Marine Gangway and a Marine Structure Comprising Such a Marine Gangway

Abstract

A marine gangway has a tower adapted for attachment to a marine structure, rotatably about a tower rotational axis extending in a longitudinal direction of the tower. The tower has a tower aperture and at least one tower doorway arranged below and/or above the tower aperture where the tower aperture and the at least one tower doorway is adapted for people and/or goods to pass through. The marine gangway includes a gangway device comprising a gangway platform attached to the tower movably in the longitudinal direction of the tower, and a gangway rotatably attached to the gangway platform. The marine gangway further comprises a lift arranged inside the tower movable in the longitudinal direction of the tower. The lift has a lift doorway adapted to align with the tower aperture and with the at least one tower doorway as the lift moves in the longitudinal direction of the tower.

Claims

1-21. (canceled)

22. A marine gangway (18), comprising: a tower (20) comprising a main bearing (15) and being configured to be rotatably mounted to a deck (11, 12, 13) of a ship (10) via said main bearing (15) to allow the tower (20) to rotate about a tower rotational axis (A) extending in a longitudinal direction of the rotatable tower (20), the tower (20) being provided with a tower aperture (25) and at least one tower doorway (26) arranged one or both of below and above the tower aperture (25), the tower aperture (25) and the at least one tower doorway (26) being adapted for one or both of people and goods to pass through, a gangway device (32) comprising a gangway platform (34) attached to the tower (20) movable in the longitudinal direction of the tower (20), and a gangway (42) rotatably attached to the gangway platform (34), a lift (28) arranged inside the tower (20) movable in the longitudinal direction of the tower (20), the lift (28) being provided with a lift doorway (29) adapted to align with the tower aperture (25) and with the at least one tower doorway (26) as the lift (28) moves in the longitudinal direction of the tower (20).

23. The marine gangway (18) according to claim 22, wherein the gangway platform (34) comprises a support platform (36) movably attached to the tower (20) in the longitudinal direction of the tower (20), and an attachment platform (39) rotatably attached to the support platform (36), and the gangway (42) is rotatably attached to the attachment platform (39).

24. The marine gangway (18) according to claim 23, wherein the attachment platform (39) is rotatably attached to the support platform (36) about an attachment platform rotational axis (B) substantially parallel to the rotational axis (A) of the tower (20).

25. The marine gangway (18) according to claim 24, wherein the gangway (42) is rotatably attached to the attachment platform (39) about an axis (C or D) which lies in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis (B) of the attachment platform.

26. The marine gangway (18) according to claim 23, wherein the gangway (42) is rotatably attached to the attachment platform (39) about an axis (C or D) which lies in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis (B) of the attachment platform.

27. The marine gangway (18) according to claim 23, wherein the gangway (42) is rotatably attached to the attachment platform (39) about two independent axes (C, D), of which at least one axis (C) lies in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis (B) of the attachment platform.

28. The marine gangway (18) according to claim 23, wherein the support platform (36) comprises a support platform floor (37) and the attachment platform (39) comprises an attachment platform floor (40), the support platform floor (37) and the attachment platform floor (40) being substantially level.

29. The marine gangway (18) according to claim 22, wherein the tower aperture (25) is elongated and extends in the longitudinal direction of the rotatable tower (20).

30. The marine gangway (18) according to claim 22, wherein the gangway device (32) is movable in the longitudinal direction of the tower (20) at least partly along the tower aperture (25).

31. The marine gangway (18) according to claim 22, wherein the gangway (42) comprises a first gangway section (44) and a second gangway section (45), the second gangway section (45) being telescopically arranged in or on the first gangway section (44).

32. The marine gangway (18) according to claim 22, wherein the gangway (42) is rotatable to a stowed position where the gangway (42) extends in the longitudinal direction of the tower (20).

33. The marine gangway (18) according to claim 22, wherein the gangway platform (42) is one or both of rollingly and slidably attached to the rotatable tower (20).

34. The marine gangway (18) according to claim 22, wherein the rotatable tower (20) and the lift (28) rotate together about the tower rotational axis (A).

