Technical Field
[0001] The present invention is related to a shifting tool for a mooring rope and a mooring
winch that enable to easily shift a mooring rope from a storage section to a tension
section of a drum during a mooring operation.
Background Art
[0002] Commonly, for a mooring winch mainly installed on a ship such as a crude oil tanker,
basically, a drum divided into a storage section for winding up and storing a mooring
rope and a tension section (a tensile force portion) for winding the mooring rope
in a single layer and then tensioning the mooring rope (a split drum) has been adopted.
[0003] In a case where a mooring operation is executed, first, an end of the mooring rope
paid out from the drum is hitched to a piece of mooring equipment in a port, and the
mooring rope is wound onto the storage section by rotating the drum of the mooring
winch. Then, to fix the ship ultimately, the mooring rope is tensioned by shifting
the mooring rope from the storage section to the tension section and winding the mooring
rope in a single layer (for example, approximately 5 to 10 turns). This brings a rated
capacity at the first layer, and no tension is imposed to the mooring rope wound onto
the storage section, and in the storage section, outer layers of the mooring rope
are prevented from biting down into lower layers, and wear damage of the mooring rope
from abrasion between the layers is avoided. Here, a notch for communicating between
the storage section and the tension section is provided in advance in a partition
flange (a split flange, a separating flange) dividing the drum into the storage section
and the tension section. By passing the mooring rope through the notch, the mooring
rope can be shifted from the storage section to the tension section.
[0004] However, in a case of using a wire rope as the mooring rope, since its own weight
and restoring force are large, it is required that two or three workers haul and shift
the mooring rope through the use of tools such as a rope hook, that is, four or five
people are necessary including an operator and an operation leader. Thus it is an
operation requiring much labor and time. Also, there are risks that the workers are
caught up in the rope, are knocked over by the rope, or trip over the rope and fall
down during the operation.
[0005] In light of this, for example, patent literature 1 suggests a drum for a ship that
has flanges on both sides and a rotating shaft in the center, wherein a right notched
disc and a left notched disc are provided in the middle of the drum, a tension drum
(a tension section) and a storage drum (a storage section) are configured by obliquely
connecting notch edges of the right notched disc and the left notched disc with a
plank, and a guiding groove which diameter eccentrically, gradually decreases is configured.
[0006] Patent literature 2 describes a marine mooring winch drum, comprising a middle flange
for shifting a rope from a rope reel side body to a mooring side body in the middle
of the drum, flanges at both ends of the drum, a cut in the middle flange, and a rope
handling portion, wherein the rope handling portion is bow-shaped and detachably attached
to the cut end of the middle flange at the rope reel side.
Citation List
Patent Literature
[0007]
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Examined Utility Model Application Publication No. 52-22760
Patent Literature 2: Japanese Examined Utility Model Application Publication No. 49-29905
Summary of Invention
Technical Problem
[0008] However, patent literature 1 aims at effortlessly leading the rope, which has already
passed through the notch of the right notched disc on the storage drum side and guided
to the guiding groove, to the tension drum side. Thus, when shifting the rope, it
is necessary to manually haul and pass the rope through the notch over the right notched
disc, and almost the same amount of labor and time as ever are required. Thus, there
is a problem that it is insufficient in terms of labor saving and workability. Also,
there is a problem that it is insufficient in terms of resource conservation seeing
that the structure of the drum is complicated, a dedicated drum has to be made, and
thus an existing drum cannot be utilized effectively.
JPS49-29905 discloses the preamble of claim 1.
[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances,
and has as its object to provide a shifting tool for a mooring rope easily attachable
to a drum of an existing mooring winch, enabling to improve workability of a shifting
operation of a mooring rope and excellent in convenience, and a labor-saving, safe
mooring winch enabling to decrease needed staff and easily carry out the shifting
operation of a mooring rope by including the above mentioned shifting tool for a mooring
rope.
