System for transferring and arranging tubs such as in a cargo deck of a vessel

Abstract

An improved system for transferring and arranging tubs, in particular fish tubs in a fishing vessel, allows efficient filling of a cargo decks of varying size with filled tubs, and delivery of empty tubs from the cargo deck to an upper processing deck. A pair of lifts can accommodate a wide cargo deck, with e.g. four, five or six rows of stacked tubs. The system comprises cargo movers, one in each cargo lane of stacked tubs. The cargo storage area of the system is divided in at least a front cargo section and an aft cargo section. A transverse transfer lane with a respective carriage is arranged aft of each cargo section. In each cargo section there is at least one cargo lane with a cargo mover that moves stacks in the front direction and at least one cargo lane with a cargo mover that moves stacks in the rear direction. This way, tubs of fish or other cargo can be arranged and positioned essentially anywhere in the cargo area and empty tubs delivered to a processing deck.

Description

[0001] System for transferring and arranging tubs such as in a cargo deck of a vessel

[0002] FIELD OF INVENTION

[0003] The invention relates to systems for moving and arranging cargo tubs on board a cargo deck of a vessel, in particular for fish tubs in a fishing vessel.

[0004] TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

[0005] There is increased demand for automation and efficiency in the handling of fish catch onboard modern fishing vessels. In wet fish trawlers and similar fishing vessels the fish is kept in the cargo hold in boxes or tubs covered with ice. The fish is typically minimally processed (headed and gutted) on a process deck, laid in tubs with ice and then delivered to the cargo deck for storage. As there is limited room in the cargo it is of importance that the available space can be utilised efficiently.

[0006] Modern fish tubs are convenient for storing fresh fish and have become very popular in some geographical areas. Typical tubs have an internal volume of and have a bottom structure with runners similar to those on a cargo pallet, such the tub can be lifted by a forklift. The tubs are typically designed and configured such that they can be stacked one on top of another such that the bottom runners fit in slots on the opening of another tub.

[0007] Prior art systems are known that use sets of lifts and transport conveyors for delivering tubs filled with fish to the cargo deck, arranging the tubs in stacks, and arranging the stacks in rows along the cargo deck.

[0008] W02020170275A1 discloses a system for managing tubs in a cargo hold of a vessel. The system comprises a series of parallel lifts for delivering tubs into the cargo hold, to cargo lanes that run along the cargo decks from the lifts. A wagon aft of the cargo lanes can receive a stack of tubs from one of the cargo lanes and transport the stack in a transverse direction to the cargo lanes. In the arrangement, each cargo lane has a lift at its end, so a large cargo deck requires many lifts.

[0009] A similar system has been provided by Klaki Stalsmidja ehf. and shown the company’s homepage www.klaki.is and discussed in fishing magazine Fiskifrettir on 11 December 2020.

[0010] An earlier version of an automatic loading system for tubs in a fishing vessel cargo deck was proposed in a report from Matis ohf. (Vinnsluferill linuveidiskipa / Processing in line boats Hafsteinsson et al. Matis report No. 33-10 (Oct 2010) ISSN: 1670-7192; https: / / matis.is / wp- content / uploads / skyrslur / 33-10-Vinnsluferill-Lokaskyrsla.pdf) A preliminary design shows a dual lift for feeding empty tubs up to the processing deck and delivering full tubs down to storage, and having conveyors along the hull walls of the cargo deck around lanes of tubs, for arranging (circulating) stacks of tubs.

[0011] SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0012] The present invention is specified in the claims as well as in the below description. The invention provides an improved system suitable for transferring and arranging tubs in a cargo deck of a vessel, in particular fish tubs in a fishing vessel.

[0013] The invention allows efficient filling of cargo decks of varying size with tubs carrying cargo such as but not limited to headed and gutted wet fish, and delivery of empty tubs from the cargo deck to an upper processing deck. The system has the advantage that a pair of lifts (that is only two lifts) can accommodate a wide cargo deck, with e.g. four, five or six lanes of stacked tubs.

[0014] The system comprises cargo movers, one in each cargo lane, where a cargo lane is dimensioned to hold a line of stacked tubs, and at least a first and a second transverse transfer lanes each with a transfer carriage, for transferring tubs in a transverse direction to the cargo deck and cargo lanes. The cargo storage area of the system is divided in at least a front cargo section and an aft cargo section, where the front cargo section has at least two cargo lanes and the aft cargo section has more than two cargo lanes. A transverse transfer lane with a respective carriage is arranged aft of each cargo section. In each cargo section there is at least one cargo lane with a cargo mover that moves stacks of tubs in the front direction and at least one cargo lane with a cargo mover that moves stacks in the rear direction, relative to the deck. This way, tubs of fish or other cargo can be arranged and positioned essentially anywhere in the cargo area and empty tubs can be delivered to a processing deck as needed.