35. The marine gangway (18) according to claim 22, wherein the tower (20) and the gangway device (32) rotate together about the rotational axis (A) of the tower (20).

36. The marine gangway (18) according to claim 22, wherein the tower (20) is provided with a sail device (48) which is retractable to a storage position and expandable to an active position.

37. The marine gangway (18) according to claim 22, wherein the rotatable tower (20) is mounted to the main bearing (15) such that the rotational axis (A) of the tower (20) is substantially vertical when the deck (11, 12, 13) lies in a horizontal plane.

38. The marine gangway (10) according to claim 37, wherein said deck of the ship (10) is the main deck (11) of the ship (10).

39. The marine gangway (18) according to claim 22, wherein the tower (20) and gangway (42) have two substantially vertical and parallel rotational axes for operation of the gangway, a tower rotational axis A for the tower (20) which can be rotated 360 degrees relative to the ship (10), and an attachment platform rotational axis B for the gangway (42) which is arranged to be operated within a further rotational range of up to 260 degrees relative to the rotatable tower (20).

40. The marine gangway (18) according to claim 22, further comprising sensors that register: a position of the tower (20) relative to the ship (10) comprising the rotational position of an attachment platform (39) about an attachment platform rotational axis (B), the position of the gangway (42) relative to the attachment platform (39) comprising the rotational position of the gangway (42) about one or both of a first gangway rotational axis C and a second gangway rotational axis D, and an extension of a telescopic gangway section or sections (45) comprising the total length of the gangway (42).

41. The marine gangway (18) according to claim 40, further comprising a control system signally connected to said sensors and which controls and adjusts said positions of the rotatable tower (20), support platform (36), attachment platform (39), gangway (42) and the length of the gangway (42) such that an outer end portion of the marine gangway (18) is kept at a desired position when the ship (10) moves.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] In the following, a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention is shown in various configurations in FIGS. 1A-8C, and will be described in more detail with reference to said figures, where:

[0050] FIGS. 1A and 1B show respective perspective views of an embodiment of a marine gangway where the tower of the marine gangway has slewed about its own longitudinal axis from a position shown in FIG. 1A to a position shown in FIG. 1B.

[0051] FIGS. 2A and 2B show perspective views of the marine gangway shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B indicating a rotational movement of the gangway where it is pivoted up and down in a vertical plane.

[0052] FIGS. 3A-3C show perspective views of the marine gangway shown in FIGS. 1A-2B where internal travel of the lift inside the tower is indicated.

[0053] FIGS. 4A and 4B show perspective views of the marine gangway shown in FIGS. 1A-3C where rotational movement of the attachment platform and the gangway about the rotational axis B is indicated.

[0054] FIGS. 5A and 5B show perspective views of the marine gangway shown in FIGS. 1A-4B where rotational movement of the gangway relative to the attachment platform about the rotational axis C is indicated.

[0055] FIGS. 6A and 6B show perspective views of the marine gangway shown in FIGS. 1A-5B where the telescopic movement of the second gangway section relative to the first gangway section is indicated.

[0056] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the marine gangway shown in FIGS. 1A-6B where the gangway is in the stowed position.

[0057] FIG. 8A shows a perspective view of the marine gangway shown in FIGS. 1A-7 including a sail device arranged in a stowed position and where the gangway is in an operating position.

[0058] FIG. 8B shows a perspective view of the marine gangway shown in FIGS. 1A-7 including a sail device arranged in a stowed position and where the gangway is also arranged in its stowed position.

[0059] FIG. 8C shows a perspective view of the marine gangway shown in FIGS. 1A-7 including a sail device arranged in an active, operating position and where the gangway is arranged in its stowed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] Reference is made to FIGS. 1A-7 which shows a ship 10 comprising an embodiment of the disclosed marine gangway 18. All drawing figures show generally the same embodiment of the ship 10, but with that marine gangway 18 arranged in various positions. It should be noted that for the sake of clarity, are not all reference numbers shown in all figures.

