Amca International Corporation

American Hoist & Derrick Company

Richard J Juelich

Louis F Ray

George J Ikovich

James B Regan

Henry G Kogel

James A Carlsen

The present invention is an improved platform-mounted apparatus for holding and rapidly releasing a flexible load line having the properties of a wire rope. The invention comprises wedge gripper means for holding the line up to a tensile force substantially equal to the breaking strength of the line, with the gripper means comprising a grip frame for mounting to the platform and a pair of opposed grip wedges, the wedges having opposed internal gripping surfaces for engaging the line and external wedging surfaces that taper toward each other in the direction of the tensile force in a gripped line, each grip wedge having a wide end and a narrow end. Grip connection means connect the wide end of each grip wedge to the grip frame, said grip connection means defining a lower travel limit for each grip wedge in the direction of the tensile force in a gripped line. A grip body has opposed seating surfaces against which the external wedging surfaces of the grip wedges moveably bear, said seating surfaces tapering toward each other at substantially the same angle as the external wedging surfaces, such that motion of the grip wedges into the taper of the seating surfaces causes the opposed grip wedges to wedge together to engage the line and motion out of the taper of the seating surfaces causes release of the line. Release means connected to the pair of grip wedges and the grip body positively move the grip body relative to the grip wedges to cause line release. When the wedge gripper means is combined with a winch means for mounting to a platform, with the winch means having the ability to draw in and hold the line up to a tensile force less than the breaking strength of the line, the combined apparatus can draw in, hold, pay out and rapidly release a mooring line.

Quick-release mooring apparatus for floating vessels

A bulk material unloader includes parallel, spaced-apart main and back barges or pontoons which are held in fixed relationship with respect to each other by four collar frames. Two parallel cargo lighters are positioned between pontoons and the unloader is moored alongside ship. The two midship collar frames support a two-legged main tower over the main barge and a two-legged back tower over the back barge. A horizontal boom assembly includes a back bridge extending between the towers and an outboard boom supported by the towers and normally extending away from the back bridge and over the ship in parallel, end-to-end alignment with the back bridge. A horizontal bulk material conveyor assembly on the horizontal boom assembly includes two fixed parallel top horizontal endless belt-type conveyors supported on the back bridge and two parallel bottom horizontal endless belt-type conveyors supported on the boom assembly to move back and forth under the top conveyors and situated to receive bulk materials leaving the top conveyors. A chute is mounted at the outboard ends of the bottom conveyors, and bulk material deposited on the bottom conveyors is discharged into the chute for delivery to a hold of the ship. A bucket trolley and a grab bucket run on tracks which extend the entire length of the boom assembly. A hopper is situated on the back barge under the tracks so the bucket can deposit materials from the lighters into the hopper. An elevating conveyor carries materials from the hopper to the top horizontal conveyors. The chute is removable for offloading so the bucket trolley can move out to the outboard end of the outboard boom.

Barge mounted horizontal boom bulk unloader

Growing community of inventors

Stillwater, MN, United States of America

Richard J Juelich