Title: Bridges for providing access from a water-borne craft to the shore

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a ship to shore bridge of the kind comprising a bridging beam having a ship end, a shore end and two lateral sides, for providing an access track from a shore or quay at said shore end to a water-borne craft at said ship end, said beam being supported at said shore end by a pivotal connection permitting pivoting of said beam around a generally horizontal axis, to enable said ship end of said beam to rise and fall,

the improvement comprising providing means for slewing said beam about a substantially vertical axis at said shore end between a stowed position and an operative position, said beam being so dimensioned that when it is in said stowed position it is substantially received in a recess in a quay edge with a side surface of said beam being substantially flush with the side surface of said quay, wherein said ship end of said beam is displaced from said recess when said beam is in said operative position, and wherein said bridging beam has an upper surface which, when said bridging beam is in said stowed position, is flush with the surface of said quay around said recess, thereby permitting normal traffic along said quay over said beam.

2. A bridge according to claim 1 wherein said slewing means comprises a hydraulic piston and cylinder.

3. A bridge according to claim 1, wherein said slewing means comprises a rack and pinion.

4. A bridge according to claim 1 wherein said pivotal connection comprises a circular cross-section bar or tube member co-operating with a planar member, one of said members being permanently located in said recess while the other of said members is secured to the underside of said bridging beam and rests on said one member.

5. A bridge according to claim 4 wherein said circular cross-section bar or tube member is secured to said bridging beam, whereby said horizontal axis of said pivotal connection remains square to the length of said bridge in all positions of said bridge.

6. A bridge according to claim 4 wherein said circular cross-section bar or tube member is fixed to said quay in a position to be square to the length of said bridge when said bridge has been displaced from said stowed position.

7. A bridge according to claim 1, wherein said quay is provided with fixed rails for a crane, said rails extending along said quay, and one of said rails being partially formed on said upper surface of said bridging beam, and connections with the remainder of said rail on said quay being provided at said ends of said beam.

8. A bridge according to claim 1 which also includes a buoyancy tank attached to said ship end of said beam to support said ship end, the buoyancy of said buoyancy tank being adjustable.

9. A bridge according to claim 1 or claim 4 or claim 8 wherein said recess contains a fixed supporting member, said ship end of said beam resting on said fixed supporting member when in said stowed position.

10. A bridge according to claim 1, wherein said bridging beam forms a substantially straight access track from said shore end to said ship end.

11. In a ship to shore bridge of the kind comprising a bridging beam having a ship end, a shore end and two lateral sides, for providing an access track from a shore or quay at said shore end to a water-borne craft at said ship end, said beam being supported at said shore end by a pivotal connection permitting pivoting of said beam around a generally horizontal axis, to enable said ship end of said beam to rise and fall,

the improvement comprising providing means for slewing said beam about a substantially vertical axis at said shore end between a stowed position and an operative position, said beam being so dimensioned that when it is in said stowed position it is substantially received in a recess in a quay edge with a side surface of said beam being substantially flush with the side surface of said quay, wherein said ship end of said beam is displaced from said recess when said beam is in said operative position; and providing a buoyancy tank attached to said ship end of said beam to support said ship end, the buoyancy of said buoyancy tank being adjustable, wherein said recess in the quay edge extends over substantially the full height of the quay thereby to accomodate said buoyancy tank within said recess below said bridging beam when said bridging beam is in the stowed position.

Other info:


Inventors: Rose, John (22 Royal Crescent, Glasgow G3 7SL, GB6)
Pearson, James S. (8 Burnside Ave., Kirkintilloch, GB6)

Application Number: 06/103706
Filing Date: 1979-12-14
Publication_date: 1982-07-06
Assignee: Rose, John
Pearson, James S.

Primary Class(es): 14/71.100 405/220, 114/263, 14/27, 405/219
Other Classes: E01D15/24; E01D15/00; E01D1/00
US Patent Ref:

0076807	April, 1868	Wilson	14/711
0579813	March, 1897	Wylie	14/711
0785400	March, 1905	Buchanan	14/711
2617131	November, 1952	Harris	14/711	Landing gear
2641785	June, 1953	Pitts	14/711	Marine transfer ramp
2759331	August, 1956	Fiebinger	114/263	Berthing pier
2976694	March, 1961	Stanford	14/711	Boat beacher and launcher
3004391	October, 1961	Miller	14/711	Floating dock
3145854	August, 1964	Sturm	14/711	Ship and cargo handling equipment

Other Refs: FR1516220

March, 1968

114/263

Primary Examiner: Byers, Jr.; Nile C.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney: Milde Jr., Karl F.