[0015] Thus, in a first aspect, the invention sets forth a system for transferring and arranging tubs in a cargo deck of a vessel, in particular but not limited to fish tubs in a fishing vessel, comprising: a front cargo section with at least two cargo lanes that lie in a direction of the vessel and that have a length of at least one tub but preferably of at least two tubs; an aft cargo section with more than two cargo lanes that lie in a direction of the ship and that have a length of at least two tubs; a pair of loading and supply lifts configured to load the cargo deck with tubs into stacks of tubs to the front of the front cargo section, and to supply a processing deck above the cargo deck with tubs; a first transverse transfer lane with a first transfer carriage for transferring stacks of tubs along the transverse transfer lane, in a transverse direction to the cargo deck, aft of the front cargo section and front of the aft cargo section; a second transverse transfer lane with a second transfer carriage for transferring stacks of tubs along the transverse transfer lane in a transverse direction, aft of the aft cargo section; for each cargo lane at least one cargo mover to move stacks along said cargo lane in a transfer direction towards the front or rear of the cargo lane, such that in each cargo section there is at least one cargo lane with a cargo mover that moves stacks in the front direction and at least one cargo lane with a cargo mover that moves stacks in the rear direction; said first and second transfer carriages are configured for receiving a stack of tubs from an aligned cargo lane and for allowing a stack of tubs to be removed from the transfer carriage and into an aligned cargo lane; wherein each said cargo mover is configured so that it can engage with a lowermost tub in a stack of tubs on a transfer carriage in a transverse transfer lane aft of the cargo mover’s transfer direction when the stack is aligned with said cargo lane and pull said stack into the cargo lane as the cargo mover moves its stacks in its transfer direction.

[0016] It is an advantage of the invention that the cargo deck can be divided into at least two sections, a front cargo section and an aft section, where the aft cargo section has larger width than the front cargo section. This way, the cargo deck can be more efficiently used, as a regular fishing vessel has a hull that is narrower near the bow. This by necessity means that the available space in the cargo deck is narrower closer to the bow. Thus, having a front cargo section with less width (fewer rows of tubs) can give more efficient use of the available space of the cargo deck. Note that the system may in some embodiments have more than two sections.

[0017] The cargo lanes may also be referred to as cargo lanes and refer to designated spaces / lanes in the cargo deck in each cargo section to hold one or more tubs in a line, which tubs may have other tubs stacked on top of them to form stacks of tubs. The cargo lanes are typically dimensioned to hold a certain number of stacks of tubs, e.g. having a length of one tub, two tubs, three tubs, etc. In the description herein, for simplicity lines of tubs (or stacks of tubs) refer to lines along the length of the ship, whereas rows refer to tubs arranged in a row transversely across the ship.

[0018] The pair of loading and supply lifts are preferably but not limited to a pair of identical lifts and are advantageously configured so that both lifts can lift tubs both up and down, to and from the cargo deck. The lifts are in a typical embodiment configured to lift a tub or stack of tubs from beneath, with a fork or platform, thus in these embodiments each lift will lift the whole stack of tubs in the lift footprint (i.e. it lifts the “bottom” tub and any tubs stacked onto the bottom tub).

[0019] In some embodiments a processing deck tub mover is arranged above the lifts, to move transversely a tub from one lift to the other, for example having a hook arrangement extending from a transverse beam arranged above the lifts.

[0020] The first and second transverse transfer lanes are arranged aft of, respectively, the front cargo section and aft cargo section.

[0021] In some embodiments, in particular where the front cargo section has a width of more than two cargo lanes, it is preferred to have a third transverse transfer lane in the front of the front cargo section or aligned with the front row of the front cargo section. This enables transverse movement of tubs in the front section (front row) of the front cargo section, so that space adjacent to the footprint areas of the pair of loading and supply lifts can be used to store stacks of tubs. This front row adjacent to the lifts can in some embodiments be positioned front of the lifts (that is, to the side and front of) or one row behind the lifts, i.e. the lifts can be positioned further back (by one tub length) than the adjacent front row of the front cargo section.