[0061] The marine gangway 18 comprises a tower 20 which is adapted to be mounted on a ship 10. The tower 20 is rotatably mounted to a deck 11 of the ship, preferably, but not necessarily, the main deck 11 with a main bearing 15 that allows the tower 20 to rotate about a tower rotational axis A (see FIG. 2A). The tower rotational axis A extends in the longitudinal direction of the tower 20 and is substantially vertical when the marine gangway 18 is arranged on the ship 10 and the main deck 11 is substantially horizontal.

[0062] It should be mentioned that the main bearing 15 of the tower 20 could mounted in another deck of the ship 10 which is sufficiently strong to support the tower 20, such as the first lower deck 12 or the second lower deck 13 as indicated on the figures.

[0063] The main bearing 15 can be a collar bearing or a pivot bearing which allows the tower 20 to rotate about the tower rotational axis A, preferably 360 degrees about the tower rotational axis A. The tower 20 may also be provided with a slewing bearing or any other equivalent solution to turn the tower 360 degrees about the tower rotational axis A. It should be mentioned that since the tower 20 is rotatably mounted to the ship 10, the marine gangway 18 is much more flexible in its use since the marine gangway 18 can now be used in all directions, 360 degrees around the tower rotational axis A as the tower 20 rotates around the tower rotational axis A.

[0064] The tower 20 is provided with a lift 28 that runs up and down inside the tower 20. The lift can be adapted to carry any desired number of people and/or any desired goods.

[0065] The tower 20 is further provided with a tower aperture 25 and at least one tower doorway 26. The tower doorway 26 or tower doorways 26 corresponds to the lift doorway 29 such that people can enter and exit the lift 28 and goods can be transported in and out of the lift 28 when the lift 28 is arranged adjacent to a tower doorway 26 or the tower aperture 25.

[0066] The tower aperture 25 and the tower doorway 26 or tower doorways 26 allow people to enter and exit the lift 28 and goods to be transported in and out of the lift 28 at different vertical levels of the tower 20 and the ship 10, for example through the tower doorway 26 on the second lower deck 13, through the tower doorway 26 on the first lower deck 12 or through the tower aperture 25 above the main deck as indicated on the figures.

[0067] The lift 28 is further arranged in the tower 20 such at it rotates together with the tower 20 about the tower rotational axis A. Thus, the lift doorway 29 will always align with the tower aperture 25 and the tower doorway or tower doorways 26 no matter how much the tower 20 is rotated about the tower rotational axis A.

[0068] The tower aperture 25 is arranged above the main deck 11 and preferably has an elongated shape as indicated in the figures. The elongated shape of the tower aperture 25 allows the lift 28 to stop at any position between lower most part of the tower aperture 25 to the top most part of the tower aperture 25.

[0069] The marine gangway 18 is further provided with a gangway device 32 for transport of people and goods between the ship 10 on which the marine gangway 18 is mounted, and an external location (not shown in the figures). The external location can be another marine structure such as a vessel, a ship, a floating platform, a semisubmersible platform, a floating wind power plant or a buoy. The external location can also be a fixed structure such a quay, a pier, an offshore fixed-foundation wind power plant or any other structure arranged in or near the body of water in which the ship 10 with the marine gangway 18 is operating.

[0070] The gangway device 32 comprises a gangway platform 34. The gangway platform 34 is movably mounted to the tower 20, so that the gangway platform 34 can be moved up and down along the tower 20 in the longitudinal direction of the tower 20. The gangway platform 34 may be rollingly and/or slidably attached to the tower using commonly known roller devices or sliding devices. The marine gangway 18 can thereby move along the tower aperture 25 in the longitudinal direction of the tower 20, which makes it possible for people to move between the lift 28 and the gangway device 32, and goods to be transported between the lift 28 and the gangway device 32, at any desired position along the tower aperture 25 on the tower 20.

[0071] The gangway platform 34 preferably comprises a support platform 36 adjacent to the tower 20 as indicated in the figures. The support platform 36 comprises a support platform floor 37. The support platform floor 37 is preferably plane and substantially horizontal when the tower rotational axis A is substantially vertical.

[0072] The gangway platform 34 further comprises an attachment platform 39. The attachment platform 39 is rotatably mounted to the support platform about an attachment platform rotational axis B (see FIG. 3B). The attachment platform rotational axis B is preferably substantially parallel to the tower rotational axis A.

