side of the obstacle to the other side of the obstacle on the first and second supporting surfaces.

Optionally, the extended supporting surface comprises a first extended portion protruding from the first supporting surface of the first trolley arrangement and a second extended portion protruding from the second supporting surface of the second trolley arrangement. Preferably, the extended supporting surface is of a length which ensures the bridge is adapted to span over the obstacle Without either trolley arrangement abutting the obstacle.

The first and second supporting surface may comprise at least a channelled guide track. Preferably, a pair of channelled guide tracks are provided; one on either side of the trolley arrangement. Optionally, a hinge ^'is provided between the first -and second trolley arrangements to allow the first and second trolley arrangements to pivot relative to one another over the obstacle. Optionally, the hinge is provided at the ends of the first and second extended portions, The hinge may be vertically displaced from the level of the supporting surfaces to facilitate pivoting movement of the trolley arrangements relative to one another.

The first and second trolley arrangements may comprise a space frame having an aperture which allows the first or second trolley arrangement to hinge onto the other of the first or second ^'trolley arrangement- when goods are supported by the other trolley arrangement. The space frame may comprise a pair of side frame members and may also comprise a transverse support braee.

Optionally, the first and second supporting surfaces are raised above the height of a bulkhead upstand.

Optionally, the apparatus further comprises a translating member adapted to translate between^' the first and second trolley arrangements. Optionally the translating member is provided with friction reducing means to facilitate translation between the first, and second trolley arrangements. The friction reducing means may comprise wheels provided on the translating member which are adapted to roll along the guide tracks -of the first and second trolley arrangements.

The apparatus may also be provided with attachments for the

transportation of different types of heavy goods on the translating member

According to the present invention there is also provided a method of transporting goods over an obstacle, the method comprising the steps of- providing a first trolley arrangement having a first supporting surface raised above the height of the obstacle;

providing a second trolley arrangement having a second supporting surface raised above the height of the obstacle;

providing an extended supporting surface protruding from the first and or the second supporting surface;

.manoeuvring the apparatus toward the obstacle such that an end of the first trolley arrangement is adjacent the obstacle;

arranging the extended supporting surface such that a bridge is provided between the first ^' and second trolley arrangement over the obstacle;_, and transferring the goods from one side of the obstacle to the other side of the obstacle on the first and second supporting surfaces.

Optionally, the step of arranging the extended supporting surface over the obstacle ^'comprises the step of pivoting the first trolley arrangement relative to the second trolley arrangement.

Optionally, the method further comprises the step of providing a translating member and translating the translating member between the first and second trolley depending upon which trolley arrangement is to be pivoted ever the obstacle.

Optionally, the method^" further comprises the steps of: - translating the translating member onto the second trolley arrangement to allow the first trolley arrangement to be pivoted over the obstacle;

translating the translating member from the second trolley arrangement onto the first trolley arrangement and over the obstacle; and then pivoting the second trolley arrangement toward the first trolley arrangement to allow the .apparatus to be moved clear of the obstacle. Optionally, the method further comprises the steps of pivoting the second trolley arrangement away from the first trolley arrangement once the apparatus has cleared the obstacle, and then translating the translating member back onto the second trolley arrangement. Alternatively, the method then further comprises, the steps of rotating the apparatus substantially through 180 degrees around a substantially veflieal axis such that the translating member remains on the first trolley and the second trolley is positioned for subsequent pivoting over the next obstacle.

Optionally, the method may further comprise the step of pivoting the first or second trolley arrangement onto the other of the first and second trolley arrangement to facilitate movement of the apparatus in a confined space.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference. to the accompanying drawings, in vvhiclr-

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the apparatus according^' to the invention, where the. apparatus is shown in an open

configuration;

Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 1 ;

Figs. 3 and 4 are schematic side views of the apparatus of Fig, 1 as a first trolley arrangement is progressively pivoted over a bulkhead upstand and where a translating member is shown supported by a second trolley arrangement; and

Fig. 5 is s schematic side view of the apparatus bridging over the bulkhead upstand and where the translating member has been translated past the bulkhead upstand and onto the first trolley arrangement. Referring to Fig. 1 the apparatus of the present invention generally designated 10, comprises a first troitey arrangement 12 A attached to a second trolley ^'arrangement 12B by way of a hinge 16. The hinge 18 provides a pivot axis P-P (Figs. 1 and 2} which ai!ows the first and second trolleys 12A, 12B to pivot relative to one another as indicated by arrows A in Figs. 3 and 4.