[0022] The system of the invention is preferably arranged and configured to operate with tubs having lengthwise arranged pallet-like runners arranged on the bottom of the tubs adjacent to and parallel with the long edges of the bottom of the tubs, having an open bottom space extending lengthwise between the runners. As understood from this, unlike typical cargo pallets such tubs used in the system preferably have no center runner and the system is thus preferably configured accordingly. The bottom space of such preferred tubs can be defined with a bottom space width which is the width of the space between the runners. Non-limiting examples of suitable fish tubs are those provided by SAEPLAST Iceland ehf. (Dalvik, Iceland) in different sizes, such as Saeplast 460, which has a length of 123 cm, width of 103 cm and 58 cm height, and an internal volume of 448 L. The company also provides tubs of different height but with the same footprint, which are inter stackable. Another provider of useful tubs for the system of the invention is Borgarplast ehf. (Mosfellsbaer, Iceland), which provides tubs of similar size, such as the Borgarplast 460 PE Insulated Fish, Meat & Poultry Container, having a length of 122 cm, width of 103 cm, 58 cm height and 430L volume.

[0023] The cargo movers are mechanical devices, each cargo mover moves tubs or stacks of tubs along a respective cargo lane. In some embodiments the cargo movers are unidirectional so that each cargo mover is arranged to move tubs in a specified transfer direction which is either the front direction (towards the bow) or the aft direction (towards the stern). In some embodiments of the system configured for tubs having an open bottom space with a bottom space width as described, the cargo movers are designed and arranged on the cargo lane floor so that they fit in between the runners of tubs placed in the cargo lane. In some such embodiments each cargo mover comprises a longitudinal moving assembly, which can be based on a hydraulic jack, with at least one pair of transversely extending fingers joined to said assembly. The fingers are configured to pivot out transversely to the cargo lane direction, in opposite directions, to an extended position when the moving assembly is in a position referred to as extended position, and in the extended position the fingers extend beyond the bottom space width. Thus, they can interact with the runners of a tub in the cargo lane and move (push or pull) the tub in the transfer direction of the cargo mover.

[0024] In an embodiment, the cargo mover of the system comprises at least one pair of rear fingers (or “pulling fingers”) configured so that when the moving assembly of the cargo mover is in an aft position with its rear end (aft end) extending in the aft direction, the rear fingers can extend (if not blocked from doing so) beyond the tub bottom space width and are configured and arranged so that they will engage with openings in the runners of a tub aft of and aligned with the cargo mover to pull said tub (by engaging with and pushing on blocks of the runners connecting the runner boards to the tub) in the transfer direction of the cargo mover when the cargo mover moves from the aft position in its transfer direction. The “rear end” of the cargo mover is the end which is aft to the transfer direction of the device.

[0025] In an embodiment the at least one first pair of fingers (base fingers) and the at least one pair of rear fingers are configured and joined to the cargo mover such that when the cargo mover moves opposite to its transfer direction the fingers can fold back to a retraced position, at least if they meet resistance.

[0026] In one embodiment, each of the fingers comprises a distal part extending beyond the tub bottom space width in the extended position (that is, the “extending” part of the finger), and a proximal part, located on the opposite side of the pivoting pin of the finger relative to the distal part, the proximal part being connected to a tension spring which is connected to the moving part of the cargo mover, such that folding of the finger in to a retracted position stretches the tension spring, and upon release of resistance to movement opposite to the cargo mover transfer direction, the tension spring returns the finger back to the extended position. In the extended position, the proximal part of the finger is preferably arranged to meet a supporting surface rigidly fixed to the moveable part of the cargo mover that preferably has a dampener for noise reduction when the fingers pivot to the extended position (preventing a “hammering” effect when the proximal part of the finger stops on the supporting surface). The at least one first pair of fingers (lower fingers) are preferably arranged at a height so that they will engage with and push on bottom boards of the runners of tubs that are arranged on top of the cargo mover, and the at least one rear pair of fingers (“pulling” fingers) is arranged at a height so that they will engage with fork lift openings of the runners. The “base fingers” can also be referred to as lower fingers and the “rear fingers” can also be referred to as “upper fingers”. In some embodiments the cargo mover comprises multiple pairs of upper fingers, this has the advantage that a tub inside the lane can be pulled forward by both a set of lower fingers (pushing on the runner boards aft of the transfer direction) and at least one pair of upper fingers that extend into fork lift openings of the rube and push on blocks of the runners (the blocks connecting the runner boards to the tub).

