Ship Including a Device for Recovering Floating Objects

Abstract

A ship comprising a hull at the bow of which an opening is formed, and on each side of said opening a recovery device designed to recover floating objects and guide them towards said opening, each recovering device comprising: a rigid vane having meshes sized so as to not allow the floating objects to pass but to allow water to pass, said vane being designed to adopt a stowed position in which it is out of the water, a collection position in which it is immersed and disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the direction of the advance of the ship and upstream of the opening, and a recovery position in which it is immersed and disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the direction of advance of the ship and upstream of the opening, and a control device mounted on the hull, and on which said vane is mounted, and which comprises means for ensuring the passage successively from the stowed position to the collection position and then to the recovery position and from the recovery position to the collection position and then to the stowed position.

Description

BACKGROUND

The present invention concerns a ship equipped with a device for recovering objects floating on the water, as well as a recovery device.

A device for recovering floating objects is known that takes the form of two inflatable fenders that are fixed to the bows of a ship and extend upstream thereof. The inflatable fenders are disposed in a V in order to sweep a larger surface area of the water. Such fenders thus form a funnel that directs the water and floating objects towards the bows of the ship, where a cleaning device is provided.

Such a recovery device is not completely satisfactory since such fenders reduce the manoeuvrability of the ship and take a long time to fit. The document WO-A-95/21764 discloses a ship that recovers floating waste.

SUMMARY

One aim of the present invention is to propose a ship equipped with a device for recovering objects floating on the water that does not have the drawbacks of the prior art and in particular is easy to manoeuvre.

To this end, a ship is proposed comprising a hull at the prow of which an opening is made, and, on each side of said opening, a recovery device provided for recovering the floating objects and guiding them towards said opening, each recovery device comprising:

• • a rigid vane having meshes sized so as to not allow the floating objects to pass but to allow water to pass, said vane being designed to adopt a stowed position in which it is out of the water, a collection position in which it is immersed and disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the direction of advance of the ship and upstream of the opening, and a recovery position in which it is immersed and disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the direction of advance of the ship and upstream of the opening, and
  • a control device mounted on the hull and on which said vane is mounted, and which comprises means for providing passage successively from the stowed position to the collection position and then to the recovery position and vice versa.

Advantageously, the means of the control device are designed to effect the passage from the stowed position to the collection position by a rotation about a first horizontal rotation axis and by a rotation about a second vertical rotation axis, and to effect the passage from the collection position to the recovery position by a rotation about the second rotation axis.

Advantageously, the means of the control device comprise:

• • a base fixed to the hull,
  • a first shaft the axis of which forms the first rotation axis and on which a first sleeve secured to the vane fits, and
  • a second shaft fixed to the base, the axis of which forms the second rotation axis and on which a second sleeve secured to the first shaft fits.

Advantageously, each vane extends, in the collection position, between an internal end that is situated upstream of the opening and an external end that is situated towards the outside of the ship, the external end has a profile arched towards the upstream end and the internal end has a potentially flat profile.

Advantageously, each recovery device comprises a sheet intended to be fixed to said vane in front of the meshes.

The invention also proposes a device for recovering floating objects for a ship according to one of the preceding embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the vane 102 in the stowed position. In the embodiment of the invention presented here, the vane 102, in the stowed position, is disposed against the railing 108 of the hull 54, in a turned-over position where the bottom edge 110 is above the top edge 112.

FIG. 2 shows a first position intermediate between the stowed position and the collection position.

FIG. 3 shows a second position intermediate between the first intermediate position and the collection position.

FIG. 4 shows the collection position.

FIG. 5 shows a third position intermediate between the collection position and the recovery position.

FIG. 6 shows the recovery position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The features of the invention mentioned above, as well as others, will emerge more clearly from a reading of the following description of an example embodiment, said description being given in relation to the accompanying drawings, among which FIGS. 1 to 6 show a ship equipped with a recovery device according to the invention during various steps of use thereof.

In the following description, the terms relating to a position are taken with reference to a ship sailing on the water with the recovery device in the collection position as shown in FIG. 4. The upstream and downstream directions are taken with reference to the direction of movement of the ship when it is moving forwards.

FIG. 1 shows a ship 50 that has a hull 54 at the prow of which there is produced an opening 52 through which objects floating on the water enter the hull 54 in order to be stored therein. The hull 54 also has here a railing 108.