[0073] The attachment platform 39 is provided with an attachment platform floor 40. The attachment platform floor 40 is level, or at least substantially level, with the support platform floor 37 to facilitate easy and secure transport of goods across the gangway platform 34 and to make it safe for people to walk across the gangway platform 34.

[0074] The gangway device 32 further comprises a gangway 42. The gangway 42 is rotatably attached to the attachment platform 39 about at least one rotational axis C, D. The gangway 42 is provided with a transport floor 43 on which people can walk and goods can be transported. The gangway 42 is preferably arranged so that the transport surface 43 is level with, or at least substantially level with, the attachment platform floor 40 and the support platform floor 37 when the gangway 42 is arranged in a position where the gangway floor 43 is substantially horizontal. That will ensure that it is safe and secure for people to walk from the lift 28, across the gangway platform 34 and to the gangway floor 43, and that goods can be securely transported across the gangway platform 34 and to the gangway floor 43.

[0075] It should also be mentioned that the elongated shape of the tower aperture allows the gangway platform 34 to be positioned at any position along the length of the aperture allowing the level of the transport floor 43 of the gangway 42 to be adjusted so that the slope of the gangway 42 between the gangway platform 34 and the external location that the gangway is landed on, can be adjusted and reduced to a desired slope. A desired slope may be substantially horizontal, or as close as possible to horizontal, or if heavy goods are being transported across the gangway 42, possibly so that the gangway has a slight downward slope in the direction that the goods will be transported.

[0076] As mentioned above, the attachment platform 39 is rotatable about the attachment platform rotational axis B. This rotational movement of the attachment platform 39 allows the gangway 42 to turn sideways relative to the support platform 36 as indicated in FIGS. 4A and 4B where the gangway 42 is shown in two different positions relative to the support platform 36.

[0077] The gangway 42 is preferably at least rotatable about a first gangway rotational axis C (see FIG. 3B) allowing the gangway to pivot up and down about the first gangway rotational axis C as indicated in FIG. 5A, where the gangway 42 is pivoted downwards relative to the attachment platform 39 about the first gangway rotational axis C, and in FIG. 5B, where the gangway 42 is pivoted upwards relative to the attachment platform 39 about the first gangway rotational axis C.

[0078] The gangway 42 may also be rotatable about a second gangway rotational axis D (see FIG. 3B) allowing the gangway 42 to rotate or pivot about the second gangway rotational axis D. The second gangway rotational axis D extends in the longitudinal direction of the gangway 42, preferably centrally along the gangway 42, so that the gangway 42 turns about itself in the longitudinal direction of the gangway 42.

[0079] The gangway 42 preferably comprises a telescopic structure as indicated in the figures, in order to extend the reach of the gangway 42 and to provide the gangway 42 with a variable length so that the length of the gangway 42 can be adapted to a variety of distances between the ship 10 and an external location to which the gangway 42 is to connect the ship 10.

[0080] Thus, the gangway may comprise at least a first gangway section 44, which is rotatably attached to the attachment platform 39, and a second gangway section 45, which is telescopically arranged in or on or to the first gangway section 44. As indicated in FIG. 6B, the second gangway section 45 can be retracted to a inner position where the length of the gangway 42 is the same as the length of the first gangway section 44. The second gangway section 45 can further be extended telescopically from the first gangway section 44 to a fully extended position as indicated in FIG. 6A, and to any desired intermediate position between the stowed position and the fully extended position so that the length of the gangway 42 is variable and can be adapted as is necessary.

[0081] It should be noted that if it is deemed to be necessary or desirable, the gangway 42 may also comprise three or more telescopically arranged gangway sections.

[0082] Although not shown in the figures, the gangway platform 32, i.e. the support platform 36 and the attachment platform 39, are preferably provided with the necessary railings for safety for people and goods crossing the gangway platform 34.

[0083] In FIG. 7 the gangway 42 is shown in its stowed position or storage position, i.e. the position in which the gangway 42 is arranged when it is not in use.