Solution to Problem
[0010] In order to achieve the above object, a shifting tool for a mooring rope according
to a first aspect of the present invention is attachable to a mooring winch including
a drum having outside flanges on both sides, and a partition flange dividing the drum
into a storage section and a tension section for a mooring rope, and the partition
flange is provided with a notch for shifting the mooring rope from the storage section
to the tension section therethrough. The shifting tool is characterized by comprising:
an outside fixing member fixable to the outside flange on the storage section side;
a partition side fixing member fixable to the partition flange; and
a guiding member spanned between the outside fixing member and the partition side
fixing member, the guiding member being for moving the mooring rope toward the notch,
while the rope is being wound onto the storage section along with rotation of the
drum,
wherein the guiding member is inclined from the outside fixing member on an upstream
side toward the partition side fixing member on a downstream side with respect to
a winding (moving) direction of the mooring rope.
[0011] For the shifting tool for a mooring rope according to the first aspect of the present
invention, it is preferred that the outside fixing member and the guiding member be
detachably connected by fitting a pin.
[0012] For the shifting tool for a mooring rope according to the first aspect of the present
invention, it is preferred that the partition side fixing member be integrally provided
with the guiding member and have a clamping member for holding the partition flange.
[0013] For the shifting tool for a mooring rope according to the first aspect of the present
invention, it is preferred that the guiding member have a curvature radius 0.9 to
1.3 times as large as a radius of each of the outside flanges when viewing the drum
in an axial direction.
[0014] In order to achieve the above object, a mooring winch according to a second aspect
of the present invention comprises:
a drum having outside flanges on both sides; and
a partition flange dividing the drum into a storage section and a tension section
for a mooring rope, the partition flange provided with a notch for shifting the mooring
rope from the storage section to the tension section therethrough. The mooring winch
is characterized in that the shifting tool for a mooring rope according to the first
aspect of the present invention is detachably attached between the outside flange
on the storage section side and the partition flange.
Advantageous Effects of Invention
[0015] The shifting tool for a mooring rope according to the first aspect of the present
invention includes the outside fixing member fixed to the outside flange on the storage
section side, the partition side fixing member fixed to the partition flange, and
the guiding member spanned between the outside fixing member and the partition side
fixing member and moves the mooring rope, which is being wound onto the storage section
along with rotation of the drum, toward the notch. Thus the shifting tool for a mooring
rope improves workability since just by attaching the shifting tool for a mooring
rope to an existing mooring winch and rotating a drum of the existing mooring winch,
the mooring rope is easily shifted from the storage section to the tension section
without depending on human power. In addition, the shifting tool for a mooring rope
includes the outside fixing member fixed to the outside flange on the storage section
side and the partition side fixing member fixed to the partition flange, thus except
when shifting the mooring rope, it is possible that the shifting tool for a mooring
rope is detached, and the mooring rope is wound up onto and paid out from the storage
section as usual.
[0016] In the case where the outside fixing member and the guiding member are detachably
connected by fitting a pin, the partition side fixing member and the guiding member
can be detached from the mooring winch while keeping the outside fixing member fixed
to the outside flange, and thus the shifting tool for a mooring rope has an excellent
operability for attaching and detaching.
[0017] In the case where the partition side fixing member is integrally provided with the
guiding member, and has the clamping member for holding the partition flange, the
guiding member is firmly fixed to the partition flange through the partition side
fixing member, and thus the mooring rope can be surely led to the notch along the
guiding member even if a load is imposed upon the guiding member when shifting the
mooring rope, and thus the shifting tool for a mooring rope has an excellent certainty
of behavior. Also, since the partition side fixing member is fixed to the partition
flange with the clamping member, the attaching and detaching of the shifting tool
for a mooring rope can be easily carried out.
[0018] Also, the guiding member inclines from the outside fixing member on the upstream
side toward the partition side fixing member on the downstream side with respect to
the winding (moving) direction of the mooring rope (inclines from the outside fixing
member on the downstream side toward the partition side fixing member on the upstream
side with respect to the rotating direction of the drum). Thus, the mooring rope can
be smoothly moved to the notch along the guiding member, and thus the shifting tool
for a mooring rope is excellent in stability of the shifting behavior of a mooring
rope.