[0027] The longitudinal moving assembly is in another embodiment arranged with parallel inner side panels or other functionally corresponding members extending along the axis of the cargo mover, the inner side panels have affixed arm attachments to which are joined jointed arms to which are joined respective pair of fingers from said at least one pair of fingers. Outer panels, which can be part of a box-like structure enclosing the inner panels, are aligned with and can glide along the inner panels, the outer panels having on them slits or windows that are aligned with the arm attachments of the inner panels, allowing a degree of translational movement of the arm attachments within the slits / windows. The outer panels are fixed to a finger holder for each pair of arm attachments, where each finger holder comprises vertical pivot pins on which fingers of the respective jointed arms of the finger holder pivot as the inner panels move relative to the outer panels, to reach their extended position. In this way, the longitudinal moving assembly provides two movement phases, in a first phase (typically the first approx. 10-15 cm movement of the inner panels) the inner panels move but not the outer panels and the finger holders fixed thereto, and the fingers of the cargo mover thus pivot out to an extended position as the arm attachments move but not the finger holders. In the second phase of movement, the inner and outer panels move together and the fingers move translationally together with the outer panels and the finger holders of the cargo mover.

[0028] Preferably, each cargo mover comprises also at least one pair of distal fingers (rear fingers) arranged at or near the distal end of the cargo mover that is opposite the transfer direction of the mover (i.e. at the back end of the mover). The distal fingers are joined pivotally to the longitudinal moving assembly as the other fingers (lower fingers) which can be referred to as base fingers.

[0029] In some embodiments, the rear fingers are arranged with its respective pair of jointed arms and arm attachments attached to the inner panels described above, and an finger holder referred to as distal finger holder. The distal finger holder may hold both a pair of distal fingers and a pair of base fingers which pairs can be arranged on the same pair of jointed arms, where the pair of distal fingers may be joined thereto with a pair of added arms joined to the jointed arms that connect the base fingers of the distal finger holder.

[0030] The rear fingers are configured so that when the cargo mover is in an aft position with its distal end (which can be the distal finger holder) extending out of the cargo lane and into the transverse transfer lane aft of the cargo lane transfer direction and then moves to extend its fingers, the rear fingers also extend beyond the bottom space width and are designed so that they will engage with openings in the runners of a tub aft of the cargo lane (relative to the movement direction) which is in the adjacent transverse transfer lane and aligned with the cargo lane. Thus, the rear fingers can pull the engaged tub into the cargo lane when the cargo mover moves from the aft position in its transfer direction.

[0031] In preferred embodiments of this type, the at least one first pair of fingers (i.e. the one or more pairs of fingers other than the distal fingers, these other fingers referred to as base fingers or lower fingers) are configured to be at a height from the cargo lane floor, or, more specifically, relative to the floor or optional cargo lane rails under the tub runners (further discussed below) so that they will engage with and push on bottom boards of the runners of tubs in the cargo lane. This can be designed and arranged so that the base fingers will typically push on the ends (“corners”) of the bottom boards of the tub runners. For this purpose, it is preferred that cargo lane rails are arranged in the cargo lane underneath the tub runners and that these cargo lane rails provide a height of about 3-6 cm above the cargo lane floor, that is, raising the tubs from the floor by this height. This creates desired added space making room for the cargo mover, as the height of the space underneath conventional tubs suitable for the invention as those discussed above is only about 10,5 cm. This further means that the lower fingers can move and engage with the bottom boards of the runners of tubs without the lower fingers having to be very close to the floor.

[0032] The at least one pair of rear fingers is preferably arranged at a height so that they will engage with forklift openings of tub runners in the respective cargo lane or aft of the cargo lane at the same height as tubs in the cargo lane. In this way the rear fingers are preferably arranged to pull a tub, whereas the at least one first pair of lower fingers will move tubs by pushing them. Thus, in such embodiment the pair of rear fingers are positioned higher up than are the pairs of lower fingers. An embodiment of this type is shown in FIGS 9-16.

[0033] Either or both of the one or more pair of lower fingers and the at least one pair of upper fingers may preferably be configured so that when the cargo mover moves opposite to its transfer direction the fingers can fold back if they meet resistance, or such that they actively fold back when the cargo mover moves rearward. These embodiments, with the cargo movers dimensioned to fit underneath the tubs between the tub runners, have a great advantage over prior art solutions with conveyors underneath tubs to be moved, in that no or very little additional space is needed to accommodate the cargo movers (only the height of eventual cargo lane rails which can be as little as 3-5 cm), whereas conveyors would typically require 40 to 50 cm space between the actual cargo deck floor and the bottom level of the lowermost tubs being arranged and stored in a conveyor-based system.

