Metro Machine Corporation

Tidewater Equipment Corporation

James A McMichael

Richard A Goldbach

Charles A Garland

Frank E McConnell

William A Wagner

Each of a plurality of cargo holds of a bulk carrier vessel has a self-contained staging system lowered into it, from the platform track of which workers operate semi-automatic blasting machines that are mounted onto the platform. The set-up for each vessel also includes, for each hold, a ventilation unit provided on a hatch plug, and a transporter for the staging system. Groups of staging systems are served by on-deck air compressors. Staging systems actually engaging in blasting are served by recycling shot blast units which recycle and supply steel shot. Following blast cleaning, the cleaned surfaces are painted from the platforms.

Self-contained staging system for cleaning and painting bulk cargo holds

For cleaning and/or painting the exterior of a ship hull while the ship is in dry dock, one or more staging devices are provided. Each includes a metal framework tower supporting a vertically movable elevator assembly that comprises a trolley, from which a variably laterally projecting platform is supported on articulated, cantilevered arms. Adjustable, non-porous shrouds enclose a volume of space between the outside of the tower and an increment of one side of the exterior of the ship hull, from above, fore, aft and outside. Cleaning and painting operations are conducted from the platform on the hull increment, and debris is removed from the dry-dock deck area enclosed by the shroud, after which the device is moved by crane, typically twenty feet (6.1 m), towards the ship's bow or stern. The shrouds are then adjusted so that a further hull increment can be worked on. The trolley and extension-retraction of the platform support arms are operated by electrohydraulic winch and hydraulic cylinders, respectively. The margins of the shroud may be fastened by magnets to the hull. Air drawn through the enclosed volume from above, is drawn out near the dry-dock deck for processing to remove dust and appropriately treat VOCs, if present.

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Norfolk, VA, United States of America

James A McMichael