[0019] In the case where the guiding member has a curvature radius 0.9 to 1.3 times as large
as the radius of each of the outside flanges when viewing the drum in the axial direction,
when the mooring rope is moving along the guiding member, the mooring rope hardly
interferes with a part of the mooring rope already wound onto the storage section,
and thus the shifting tool for a mooring rope improves the certainty of the shifting
behavior of a mooring rope.
[0020] The mooring winch according to the second aspect of the present invention can easily
(automatically) carry out the shifting operation of a mooring rope with no need for
human power by detachably attaching the shifting tool for a mooring rope according
to the first aspect of the present invention to the mooring winch, and thus the mooring
winch is excellent in terms of labor saving and safety. Also, since the shifting tool
for a mooring rope can be easily attached and detached, except when shifting the mooring
rope, the shifting tool for a mooring rope will not be an obstruction to movement
of winding up and paying out the mooring rope in the storage section, and thus the
mooring winch has an excellent operability.
Brief Description of Drawings
[0021]
Fig. 1 is a front view of a mooring winch equipped with the shifting tools for a mooring
rope according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figs. 2A and 2B are a partially broken side view and a front view respectively of
a drum to which the shifting tool for a mooring rope has been attached.
Fig. 3A is an enlarged side view of the outside fixing member of the shifting tool
for a mooring rope, and Fig. 3B is a sectional diagram viewed along arrows A-A of
Fig. 3A.
Fig. 4 is a sectional diagram viewed along arrows B-B of Fig. 2A.
Figs. 5A and 5B are a partially broken side view and a back view respectively of a
modification of the drum to which the shifting tool for a mooring rope has been attached.
Description of Embodiment
[0022] An Embodiment of the present invention will be described next with reference to the
accompanying drawings to provide an understanding of the present invention.
[0023] Hereinafter, a mooring winch 11 equipped with a shifting tool for a mooring rope
10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be explained while referring
to Figs. 1 to 4.
[0024] The mooring winch 11 is mainly installed on a ship such as a crude oil tanker, and
used for a mooring operation. The mooring winch 11, which is a common mooring winch,
has a structure where two drums 13 each having outside flanges 12 on both sides are
symmetrically arranged as shown in Fig. 1, and by a driving unit 16 composed of a
driving motor 14 and a speed reducer 15 in the central part of the drum, each of the
drums 13 is rotated, and mooring ropes 20 are wound up and paid out. Note that one
side from which the mooring ropes 20 enter toward the drums 13 is selected here as
a front side, also, since the two drums 13 are symmetrically arranged and behave symmetrically
(under a mirror image state), hereinafter, the drum 13 on the left side will be explained
in details.
[0025] The drum 13 is divided into a storage section 22 and a tension section 23 for the
mooring rope 20 by a partition flange 21 provided in a central part in a width direction
of the drum 13. Incidentally, the partition flange 21 includes notches 24 for shifting
the mooring rope 20 from the storage section 22 to the tension section 23 therethrough
disposed in 180 degree opposed positions as shown in Fig. 2A. In addition, as shown
in Figs. 1, 2A and 2B, the shifting tool for a mooring rope 10 obliquely connecting
between the outside flange 12 on the storage section 22 side and the partition flange
21 of the drum 13 at respective outer circumferential sides is detachably attached
to the mooring winch 11. The shifting tool for a mooring rope 10 includes an outside
fixing member 25 fixed to the outside flange 12 on the storage section 22 side of
the drum13 and a partition side fixing member 26 fixed to the partition flange 21.