[0034] In the mentioned embodiments of the present invention the cargo movers can be placed directly on the cargo deck floor and the tubs can simply stand on the floor itself but typically, however, the main floor of the cargo deck would be painted and it is not desirable to move the tubs back and forth directly on the painted floor, therefor preferably the floor is configured with low-friction material such as stainless steel underneath the paths of runners of tubs in the system. In preferred embodiments, as discussed above, the cargo lanes may be equipped with flat bars, strips or raised profiles of strong low-friction surface (typically stainless steel) that run underneath the runners of the tubs. These are referred to as cargo lane rails. The cargo lane rails can be configured to raise the tubs from the cargo lane floor, by e.g. a height in the range 3-10 cm, e.g. in the range of about 3-6 cm, such as about 3 cm, about 4 cm or about 5 cm, as this will provide additional space underneath the tubs in cargo lanes to accommodate the cargo movers and their mechanism and operation. In some embodiments the cargo lane floors have arranged in them cargo lane rails with rollers on which the runners of tubs move along. This would of course add some extra space requirements underneath the tubs but not more than a total of e.g. in the range 6-12 cm, i.e. a few more cm in addition to the desired 3-10 cm extra height discussed above. Such rollers can be e.g. from steel but may have a rubber surface and preferably have bearings.

[0035] The cargo movers preferably have one pair of base fingers (lower fingers) for each tub in a full line of tubs in the respective cargo lane. Thus, as an example, in a cargo lane of a length of four tubs, a suitable cargo mover has four pairs of base fingers, preferably each with its associated jointed arms and finger holder, as discussed above, so that each pair of base fingers can push each respective tub in a line of four tubs. The most distal pair of base fingers can be arranged in the same finger holder as a pair of distal fingers of said cargo mover, this would be the distal finger holder, which may also be referred to as the distal head of the cargo mover.

[0036] As explained above, each cargo mover is arranged in its respective cargo lane so that its distal end with the pair of distal fingers can extend out into the transverse transfer lane aft of the transfer direction of the cargo mover. The other end of the cargo mover, the front end, should preferably not extend beyond the front end of the cargo lane, when the cargo mover is in a most forward extended position, but some embodiments of the system can accommodate this and allow the front end of cargo movers to extend beyond the end of the cargo lane. Thus, in preferred embodiments the cargo mover is configured so it moves forward in its transfer direction a line of tubs (or stacks of tubs) by about one tub length at the time, and then it would have to return back by a tub length in order to move the line of tubs by another tub length.

[0037] Preferably the system comprises support dividers arranged in between adjacent cargo lanes. The support dividers may comprise, e.g., fence-type structures or cage-like dividers, e.g. meshes of horizontal and vertical or diagonal bars or rods. The support dividers provide vertical support for stacks of tubs within the cargo lanes, which is very beneficial to prevent the stacks from falling over sideways as the vessel rolls on the sea. The support dividers preferably have on them gatekeeper flaps configured to hold back a stack of tubs from sliding or tipping over in the cargo lane direction out of the cargo lane into an adjacent transverse transfer lane. The gatekeeper flaps are configured to allow transfer of a stack of tubs past the flaps when desired. Accordingly, the flaps may be controlled from a control unit in synchronisation with the control of the cargo movers, such that the flaps are “closed” when tub stacks should be prevented from tipping in the direction of the cargo lanes but flip to an open position when a stack is to be moved in to or out of the cargo lane. Gatekeeper flaps could also be fastened to the ceiling of the cargo deck.

[0038] The system may further comprise a cargo shaft and an associated cargo cage, preferably arranged in the aft cargo section, for unloading cargo tubs from the cargo deck. This way, the pair of loading and supply lifts need not be used for unloading the cargo, and an additional lift for this purpose is not needed. The mentioned cargo cage is configured so that it can be lifted from the outside, e.g. by a conventional ship crane onboard the vessel or an external crane. Thus, this arrangement requires no mechanical activity, during unloading of cargo (e.g. fish catch) the system can simply feed stacks of full tubs to the cargo shaft and into the cage in the shaft, which can then be lifted out. As will be understood, this further necessitates an aligned opening on the deck and through an eventual process deck above the cargo deck. The cargo cage is preferably equipped with locking flaps that are configured so that when the cage is in a lowered position sitting in the cage ditch the locking flaps are in an open position to allow tubs to move along the cargo lane through the cage, but as the cage is lifted off the floor the flaps move to a closed position hindering tubs from moving out of the cage (sliding or tipping over). There are preferably both lower locking flaps and upper locking flaps, where the lower locking flaps are arranged close to the cage platform holding a lower most tub when in closed position and the upper locking flaps at a height on the cage where a top-most tub would be positioned in a stack of tubs, and in some embodiments locking flaps are provided for supporting every tub in a full stack of tubs in the cage, when the cage is lifted. The locking flaps movement can be activated by a simple mechanism, with pins (not shown) or the like extending from the cage platform and which pins are pushed up as the cage is placed in the cage ditch, the pins being connected to the locking flaps so that the flaps move to an open position as the pins are pushed up.

