Abstract: The self-contained device for cleaning and coating hold surfaces in a bulk carrier includes four major components, namely a horizontally mobile vertical tower (e.g., with walking beams for permitting the device to move into the four corners of the hold into which it has been lowered), a vertical trolley for permitting the workers to reach with their equipment all elevations within the hold, a horizontal trolley for permitting the workers to achieve optimum proximity to a wall surface, and cleaning and coating support equipment and systems.

Abstract: For abrasively blast-cleaning the bottom of a ship hull while the ship is supported on blocks on the floor of a drydock, an upwardly facing closed cycle abrasive wheel having a durable but compliant seal projecting forwards around its frontal perimeter, is mounted for transversal movement along the moderately articulatable rails of a mobile carrier. A control panel is provided for effecting traversal, for controlling spraying of abrasive, for controlling X-Y movement of the carrier along the drydock floor, and for extending and retracting rail end support jacks of the carrier frame for locally conforming the vertical positioning of rail ends to the bottom of the ship.

Abstract: Shrouded towers for supporting adjustably cantilevered work platforms for performing external surface work on ship hulls (such as abrading and painting) are modularized for sake of economy and efficient utilization, including shifting of modules using techniques and equipment currently used for shifting shipping containers. Supply and recovery line connections between support barge-mounted equipment, floating drydock and work platform-mounted work applicators is facilitated by fixed installation of some portions and the provision of flexible connectors between these portions. Alternative adjustable cantilevering structures are disclosed for mounting the work platforms to the vertically movable trolleys. Preferably, rotating wheels rather than compressed air, are used to propel the abrasive grit against the hull surface, and abrasive supply systems having degrees of automated recovery of spent grit are disclosed.

Abstract: For coating the exterior of a ship hull while the ship is in drydock or afloat, creating a sizable chamber with comprehensive staging access for all required work, sealing off that chamber to contain environmentally unacceptable byproducts of the coating process, to keep storm water runoff from passing through spent abrasive and paint overspray on the deck of the drydock or barge and to keep out weather conditions which could delay and deteriorate the quality of this coating process, ventilating and evacuating the chamber maintaining an atmosphere inside the chamber which is conducive to worker safety and high coating quality and maintaining an atmosphere outside the chamber which is conducive to meeting requirements for the clean air and clean water laws and regulations, and at the same time reducing the overall cost of coating.

Abstract: Dry, particulate abrasive for use in abrasive blast cleaning of a ship hull is supplied to blasting pots from abrasive supply hopper assemblies lifted into place from a recycling station. Spent abrasive, with debris, is collected and placed on a conveyor belt extending parallel to the keel blocks, for conveying the collected material to the recycling station. There, the collected material is processed to remove undersized and foreign material from the reuseable abrasive grit. The latter is loaded into supply hopper assemblies, which are crane-lifted back into supplying relation with respective blasting pots. By preference, the abrasive blasting work takes place from elevatable, curtain-enclosed platforms supported on a drydock floor, the blasting pots are located on the drydock wing wall, the abrasive grit is ferromagnetic and recovered from the drydock floor partly with the aid of a magnetic abrasive pick-up unit, and the recycling station is located on a barge moored at an end of the drydock.