The invention relates to a device for at least partially supporting an object such as a vessel, comprising:

• a support mounting for mounting the device on a frame,
• a first and a second seat, which are each provided with a covering element which is adapted to lie against the object,
• a first carrier element which is connected via at least a first rotation mounting to the support mounting, which first carrier element is connected via a second and a further second rotation mounting to respectively the first and the second seat.

Such a device is known in the field and marketed at least by applicant. Document US 7025531 constitutes the closest prior art. This device is used for supporting on either side a vessel, the hull of which generally has a double curve. The weight of the vessel is at least partially carried by the first and the second seat of each supporting device. Each seat loaded by the weight of the vessel thus produces a concentration of stress in the hull of the vessel. There is a trend to manufacture vessels more cheaply, for instance by saving on material costs. In order to achieve this object, hulls of the vessels are given a thinner form, whereby greater stresses occur in the hull when the vessel is supported with the known device. Because of the trend of manufacturing vessels more cheaply by applying a minimal wall thickness, it occurs increasingly more often that a seat causes concentrations of stress exceeding a maximum acceptable value in the hull of the vessel, whereby damage to the hull of the vessel occurs.

The present invention has for its object to prevent damage to vessels, which damage is the result of the vessel being supported via the hull thereof, particularly the damage which occurs in vessels whose hull comprises a very thin wall.

The device according to the invention has for this purpose the feature that a second carrier element is connected via the second rotation mounting to the first carrier element, which second carrier element is connected via a third rotation mounting to the first seat, and that a third seat is connected via a fourth rotation mounting to the second carrier element, and that a further second carrier element is connected via the further second rotation mounting to the first carrier element, which further second carrier element is connected via a further third rotation mounting to the second seat, and that a fourth seat is connected via a further fourth rotation mounting to the further second carrier element, wherein the third and the fourth seat are each provided with a covering element which is adapted to lie against the object.

This makes possible a device for supporting an object such as the vessel, which device is adapted to lie over a greater surface area against the hull, wherein the position of the seats of the supporting device can further be adjusted to the shape of the hull in order to reduce stress concentrations on the hull of the object, thereby decreasing the chance of damage to the vessel at the position of the hull with a very small wall thickness.

This enables a very stable embodiment of the device according to the invention in which the first, second, third and fourth seats are each adjustable under the influence of the shape of the object via two mutually dependently coupled rotation mountings. The device according to the invention has the advantage that the magnitude of the load is distributed more uniformly. In the known device it may occur that the seats are unequally loaded, and in an extreme case it may even be the case that at least one of the seats is even not loaded because the shape of the object does not extend to the seat and is situated a distance therefrom. The first and the second carrier element can be forced into a determined position under the influence of the shape of the object, wherein the device according to the invention is adaptive and able to position the seats such that the position thereof is adjusted to the shape of the object.

In a favourable embodiment the first rotation mounting comprises first elements which are fixedly connected to the support mounting and comprises second elements which are fixedly connected to the first carrier element, and the first elements are disposed rotatably relative to the second elements for a rotation of the first carrier element relative to the support mounting about an axis extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of the device. It hereby becomes possible for the device arranged on a frame to be adjustable for the purpose of adjusting the position of the seats relative to the shape of the object. When a cross-section of the object, which cross-section is directed transversely of the longitudinal direction of the object, has a first parabolic form, the device can lie on either side of the object with the seats lying against the first parabolic hull, wherein the load on the device is distributed over the seats in the longitudinal direction.

In a further favourable embodiment the first rotation mounting comprises a further first rotation mounting for a rotation of the first carrier element relative to the support mounting about an axis extending substantially transversely of the longitudinal direction of both the device and the support mounting. It hereby becomes possible for the device to be adjustable to the shape of the hull in the longitudinal direction of the object along a second parabolic hull, whereby the seats can lie against the second parabolic hull, wherein the load on the device is distributed over the seats in longitudinal direction.

In a general embodiment the first, second, third and fourth rotation mounting each provide a rotation about an axis, wherein the axes run substantially parallel to each other, and the axes are directed substantially transversely of the first axis. It hereby becomes possible for the device arranged on a frame to be further adjustable for the purpose of adjusting the position of the seats relative to the shape of the object. A line which runs on the hull in the longitudinal direction of the object and along which the device is adapted to engage on the object generally has a second parabolic form, which is generally weaker than the first parabolic form. When present on either side of the object, the device is adapted to lie against the second parabolic form of the hull, wherein the load on the device is uniformly distributed in longitudinal direction over the seats. The stress concentrations occurring when the object lies against the seats of the device according to the invention are hereby minimized so that the wall thickness, and so the weight of the object, is further minimized.