[0039] Each of said transverse transfer lanes is preferably configured in a ditch at a level below the height of the cargo lane floor forming a lower-level ditch floor with sufficient height to accommodate the carriage such that the carriage of each said transverse transfer lane can move in said ditch without interfering with movement of cargo movers when they extend into the transverse transfer lane.

[0040] Each carriage in transverse transfer lanes preferably comprises a platform with a platform floor or frame for receiving and supporting a tub or stack of tubs. It follows that the carriage should be arranged so that the level (height) of the platform floor / frame should be substantially similar to the height of the cargo lane floors or cargo lane rails (flat bars, strips, profiles or rollers of the cargo lanes, etc.) if they are equipped with such, so that the cargo movers can move into the transverse transfer lane without interference from the carriage and so that a stack of tubs can be moved from the carriage floor and into a cargo lane, without the stack meeting resistance from an edge of the cargo lane floor or cargo lane rails, or an edge of the carriage when moved on to the carriage. The edges of the cargo lane rails and carriage platform or frame may be rounded to ease this movement.

[0041] Each carriage preferably is configured with at least one vertical support member and preferably vertical support members supporting both sides of stacks in the transfer lane (the exposed sides of stacks when in the transfer lane). Thus, in some embodiments the carriage is equipped with a cage-like structure providing support frames on each side (port and starboard) of the carriage.

[0042] Each carriage is preferably configured to engage with one or more rail running along the floor or walls of its ditch, to guide the movement of the carriage. In some embodiments wheels of the carriage engage with side rails running along the walls of the respective ditch. When equipped with a vertical support member, which may be referred to as a cage, the vertical support member (cage) is in some embodiments extended to a top connector that engages with and moves along an upper rail arranged above said transverse transfer lane. In some embodiments the carriage is thus guided with both bottom guides (rails) and an upper rail fixed to the ceiling of the cargo deck.

[0043] The movement of each carriage can be operated by any of various movement means which are as such known in the art, such as but not limited to a chain drive or belt drive, which may be arranged in the ditch running underneath the platform floor of the carriage, or from above cooperating with the mentioned optional top connector, or both.

[0044] The whole system is preferably controlled by a control unit which may be based on a computer such as a PLC computer or PC computer, with dedicated software to move in cooperation the lifts, cargo movers and carriages of the invention. Thus, with such control system the system knows at any given time the location of carriages, position of cargo movers and lifts and can ensure that cargo movers and transfer carriages move in synchronicity.

[0045] It should be mentioned that the system as described can as well be arranged in an on-land facility such as a storage facility for goods stored in tubs of the type suitable for the described system. In such on-land systems the constraints described for a vessel generally do not apply and thus, for example, a system of cargo lanes and transverse transfer lanes can be arranged without any lifts and the system would not need to have a narrower front section to fit in a bow of a vessel but can have same width cargo sections, two or more. Aspects and features such as cargo lane rails, dividers, ditches and carriages can suitably be applied in such on-land systems.

[0046] It should further be mentioned that the cargo mover as described can be used in such land- based system and could as well be used in other alternative systems, where translational movement of tubs as described herein or stacks of such tubs is desired. Thus, in one aspect, the present invention sets forth and discloses the cargo mover as such, as herein described, without being bound by the limitations being part of the overall system herein described, such as but not limited to being onboard a vessel.

[0047] DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0048] The present invention will be further described with reference to the drawings using reference numbers in the drawings to identify the individual components of the invention. The skilled person will understand that the drawings, described below, are for illustration purposes only. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present teachings in any way.

[0049] FIG. 1 shows a top view of a system of the invention, showing installed cargo movers.

[0050] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the system from FIG. 1.

[0051] FIG. 3 shows the system from FIGS. 1 and 2, fully loaded with cargo tubs.

[0052] FIG. 4 shows a transfer carriage of the system, with a carriage cage.

[0053] FIG. 5 shows a top view of another system of the invention. FIG. 6 shows a side view of the system.

[0054] FIG. 7a shows the cargo shaft of the system and a cargo cage filled with a stack of tubs above the shaft.

[0055] FIG. 7b shows the empty cargo cage.

[0056] FIG. 8a shows a carriage in a transverse transfer lane with a different carriage cage.