The ship 50 also has, to port and to starboard of the opening 52, a recovery device 100 that is mounted on the hull 54 and is intended to recover the floating objects and guide them towards the opening 52. On the various Figs. only the recovery device 100 disposed to starboard is shown and described, but the recovery device 100 disposed to port is symmetrical.

The recovery device 100 comprises:

• • a rigid vane 102 having meshes sized so as to not allow the floating objects to pass but to allow water to pass, the vane 102 being designed to adopt a stowed position in which it is out of the water and, in particular, stowed against the railings 108, a collection position in which it is immersed and disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the direction of the advance of the ship 50 and upstream of the opening 52, and a recovery position in which it is immersed and disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the direction of advance of the ship 50 and upstream of the opening 52, and
  • a control device 150 mounted on the hull 54 and on which said vane 102 is mounted, and which comprises means for ensuring the passage successively from the stowed position to the collection position and then to the recovery position and vice versa.

The immersion of the vane 102 is not complete, otherwise the floating objects would pass above it. The immersion is therefore partial over the height of the vane 102.

The vane 102 has a bottom edge 110 which, in the collection position, is immersed in the water, and a top edge 112 which, in the collection position, remains above the water.

The rigidity of the vane 102 and the rapidity of the placing thereof make it possible to act rapidly in places where floating objects are situated.

The vane 102 is rigid in order not to bend under the effect of the water when it is immersed. The vane 102 here consists of a rigid frame 104 and a net 106 fixed inside the frame 104. It is also possible to provide for the vane 102 to consist of a single element, for example made from synthetic resin.

In the embodiment of the invention presented here, the passage from the stowed position to the collection position is effected by a rotation about a first horizontal rotation axis 114 and then a rotation about a second vertical rotation axis 116, and the passage from the collection position to the recovery position is effected by a rotation about the second rotation axis 116.

Thus the means of the control device 150 are designed to effect the passage from the stowed position to the collection position by a rotation about the first rotation axis 114 and then by a rotation about the second rotation axis 116, and to effect the passage from the collection position to the recovery position by rotation about the second rotation axis 116.

In the first intermediate position, the vane 102 has undergone a rotation of approximately 90° about the first rotation axis 114.

In the second intermediate position, the vane 102 has undergone a rotation of approximately 180° about the first rotation axis 114. The vane 102 is then immersed in the water and its bottom edge 110 is below the top edge 112. The downstream face of the vane 102 is against the hull 54.

In order to pass from the second intermediate position to the collection position, the vane 102 undergoes a rotation about the second rotation axis 116 in order to bring it into the collection position substantially perpendicular to the direction of advance of the ship 50, that is to say transversely with respect to the axis of the ship 50.

The passage from the collection position to the recovery position is effected by continuing the rotation about the second rotation axis 116, passing through the third intermediate position.

When it is in the collection position, the vane 102 extends, in the collection position, between an internal end that is situated upstream of the starboard edge of the opening 52, and an external end that is situated towards the outside of the ship 50.

The external end of the vane 102 has a profile arched to upstream when it is in the collection position while the internal end has a substantially planar profile perpendicular to the direction of advance of the ship 50 in order to form a guide that guides the floating objects towards the opening 52.

In the collection position, the vanes 102 are in line with each other but at a distance from each other and thus have a wide span that makes it possible to capture a maximum number of floating objects. The two internal ends are thus disposed on either side of the opening 52.

In the recovery position, the vanes 102 are opposite each other and the external ends are close to each other so that the vanes 102 form a corridor along which the floating objects are guided towards the opening 52 and sucked in by it.

In the context of another embodiment, it is possible to envisage other kinematics using rotations and/or translations. For example, from the stowed position, a rotation about the second rotation axis 116 brings the vane 102 above its collection position, a rotation about the first rotation axis 114 brings the vane 102 into the collection position and a rotation about the second rotation axis 116 brings the vane 102 into the recovery position. It is also possible to provide, from a stowed position where the vane 102 would be stowed right side up, a vertical translation parallel to the first rotation axis 114 to bring it into the first angular position, and then a rotation about the second rotation axis 116 in order to bring it successively into the collection position and into the recovery position.

In the embodiment in the Figs., the means constituting the control device 150 comprises a base 152 fixed to the hull 54, a first shaft 154 the axis of which forms the first rotation axis 114 and on which there fit a first sleeve 155 secured to the vane 102 and a second shaft 156 fixed to the base 152, the axis of which forms the second rotation axis and on which a second sleeve 157 secured to the first shaft 154 fits.