The invention will be elucidated hereinbelow on the basis of a preferred embodiment, with reference to the accompanying figures.

• Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an object carried by a frame using the device according to the invention;
• Figure 2 shows the device according to figure 1 in a schematic cross-section extending in the longitudinal direction of the device along a line II-II in figure 4;
• Figure 2A shows a cross-section of the device according to figure 1 along a line IIA-IIA in figure 3;
• Figure 3 shows a schematic side view of the device according to figure 1 along a line III-III in figure 4;
• Figure 4 shows a schematic bottom view of the device according to figure 1 along a line IV-IV in figure 2;
• Figure 5 shows a schematic perspective view of the device according to figure 1.

The same reference numerals designate the same components in all figures. Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention, in which device 1 is mounted on a frame 20, such as a chassis of a trailer, via a support mounting 2. Lying on device 1 is an object 11, in this example the hull 10 of a vessel 11, which for a stable placing on frame 20 is supported by a further device (not shown) on either side of hull 10. Device 1 is provided with four seats 51, 52, 53, 54 which are each provided with a covering element 50 and make contact with hull 10 of vessel 11.

Covering element 50 is manufactured from plastic which, while being hard, is still sufficiently flexible to provide a further local adjustment to the shape of hull 10. A further property of covering element 50 is that sufficient friction can be generated to absorb lateral loads, which occur for instance while travelling through bends, and to absorb loads in the longitudinal direction of frame 20 which occur for instance during acceleration and deceleration of frame 20.

Device 1 is equipped with first and second carrier elements 3, 4, 4' which connect seats 51, 52, 53, 54 to support mounting 2 via diverse rotation mountings discussed below. The first and second carrier elements 3, 4, 4' have the function of a lever and are embodied in this example as arms 3, 4, 4' for the purpose of absorbing a transverse force which must be transmitted via seats 51, 52, 53, 54 to support mounting 2.

Figure 2 shows support mounting 2 which can be mounted with a downward directed end on frame 20 and is rotatably connected with an upward directed end to first carrier element 3 via a first rotation mounting S1, which is formed in this embodiment by a first shaft 21 which is disposed fixedly relative to support mounting 2 and which has a first axis HS1 which runs substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of device 1 and is directed substantially transversely of the axis H2 extending in the longitudinal direction of support mounting 2, relative to which first shaft 21 the first carrier element 3 is coupled rotatably via engaging elements 31 coacting with first shaft 21 for the purpose of adjusting device 1 to the shape of hull 10 in the transverse direction of frame 20.

The rotatability of first carrier element 3 relative to for instance support mounting 2 is limited to an angle A as shown in figure 2A which in this embodiment runs clockwise but which can of course also run in the opposite direction (not shown). First carrier element 3, which is situated in an extreme position due to rotation through an angle A, is bounded in this embodiment in that a part 33 of first carrier element 3, in this embodiment an edge 33, lies against a part 23 of support mounting 2. It is possible hereby for first carrier element 3, and further parts supported by first carrier element 3, such as the second and the further second carrier element 4, 4', and seats 51, 52, 53, 54, to be located in a position for a ready-to-use device 1 suitable for placing of for instance the vessel 11.

In an embodiment the first rotation mounting S1 comprises a further rotation mounting S1' as according to figure 2A, which further rotation mounting S1' is formed by a further first shaft 22 which is disposed fixedly relative to the first rotation mounting S1 and which has a further first axis HS1' directed substantially transversely of both the first axis HS1 and the axis H2 extending in the longitudinal direction of support mounting 2. First carrier element 3 is coupled rotatably relative to the further first shafts 22 for the purpose of adjusting device 1 to the shape of hull 10 in the longitudinal direction of frame 20. In this embodiment the first carrier element 3 is disposed for rotation relative to support mounting 2 about both the first axis HS1 and the further first axis HS1' in order to form a double hinge.