[0057] FIG. 8b shows the transfer carriage from FIG. 8a by itself.

[0058] FIGS. 9a and 9b show part of a cargo mover, in FIG. 9a the cargo mover is in an aft most position (retracted jack) and in 9b in an extended position (extended jack).

[0059] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of the cargo mover from FIG. 9.

[0060] FIG. 11 shows a close-up view of a finger holder with upper and lower fingers engaged with blocks of runners of tubs.

[0061] FIG. 12 shows a layer view exposing the lower fingers, where everything above (including the upper fingers) is not shown.

[0062] FIG. 13 shows an end view of a tub and device on lane rails.

[0063] FIG. 14 shows the same view as 13 but with fingers in folded position.

[0064] FIG 15 shows a perspective view of a part of a cargo mover of the system.

[0065] FIG. 15b shows the cargo mover from FIG. 15a in the same view except without enclosing box and finger holder lids, to expose internal parts.

[0066] FIG: 16a shows an end view of a tub and cargo mover on cargo lane rails.

[0067] FIG. 16b shows the same view as 16a but with fingers in folded position.

[0068] FIG. 17a shows a bottom view of cargo mover fully extended to its front-most position.

[0069] FIG. 17b shows same view as 17a but the cargo mover in an aft-most position.

[0070] FIGS. 18a and 18b show perspective views of another embodiment of the cargo mover sitting in cargo lane rails.

[0071] FIG. 19 shows a perspective aft view of the cargo mover from FIGS. 8a-b, in lane rails.

[0072] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0073] List of numbered features: system (1) carriage platform (54) cargo deck (2) wheels (55) front cargo section (3) carriage cage (56) aft cargo section (4) top connector (58) cargo lane (5) ditch walls (59) cargo lane rails (6) upper rail (57) loading and supply lifts (7,8) support dividers (60) first transverse transfer lane (11) guide profile (65) second transverse transfer lane (12) divider slot (66) first transfer carriage (13) bottom rail (67) second transfer carriage (14) cargo shaft (70) third transverse transfer lane (15) cargo cage (71) third transfer carriage (16) support structure (72) motor (17) cargo bottom platform (73) cargo mover (30) shaft ditch (75) first pair of (base) fingers (31,31’) tub (80) second pair of (base) fingers (32,32’) tub long ends (81) distal fingers (33,33’) tub short ends (82) longitudinal moving assembly (34) runners (83) jointed arms (35,35’) forklift openings (84) jointed arms (36,36’) fastening support (85) added arms (37,37’) end runner block (86) box (38) center runner block (87) inner panels (39) upper torsion spring (88) slits (40) lower torsion spring (89) slide panels (41) modular frame (90) rear finger holder (42) frame connector (91) piston (43) spring bolt (92) tube (44) adjustment nut (93) arm attachments (45) support surface (94) finger holder (46) distal part of finger (95) transfer direction (47) proximal part of finger (96) pivot pins (48) steel wire (97) mover feet (49) wire fixture (98) ditch (50) ditch floor (51) ditch rails (52) FIG.1 shows a top-view overview of a system (1) of devices (30) of the invention arranged in lanes (5) onboard a cargo deck (2) of a fishing vessel. The system as shown comprises a front cargo section (3), which is the section to the right (towards the bow) which has four lanes (5). Aft of the front cargo section is an aft cargo section (4) with eight lanes (5) which are longer and each have a length corresponding to five tubs. For simplicity the system is shown empty of any tubs. The system includes a first transverse transfer lane (11) aft of the front cargo section and a second transverse transfer lane (12) aft of the aft cargo section and a third transvers transfer lane in front of the front cargo section. Two lifts (loading and supply lifts) (7,8) are arranged in the front section of the system. The transverse transfer lanes each have a transfer carriage (13,14,15) for transferring tubs transversely across the system and for bringing tubs to a lane and aligning it with the lane so that a device (30) of an aligned lane can pull the tub from the carriage and into the lane, or, in the lanes with oppositely arranged devices (that transfer tubs in the opposite direction), the carriage can receive a tub pushed by the device and into the transverse transfer lane.

[0074] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the cargo deck in FIG. 1 , this view also includes (for the front cargo section (3)) support dividers between lanes. It also shows a carriage cage (56) mounted on the transfer carriage (13) for supporting a stack of tubs from falling sideways in the transverse transfer lane. Motors (17) are shown that drive chains (not shown) to move the transfer carriages.

[0075] FIG. 3 shows the same system as in FIG 2 but fully loaded with tubs.

