The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 24, 2015
Filed:
Dec. 14, 2006
Willem Jacob Van Der Velde, Rockanje, NL;
Willem Johannes Alain Wassink, Vlaardingen, NL;
Johan Albert Commandeur, Zwijndrecht, NL;
Willem Jacob van der Velde, Rockanje, NL;
Willem Johannes Alain Wassink, Vlaardingen, NL;
Johan Albert Commandeur, Zwijndrecht, NL;
GustoMSC Resources B.V., Schiedam, NL;
Seaway Heavy Lifting Engineering B.V., Zoetermeer, NL;
Abstract
Vessel including a hull of a substantially closed surface has at deck level a lifting crane, ballast tanks within the hull and a ballast control unit for admitting water to the ballast tanks for changing the draft of the vessel. The hull has a narrow lower section having first width over a height from keel level to a widening level, and a top section having a larger width than the lower section, extending from the widening level upwards towards deck level. The control unit is adapted to ballast the vessel to have a relatively shallow draft level in a transit mode, so that the wide top section is above water level, while the vessel is traveling, and to ballast the vessel to a relatively deep draft level in a lifting mode so that the widening level is below water level, at least when the vessel is substantially stationary and the crane is in its lifting position.