Figure 3 shows the first carrier element 3 disposed on support mounting 2 which, as shown in figure 4, extends transversely of the longitudinal direction of device 1 substantially over the width of device 1. First carrier element 3 is provided on either side close to its outer ends with fixedly arranged shafts 25, 25' extending in the longitudinal direction along respective axes HS2, HS2' as shown in figure 4. Openings with a circular cross-section (not shown) are for instance arranged halfway along the length dimension of the second and the further second carrier element 4, 4', which openings are adapted to engage on shafts 25, 25' and together for instance form a slide bearing. Shafts 25, 25', which co-act with the openings present in the second and the further second carrier element 4, 4', form in this embodiment a second and a further second rotation mounting S2, S2' for disposing respectively the second carrier element 4 and the further second carrier element 4' for rotation relative to first carrier element 3, wherein the rotation runs relative to respectively a second and a further second axis HS2, HS2' as shown in figure 4 which are directed substantially transversely of the first axis HS1 and are directed substantially transversely of the axis H2 extending in the longitudinal direction of support mounting 2.

In this embodiment the second carrier element 4 is located in a first space which is bounded by a plane V, in which plane V run both the first further axis HS1' and the axis H2 extending in the longitudinal direction of support mounting 2, and the further second carrier element 4 is located in a second space which is separated from the first space by means of plane V. In this embodiment the second and the further second carrier element 4, 4', including the first and third seats 51, 53 and the second and fourth seats 52, 54 respectively arranged thereon, are the mirror image of each other relative to plane V.

According to figure 4 the second carrier element 4 extending parallel to the longitudinal direction of device 1 takes a dual form, wherein each second carrier element 4 is arranged at outer ends of shaft 25 remote from each other and form the bearing for second rotation mounting S2. Second carrier element 4 is provided on either side close to the outer ends thereof with fixedly arranged shafts 35, 45 extending in the longitudinal direction along respective axes HS3, HS4 as shown in figure 4. Openings with a circular cross-section (not shown) are for instance arranged halfway along the longitudinal dimension of the first and third seats 51, 53, which openings are adapted to engage on shafts 35, 45, and together form for instance a slide bearing. Shafts 35, 45, which co-act with the openings present in first and third seats 51, 53, form in this embodiment a third and a fourth rotation mounting S3, S4 for arranging respectively the first and third seat 51, 53 for rotation relative to second carrier element 4, wherein the rotation runs relative to respectively a third and a fourth axis HS3, HS4 as shown in figure 4, which are directed substantially transversely of the first axis HS1 and are directed substantially transversely of the axis H2 extending in the longitudinal direction of support mounting 2.

According to figure 4 the further second carrier element 4' extending parallel to the longitudinal direction of device 1 takes a dual form, wherein each further second carrier element 4' is arranged at outer ends of shaft 25' remote from each other and form the bearing for second rotation mounting S2'. The further second carrier element 4' is provided on either side close to its outer ends with fixedly arranged shafts 35', 45' extending in the longitudinal direction along respective axes HS3', HS4' as shown in figure 4. Openings with a circular cross-section (not shown) are for instance arranged halfway along the longitudinal dimension of second and fourth seats 52, 54, which openings are adapted to engage on shafts 35', 45' and together form for instance a slide bearing. In this embodiment shafts 35', 45' which co-act with the openings present in second and fourth seats 52, 54 form a further third and a further fourth rotation mounting S3', S4' for disposing respectively the second and fourth seat 52, 54 for rotation relative to the further second carrier element 4', wherein the rotation runs relative to respectively a further third and a further fourth axis HS3', HS4' as shown in figure 4, which are directed substantially transversely of first axis HS1 and are directed substantially transversely of the axis H2 extending in the longitudinal direction of support mounting 2.

Figure 5 shows in a perspective view that seats 51, 52, 53, 54 form a substantially double-curved surface for the purpose of adapting to a shape of hull 10 which has a substantially similar double-curved surface, which hull 10 positions the seats 51, 52, 53, 54 under the influence of a weight load of the object such that a connection fitting substantially on hull 10 occurs, wherein the weight of the object is distributed uniformly over seats 51, 52, 53, 54.

In an extended embodiment the support mounting 2 is placed on frame 20 such that each whole device 1 is rotatable about the axis H2 extending in the longitudinal direction of support mounting 2 for the purpose of supporting an object 11 which has in the longitudinal direction thereof a tangent at the position of device 1 which varies from a progression parallel to the longitudinal direction of frame 20. In a further extended embodiment the support mounting 2 is height-adjustable for the purpose of supporting objects so that a supported object 11 can be positioned a sufficient distance from the ground.

The invention therefore extends to all embodiments falling within the scope of protection of the appended claims, which must be interpreted in light of the figures and the accompanying description.