Between the outside fixing member 25 and the partition side fixing member 26, a guiding
member 27 formed of a round pipe is obliquely spanned. Incidentally, in the embodiment,
the mooring rope 20 is pulled in the direction indicated by an arrow b and wound from
the bottom side of the drum 13 as the drum 13 rotates in the direction indicated by
an arrow a in Fig. 2A. This is referred to as underwound. The partition side fixing
member 26 is attached on a downstream side of one of the notches 24 with respect to
a moving (winding) direction of the mooring rope 20 (on an upstream side of the notch
24 with respect to rotation of the drum 13). This makes it possible to move the mooring
rope 20 wound onto the storage section 22 toward the partition flange 21 (in the direction
indicated by an arrow c in Fig. 2B) along the guiding member 27, and guide the mooring
rope 20 to the notch 24 by rotating the drum 13 in the direction indicated by the
arrow a in Fig. 2A while keeping the shifting tool for a mooring rope 10 attached.
The mooring rope 20 subsequently passes through the notch 24, is automatically shifted
from the storage section 22 to the tension section 23, is wound onto the tension section
23, and can generate a predetermined tension.
[0026] A position of the outside fixing member 25 is decided based on a position of the
partition side fixing member 26 (a position of one of the notches 24). For example,
when connecting the outside fixing member 25 and the partition side fixing member
26 with a straight line and viewing the straight line from the front side, it is preferred
that the inclination angle of the straight line be approximately 50 degrees to 75
degrees with respect to a horizontal plane (a rotational axis of the drum 13). Additionally,
as shown in Figs. 1 and 2A, the guiding member 27 curves, from the outside fixing
member 25 on an upstream side toward the partition side fixing member 26 on a downstream
side with respect to the winding (moving) direction of the mooring rope 20, in a circular
arc shape (the partition flange side is convex). This enables the mooring rope 20
to smoothly move along the guiding member 27 without being caught halfway. Here, if
the curvature radius of the guiding member 27 is approximately 0.9 to 1.3 times as
large as the radius of each of the outside flanges 12 when viewing the drum 13 in
the axial direction, the stability and certainty of the shifting behavior of the mooring
rope 20 improves, since, when the mooring rope 20 is moving along the guiding member
27, the mooring rope 20 hardly interferes with a part of the mooring rope 20 already
wound onto the storage section 22, but the curvature radius is not limited to this.
Particularly, as shown in Figs. 2A and 2B, in a case where the guiding member 27 curves
in a circular arc shape which curvature radius is the same or larger than the radius
of each of the outside flanges 12 when viewing the drum 13 in the axial direction,
in other words, in a case where the guiding member 27 is formed in a circular arc
shape passing outside each of the outside flanges 12, the interference of the mooring
rope 20 is surely prevented.
[0027] Incidentally, as a material of the shifting tool for a mooring rope 10 (the outside
fixing member 25, the partition side fixing member 26, and the guiding member 27),
stainless steel, which is light in weight, excellent in strength, and resistant to
rust, is preferably used, but not limited to this. For example, a metal such as iron
or the like and other alloys with a rust-preventive treatment applied to the surface
may be used.
[0028] Subsequently, details about the outside fixing member 25 will be explained.
[0029] As shown in Figs. 3A and 3B, the outside fixing member 25 includes an abutting piece
30 abutting on an inside face of the outside flange 12 on the storage section 22 side
of the drum 13, and an opposing piece 31 oppositely disposed to the abutting piece
30 with a space therebetween. To the opposing piece 31, clamping screws 32 are screwed
so as to freely move back and forth. The outside fixing member 25 can be fixed to
the outside flange 12 by holding an outer periphery of the outside flange 12 between
the abutting piece 30 and the opposing piece 31 and screwing up the clamping screws
32. Here, positional deviations of the outside fixing member 25 are avoided and the
outside fixing member 25 can be firmly fixed by forming a knock hole 33 in advance
through the outside flange 12 at a corresponding position to a position where the
outside fixing member 25 is supposed to be attached, and driving the knock pin 35
from an insertion hole 34 formed through the abutting piece 30. Also, on an end side
of the guiding member 27, a fitting pin 36 is provided in parallel to a rotation central
axis of the drum 13, and on an edge side of the abutting piece 30, which is protruding
outward from the outside flange 12, a fitting hole 37 is provided. Thus, by inserting
the fitting pin 36 into the fitting hole 37 and pulling out the fitting pin 36 from
the fitting hole 37 (by fitting a pin), the guiding member 27 is easily attached to
and detached from the outside fixing member 25.