[0084] In the stowed position, the gangway platform 34 is preferably moved to its lower most position on the tower 20, the telescopic sections of the gangway 42, i.e. the second gangway section 45 in the figures, are preferably fully retracted and the gangway 42 is rotated upwards until it is substantially vertical, i.e. substantially parallel with the tower 20 as indicated in FIG. 7. As mentioned, the gangway 42 can be arranged in the stowed position when it is not in use, for example when the ship 10, on which the marine gangway 18 is mounted, is travelling between two locations. It should be mentioned that a stowed position like this, and as shown in FIG. 7, saves a lot of space on the main deck 11 of the ship 10 and the gangway 42 is much less in the way for other operations that may take place on the main deck 11 than if the gangway 42 is stored horizontally in a crib on the main deck 11.

[0085] As described above, the marine gangway 18 is designed to be very flexible in its use. The tower 20 is provided with a lift 28 travelling up and down inside the tower 20 to any desired level, one or more tower doorways 26 allowing access to the lift from one or more decks on the ship 10, a tower aperture with an elongated shape which provides flexibility of the positioning of the gangway platform 34 so that a desired slope of the gangway floor 43 can be obtained. Furthermore, since the gangway 42 is mounted on the attachment platform 39, which can be rotated about the attachment platform rotational axis B relative to the support platform 36, the gangway 42 can be moved sideways relative to a vertical direction. In addition, the gangway 42 may comprise two or more gangway sections 44, 45 such that the length of the gangway 42 can be adjusted. The result is that the disclosed marine gangway 18 is very flexible when it comes to landing the gangway on an external location, such as an offshore wind mill.

[0086] Furthermore, the marine gangway 18 may be provided with sensors that register the position of the tower 20 relative to the ship 10, i.e. the rotational position of the tower 20 about the tower rotational axis A, the position of the support platform 36 relative to the tower 20, the position of the attachment platform 39 relative to the support platform 36, i.e. the rotational position of the attachment platform 39 about the attachment platform rotational axis B, the position of the gangway 42 relative to the attachment platform 39, i.e. the rotational position of the gangway 42 about the first gangway rotational axis C and/or about the second gangway rotational axis D, and the extension of the telescopic gangway section or sections 45, i.e. the total length of the gangway 42. The marine gangway 18 may further be provided with a control system which is signally connected to said sensors and which controls and adjusts said positions of the tower 20, support platform 36, attachment platform 39, gangway 42 and the length of the gangway 42 such that the outer end portion of the gangway is kept at a desired position when the ship 10 moves, for example due to wave motions in the sea.

[0087] In FIGS. 8A-8C there is shown a variant of the marine gangway shown in FIGS. 1A-7 comprising a sail device 48. The sail device 48 comprises a sail 49 which can be extended to an active position, as shown in FIG. 8C, and retracted or pulled back into an inactive position as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B.

[0088] The sail device 48 may further comprise a sail expanding element 51 and at least one, but preferably two attachment elements 50 which are attached to the tower 20 of the marine gangway 18. The attachment elements 50 preferably comprise means for storing the sail 49, for example by rolling the sail on and off a cylindrical core element (not shown in the figures). The sail device 48 preferably further comprises at least one expanding device (not shown in the figures) which is capable of moving the expanding element 51 between the active position and the inactive position of the sail 49. The expanding device may, for example, comprise a piston/cylinder arrangement.

[0089] The sail 49 may be made of a canvas material or any other suitable material that is strong enough to function as a sail, and preferably which can be rolled up when the sail 49 is in the inactive position.

[0090] When the ship 10 is travelling between two locations, the gangway can be arranged in its stowed position as shown in FIGS. 8A-8C, and the tower 20 can be rotated about the tower rotational axis as indicated by arrow V. Thus, the position of the sail 49 can adjusted to account for the wind direction to make sure that the maximum efficiency obtain.

[0091] It should be noted that the only difference between the marine gangway 18 shown in FIGS. 8A-8C and the marine gangway 18 shown in FIG. 1A-7 is the sail device 49 that the ship 18 shown in FIGS. 8A-8C is provided with. Thus, all the description of the ship shown in FIGS. 1A-7 is also valid for the ship shown in FIGS. 8A-8C.