Each trolley 12A and 12B has a pair of opposed side frames 18A, 18B which are joined to one another adjacent the hinge 16 by support braces 20A_r 20B. A pair of wheels 22A, 228 are provided at the bottom of each side frame 18A, 18B to allow the first and second troiley 12A, 12B to roil along a ground surface 24A toward and away from an upstand 26 of a vessel bulkhead door. The side frames 18 A, 18B and the support braces 20A, 2GB create a U-shaped frame (see Fig. 2) having a free area B between the side frames 18A, 18B. The free area B allows the first trolley 12A to fold up onto the second trolley 12B (or second troiley 12B to fold tip onto the first troiley 12A) without being obstructed by the goods on the load bearing trolley; instead, goods on the load bearing trolley will be enclosed by the side frames 18A or 18B,

Channelled guide tracks 24A, 24 B are provided along the upper edges of the side frames 18A, 18B. The guide tracks 24A, ^'24.8 are longer than the side frames 18A, 18B so that they overhang from both ends of the trolleys 12A, 12B, At the junction between, the trolleys 12A, 12B the overhangs of the guide tracks 24A, 24B link with one another at join 28 when the apparatus 10 is in the open configuration. This forms a bridge 28 (see Fig. 5) which spans over the upstand 26 in use.

The pivot axis P-P is vertically displaced above the level of the guide tracks 24 to allow pivoting movement of the trolleys without the guide tracks 24 obstructing one another. The trolleys 12A, 12B are therefore pivotable from a fully closed position (not shown), where one trolley is folded up on top of the other trolley, and an open position where the trolleys Ί2Α, 128 are In-line with one another (as shown in Figs. 1 , 2 and 5).

With reference to Figs, 3, 4 and 5, a translating member 30 is also provided on the apparatus 10, The translating member 30 has a platform 32 provided with wheels 34 on its underside which are guided in use by the channelled guide tracks 24.

In use, with reference to Fig. 3, the translating member 30 is moved along the guide tracks 24B such that it rests on the second (trailing) trolley 12B, The translating member 30 is then loaded with heavy goods (not shown) ready for transportation through the vessel. The weight of the heavy goods is therefore borne by the second trolley 1213 at this stage, The first (leading) trolley 24A. can either be in the open configuration (such that's its wheels 22A run along the ground surface 24B) or can be in the closed configuration (where it is folded up onto the second trolley 12B).

If the apparatus 10 is in the open configuration it is then moved by a user towards the obstacle; which, in the presently described embodiment, is an upstand 26. When the leading edge of the side platforms 18A of the first trolley 12 A. are -adjacent the front face of the upstand 26 the apparatus 10 cannot be pushed any further forward. The first trolley 12A is therefore how lifted until its wheals 22A are higher than the upstand 28. The apparatus 10 can then be moved forward further until the leading edge of the second trolley 128 is adjacent the front face of the upstand 26 (see Fig. 3). If the apparatus 10 is in the closed configuration it is moved by a user towards the obstacle until the leading edge of the side platforms 18B of the second trolley 12B are adjacent the front face of the upsiand 26; at which point the apparatus 10 cannot be pushed any further forward. The first trolley 12A is therefore now lifted off the second trolley 12B and pivoted down towards the position indicated in Fig. 3.

Pivoting of the first trolley 12A is continued (Fig. 4) until lis wheels 22A contact the ground surface 24A on the other side of the upsiand 28 (Fig. 5). This creates a bridge 28 over the upsiand 26 which is of a sufficient length to span over an L-shaped lip typically found on such upstands.

The user is now able to move the translating member 30 and the associated heavy goods along the guide tracks 24B, from its first position on the second trolley 12B (indicated by dashed lines in Fig. 5} over the bridge portion 28 and onto the guide tracks 24A of the first trolley 12A. The weight of the translating member 3D and the heavy goods is now therefore borne by the first trolley 12A. With the second trolley 12B now not bearing any of the load, it can be pivoted up toward the first trolley 12A until its wheels 228 are high enough to dear the upsiand 26.

Alternatively, it can be. pivoted up into the closed configuration where the second trolley 12B will be on top of the first trolley 12A. The whole apparatus 10 can now be roiled away from the upsiand 28 on the ground surface 24A on the other side of the upsiand 26.

Vessels typically have several upstands, which are relatively closely arranged (due to there being several individual watertight compartments and several associated bulkheads), Once the apparatus 10 has been folded over one upsiand in the fashion previously described, it. can easily then be folded over the next upsiand encountered. There are two ways In which this can be done, if sufficient space is available, the whole apparatus 10 can be rotated through 1.80 degrees on its wheels 22A, 22B so that the second trolley 12B becomes the leading trolley and will be adjacent the next upstand. Alternatively, IF there is insufficient room to do this, once the first upstand has been cleared, the translating member 30 can be moved back from the first (leading) trolley 12A onto the second (trailing) trolley 128 before the previously described steps are performed once again in order to clear the next obstacle. The apparatus of the present invention therefore minimises the effort and time required to move heavy loads between compartments over bulkhead upsfands. The raised platform provided by the trolleys 12A, 12B means that the load is securely niaintained at the same height as it is transferred over the upstands. it-does not need to be raised or lowered between the upstands. This results in a significant saving in the man hours required to move equipment through a vessel which, in turn, provides significant cost savings. In addition, the invention provides a very stable platform which is considerably safer than previous systems, The apparatus 10 can also remain on -board for use during operation of the vessel. This allows heavy goods to continue to he easily moved within the vessel at sea or in dock.