[0030] When rotating the drum 13 while keeping the shifting tool for a mooring rope 10 attached,
the mooring rope 20 being wound onto the storage section 22 moves from a lower side
to an upper side on the right side of the guiding member 27 (on the partition flange
21 side) as indicated by the arrow c in Fig. 2B, and a force is applied from the mooring
rope 20 in a direction of pressing the guiding member 27 toward the outside flange
12. Thus the fitting pin 36, which is provided in parallel to the rotation central
axis of the drum 13, will not come off from the fitting hole 37, and the guiding member
27 is firmly supported by the outside fixing member 25.
[0031] Note that, although the fitting pin 36 is provided on the guiding member 27 and the
fitting hole 37 is provided on the abutting piece 30 in this embodiment, the fitting
hole may be provided on the guiding member and the fitting pin may be provided on
the abutting piece.
[0032] Subsequently, details about the partition side fixing member 26 will be explained.
[0033] As shown in Fig. 4, the partition side fixing member 26 includes a clamping member
41 having a U-shaped cross-section, and the clamping member 41 is composed of a pair
of pinching pieces 39 and 40 that are oppositely disposed with a space therebetween.
To the pinching piece 40, a clamping screw 42 is screwed so as to freely move back
and forth. The clamping screw 42 has an operating handle 43 on its head, for rotating
the clamping screw 42. Thus, the partition side fixing member 26 can be fixed to the
partition flange 21 by holding an outer periphery of the partition flange 21 (a corner
part of the notch 24) between the pair of pinching pieces 39 and 40, and rotating
the operating handle 43 to screw up the clamping screw 42. Here, by providing the
operating handle 43 on the storage section 22 side of the partition flange 21, when
moving the mooring rope 20 along the guiding member 27 and shifting the mooring rope
20 to the tension section 23, the mooring rope 20 will not be caught by the operating
handle 43, and it brings out excellent certainty of the shifting behavior of a mooring
rope.
[0034] Incidentally, the clamping member 41 and an end part of the guiding member 27 are
connected and fixed by welding or the like and thus the partition side fixing member
26 and guiding member 27 are integrated. This makes it possible that the partition
side fixing member 26 firmly holds the guiding member 27. Also, as shown in Fig. 4,
an abutting member 44 for abutting on an end surface of an upper end side of the notch
24 is provided on an end part on the guiding member 27 side of the clamping member
41. Thus, when the mooring rope 20 moves along the guiding member 27 as indicated
by the arrow c in Fig. 2B, the clamping member 41 will not move even if a force acting
to rotate the guiding member 27 in an opposite circumferential direction to the rotating
direction of the drum 13 (the direction indicated by the arrow a in Fig. 2A) is applied
from the mooring rope 20. Therefore, the guiding member 27 is held at a predetermined
position, and the mooring rope 20 can be surely guided to the notch 24.
[0035] When winding up and paying out the mooring rope 20, the partition side fixing member
26 and the guiding member 27 can be detached from the drum 13 while leaving only the
outside fixing member 25 attached by turning the guiding member 27 together with the
partition side fixing member 26 around the fitting pin 36 toward outside the drum
13, and pulling out the fitting pin 36 from the fitting hole 37 of the outside fixing
member 25 after loosening the clamping screw 42 and unfixing the partition side fixing
member 26. Even if leaving the outside fixing member 25 attached to the outside flange
12, there is no hindrance to winding up and paying out the mooring rope 20, and besides,
this makes an attaching operation of the guiding member 27 simpler from the next time.
[0036] Although a case of the underwound where the mooring rope 20 is wound from the bottom
side of the drum 13 has been described hereinbefore, as a modification, a case of
overwound where the mooring rope 20 is wound from the top side of the drum 13 will
be described hereinafter.