The passage from the stowed position to the second intermediate position is effected by the rotation of the sleeve 155 about the first shaft 154 and the passage from the second intermediate position to the collection position is effected by the rotation of the second sleeve 157 about the second shaft 156.

The passage from the collection position to the recovery position is effected by the rotation of the second sleeve 157 about the second shaft 156.

The rotation movements about the first rotation axis 114 and the second rotation axis 116 are here effected manually, but it is possible to automate them by fitting suitable motors or jacks.

According to another embodiment of the invention, it is possible modify the structure of the control device 150 as long as the rotations about the first rotation axis 114 and the second rotation axis 116 are possible. For example, it is possible to replace the first sleeve 155 and the first shaft 154 with a shaft on which the vane 102 is fixed and which is mounted so as to be able to move in rotation on the second sleeve 157.

In the embodiment of the invention presented here, the rotation about the second rotation axis 116 is effected by a lever 160, a control shaft 162 fixed to the hull 54 and a set of linkages 170 that connects the lever 160 to the second shaft 156.

The linkage assembly 170 comprises a first linkage 172, an intermediate linkage 174 and a second linkage 176.

The first linkage 172 comprises a control sleeve 159 fitted on the control shaft 162. The first linkage 172 and the control sleeve 159 thereof are thus able to move in rotation about a vertical control axis 178.

At one of the ends of the first linkage 172 the lever 160 is fixed and, at the other end, one of the ends of the intermediate linkage 174 is assembled by means of a removable pin that is not fitted in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 and is fitted in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6.

The other end of the intermediate linkage 174 is connected to one of the ends of the second linkage 176 by means of a pin and the other end of the second linkage 176 is fixed to the second sleeve 157.

Thus, when the removable pin is fitted, the rotation movement of the lever 160 about the vertical control axis 178 causes the movement of the intermediate linkage 174 and of the second linkage 176, which in its turn causes the rotation of the second sleeve 157 about the second shaft 156.

When the ship 50 is intended to recover liquids floating on the water such as for example hydrocarbons, an impermeable sheet is placed on each vane 102 upstream of the meshes so as to cover them and close them off. Thus each recovery device 100 also comprises a sheet.

The sheet that is placed in front of the meshes with respect to the direction of movement of the ship prevents the meshes being soiled by the liquid and guides the liquid towards the opening 52. The sheet is for example fixed to the rigid frame 104 by any suitable means such as for example: envelopment of the frame, stud of the press stud type, etc.

Naturally, the present invention is not limited to the examples and embodiments described and depicted but is capable of numerous variants accessible to a person skilled in the art.

Claims

1-6. (canceled)

7. A ship comprising a hull at the prow of which an opening is formed, and on each side of said opening a recovery device designed to recover floating objects and guide them towards said opening, each recovery device comprising:

a rigid vane having meshes sized so as to not allow the floating objects to pass but to allow water to pass, said vane being designed to adopt a stowed position in which it is out of the water, a collection position in which it is immersed and disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the direction of advance of the ship and upstream of the opening, and a recovery position in which it is immersed and disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the direction of advance of the ship and upstream of the opening, and

a control device mounted on the hull, and on which said vane is mounted, and which comprises means for ensuring the passage successively from the stowed position to the collection position and then to the recovery position and from the recovery position to the collection position and then to the stowed position.

8. The ship of claim 7, wherein the means of the control device are designed to effect the passage from the stowed position to the collection position by a rotation about a first horizontal rotation axis and by a rotation about a second vertical rotation axis, and to effect the passage from the collection position to the recovery position by a rotation about the second rotation axis.

9. The ship of claim 8, wherein the means of the control device comprise:

a base fixed to the hull,

a first shaft the axis of which forms the first rotation axis and on which a first sleeve secured to the vane fits, and

a second shaft fixed to the base, the axis of which forms the second rotation axis and on which a second sleeve secured to the first shaft fits.

10. The ship of claim 7, wherein each vane extends, in the collection position, between an internal end that is situated upstream of the opening and an external end that is situated towards the outside of the ship, in that the external end has a profile arched upstream and in that the internal end has a substantially planar profile.

11. The ship of claim 7, wherein each recovery device comprises a sheet intended to be fixed to said vane in front of the meshes.

12. A device for recovering floating objects for a ship according to claim 7.