Modifications and improvements may be made to the foregoing without departing from the scope of the invention, for exampie:-

A number of interchangeable attachments may be provided on top of the translating^' member 30, depending upon the size, shape and nature of the load being transported. Example attachments include a barrel, loading frame bowi etc.; however, numerous other attachments could be provided depending upon the required application.

In the embodiment described, the translating member 30 is provided with wheels 34; however, there are many mechanisms for reducing friction which could alternatively be used to facilitate translation of the heavy goods from one trolley to the other trolley; indeed, the translating member 30 and or the guide tracks 24A, 24B themselves may be provided with greased runners in order to allow the translating member 30 to slide directly over the trolleys,

Although the invention is described with reference to a bulkhead upstand, the apparatus is also suitable for transporting equipment over the other obstacles.

Figures 6 and 7 show another embodiment of the invention.

A mounting member in the form of a short box section 40 is attached, such as by welding, to the underside of the free end of each guide track 24B. This can receive a ramp 50 to assist raising or lowering goods onto/from the guide tracks. The ramp 50 has a male protrusion 52 which fits into each box section 40.

The apparatus also has a stop member 80 to prevent goods from sliding off the guide tracks. At each end of the guide tracks, a retractable spring bolt 60 passes through an aperture in the guide tracks to protrude upwards. The box^* section 40 and protrusion 52 also have an aperture and the spring bolt 80 also passes through these. The spring bolt 80 therefore serves the dual purpose of maintaining the ramp 50 in position.

Also, as shown in Figure 7, the apparatus includes a hand operated winching mechanism 65 to assist raising or lowering goods onto/from the guide tracks.

Also, the apparatus includes a piston arrangement 70 to assist pivoting of the trolleys relative to each other. The piston is biased towards a retracted position but under a pressure which is successfully resisted by the mass of the trolleys. Therefore, a minimum lifting force by a user wiil cause the troifeys to pivot relative to each other.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transporting goods over an obstacle, the apparatus comprising:- a first trolley arrangement having a first supporting surface raised above the height of the obstacle;

a second trolley arrangement having a second supporting surface raised above the height of the obstacle;

wherein an extended supporting surface protrudes from one or both of the first and second supporting surface to provide a bridge over the obstacle such that the goods may be transferred from one side of the obstacle to the other side of the obstacle on the first and second supporting surfaces.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the extended supporting surface comprises a first extended portion protruding from the first supporting surface of the first trolley arrangement and a second extended portion protruding from the second supporting surface of the second trolley arrangement.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the extended supporting surface of the second surface is of a length which ensures the bridge is adapted to span over the obstacle without either trolley arrangement abutting the obstacle.

4. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first and second supporting surface comprise a channelled guide track.

5, An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein a pair of channelled guide tracks are provided.

6. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a hinge is provided between the first and second trolley arrangements to allow the first and second trolley arrangements to pivot relative to one another over the obstacle.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the hinge is provided at the ends of the first and second extended portions.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 or 7. wherein the hinge is vertically displaced from the level of the supporting surfaces to facilitate pivoting movement of the trolley arrangements relative to one another.

9. An apparatus as claimed ^'in any preceding claim, wherein the first and second trolley arrangements comprise a space frame having an aperture which a!fows the first or second trolley arrangement to hinge onto the other of the first or second trolley arrangement

I.0, An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the space frame comprises a pair of side frame members and a transverse support brace.

I I . An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first and second supporting surfaces are raised above the height of a bulkhead iipstand.

12. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a translating member adapted to translate between the first and second trolley arrangements,

13. An apparatus as claimed In claim 12, wherein the translating member is provided with friction reducing means to facilitate translation between the first and second trolley arrangements.

14. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, including a ramp to assist raising or lowering goods onto/from the guide tracks.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14, including a mounting member for removably attaching the ramp to one or more guide tracks,

18, An apparatus as ciaimed in. any preceding claim, including a stop member to prevent goods from sliding off the guide tracks.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the stop member comprises a retractable spring bolt.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 18 or 17, wherein the stop member provides an attachment fixing for maintaining the ramp in position.

19. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, including a winching mechanism to assist raising or lowering goods onto/from the guide tracks.

20. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, including a piston arrangement to assist pivoting of the trolleys relative to each other.

21 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the piston is biased towards a retracted position but under a pressure which is successfully resisted by the mass of the irol!eys.