[0037] In Figs. 5A and 5B, the mooring rope 20 is pulled in the direction indicated by an
arrow b as the drum 13 rotates in the direction indicated by an arrow a in Fig. 5A,
and the mooring rope 20 is wound from the top side of the drum 13. This is referred
to as overwound. The modification shown in Figs. 5A and 5B is upside down with respect
to Figs. 2A and 2B (the positions of the notches 24 of the partition flange 21 are
each shifted by 90 degrees), and the rotating direction of the drum 13 is reversed
with respect to Figs. 2A and 2B. Corresponding to these differences, the attaching
direction of the shifting tool for a mooring rope 10 is changed. However, the structure
of the shifting tool for a mooring rope 10 is the same as that in Figs. 2A and 2B.
The modification and the embodiment are also the same in that the partition side fixing
member 26 is attached on the downstream side of one of the notches 24 with respect
to the moving direction of the mooring rope 20 (on the upstream side of the notch
24 with respect to the rotation of the drum 13). Thus, by rotating the drum 13 in
the direction indicated by the arrow a in Fig. 5A while keeping the shifting tool
for a mooring rope 10 attached, the mooring rope 20 being wound onto the storage section
22 can be moved toward the partition flange 21 (in the direction indicated by an arrow
c in Fig. 5B) along the guiding member 27 and guided to the notch 24. The mooring
rope 20 subsequently passes through the notch 24, is automatically shifted from the
storage section 22 to the tension section 23, is wound onto the tension section 23,
and can generate a predetermined tension. Incidentally, also in this case, a mooring
winch can be configured by symmetrically arranging two drums.
[0038] The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, the present
invention is not limited to the structures described in the above embodiment, and
includes other embodiments and modifications conceivable within the scope of the matters
described in the scope of the claims.
[0039] Although a case where two notches are provided in the partition flange is described
in the above embodiment, the shifting tool for a mooring rope is for guiding the mooring
rope being wound onto the storage section to one of the notches when shifting the
mooring rope from the storage section to the tension section of the drum, and thus
it is enough to attach the shifting tool for a mooring rope with respect to one notch.
Therefore, the shifting tool for a mooring rope is applicable regardless of the number
and the shape of the notches. Also, the structures and the fixing method of the outside
fixing member and the partition side fixing member are selectable depending on the
situation. For instance, the outside fixing member may be directly fixed to the outside
flange by means of screwing or the like after providing a through hole in the outside
flange. Further, in the above embodiment, a mooring winch where the driving unit is
provided in between (in the central part of) the drums on the right side and the left
side is described. However, the structure of the mooring winch is not limited to this.
For instance, the driving unit may be provided on the end part of one side of the
right side and the left side.
[0040] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when curving the guiding member from the outside
fixing member toward the partition side fixing member in a circular arc shape in front
view, the guiding member is formed so as to bulge toward the partition flange (to
be convex to the partition flange side). However, the shape is selectable depending
on the situation as long as it is an inclined shape that enables to smoothly guide
the mooring rope toward the notch. For instance, the guiding member may be formed
so as to be curved in a circular arc shape bulging toward the outside flange (being
convex to the outside flange side), and also, the guiding member may be formed not
in a circular arc shape, but in a straight line shape, a curved line shape, or a shape
combining a circular arc shape and a straight line shape or a curved line shape.
[0041] Also, in the above embodiment, the operating handle having a rod-like shape is used.
However, it is enough that the clamping screw can be rotated with the operating handle
and the shape of the operating handle is selectable depending on the situation. For
instance, the operating handle may be formed in a round shape, a polygonal shape,
or else.
Reference Signs List
[0042] 10: shifting tool for a mooring rope, 11: mooring winch, 12: outside flange, 13:
drum, 14: driving motor, 15: speed reducer, 16: driving unit, 20: mooring rope, 21:
partition flange, 22: storage section, 23: tension section, 24: notch, 25: outside
fixing member, 26: partition side fixing member, 27: guiding member, 30: abutting
piece, 31: opposing piece, 32: clamping screw, 33: knock hole, 34: insertion hole,
35: knock pin, 36: fitting pin, 37: fitting hole, 39, 40: pinching piece, 41: clamping
member, 42: clamping screw, 43: operating handle, 44: abutting member