[0076] FIG. 4 depicts the transfer carriage (11 ,13,14) with a carriage cage (56). The carriage cage has open sides towards the lanes, parallel to its wheels (55). On top of the cage are to connectors (58), configured in this embodiment as rollers, that help keep the carriage top part aligned as the rollers engage with an upper rail (57) that is seen in FIG. 17.

[0077] FIG. 5 shows a top-view overview of a similar system (1) of the invention onboard cargo deck (2) of a fishing vessel. The system as shown comprises a front cargo section (3), which is the section to the right (towards the bow) which has four cargo lanes (5) with a length corresponding to four tubs. Aft of the front cargo section is an aft cargo section (4) with eight cargo lanes (5) and a length of five tubs. For simplicity the system is shown empty of any tubs and cargo movers are not shown.

[0078] In the lower right corner of the front cargo section (3) (starboard side, towards bow) is a pair of loading and supply lifts (7,8). The loading and supply lifts in this configuration each has a fork or platform for lifting a tub or stack of tub from beneath. Between the front cargo section and aft cargo section is a first transverse transfer lane (11) with a first transfer carriage (13). Aft of the aft cargo section (4) is a second transverse transfer lane (12) with a second transfer carriage (14). In the front of the front cargo section on the port side of the loading and supply lifts (7,8) is a short third transverse transfer lane (15) with a third transfer carriage (16), only across the two cargo lanes (5c, 5d) next to the cargo lanes with the lifts (5a, 5b). Between adjacent cargo lanes are support dividers (60). On the floor of the cargo lanes (5) are cargo lane rails (6) extending along the cargo lanes, dimensioned to fit under runners (83) of tubs (80). In the starboard side cargo lane (5) of the aft cargo section (4) is arranged a cargo shaft (70) with a cargo cage (71) for unloading from the cargo deck stacks of tubs by lifting the cargo cage (71) with an external crane. The transfer carriages (13,14,15) comprise a platform (54) which can comprise, as shown here, runners dimensioned to receive and fit under the runners (83) of tubs (80) or alternatively a plate. The carriages further each comprise a vertical support member, here configured as a carriage cage (56), to provide vertical support for stacks of tubs Running above and along the transverse transfer lanes (11 ,12) are upper rails (57) that engage with top connectors (58) of carriage cages (56) of the transfer carriages (13,14,15).

[0079] FIG. 6 shows a sideview of the system from FIG. 5. This figure illustrates how the transverse transfer lanes (11 ,12) are placed in ditches (50) that extend below the main floor of the cargo deck, typically by about 20-25 cm. Along the walls (59) of the ditches are ditch rails (52) in which wheels (55) of the respective carriage fit and are guided by.

[0080] FIG. 7a illustrates how cargo cage (71) is lifted up through the cargo shaft (70) with an external crane (not shown) such as a ship crane of the vessel. FIG. 7b shows the cargo cage (71) that fits within the cargo shaft. The cargo cage has a bottom platform to hold a tub or stack of tubs, which can be similar to the platforms of the transfer carriages (13,14,15) with runners fitting under runner boards (bottom boards) on the runners of tubs except that the cargo cage needs no wheels as it is only meant for up-and-down movement. Under the cargo shaft is a depressed footprint area, a shaft ditch (75) to accommodate the bottom platform (73) of the cage, so that when the cage sits in the shaft ditch, tubs can be moved through the cargo shaft and cargo cage along the cargo lane with the cargo shaft. The cargo cage has vertical support structures (72) for supporting long ends (81) of stacked tubs (80) in the cargo cage and is further preferably equipped with locking flaps (not shown) that are configured so that when the cage is in a lowered position sitting in the cage ditch (as it would generally when the vessel sails), the locking flaps are in an open position to allow tubs to move along the cargo lane through the cage, but as the cage is lifted off the floor the flaps move to a closed position hindering tubs from moving out of the cage (sliding or tipping over).

[0081] FIG. 8a shows a transfer carriage (13) in the first transverse transfer lane (11) between the front (3) and aft (4) cargo sections. The carriage (13) has wheels (55) that fit in and are guided by ditch rails (52) that run along the walls (59) of the ditch (50) of the transverse transfer lane (11). The carriage (13) has a carriage platform (54) on which the lower-most tub would sit and a carriage cage (56) that provides vertical support for a stack of tubs in the carriage. On the top of the carriage cage (56) is a top connector (58) that engages with an upper rail (57) fastened to the ceiling (not shown) of the cargo deck. The transfer carriage by itself is shown in FIG. 8b.

[0082] FIGS. 9a and 9b show a cargo mover (30) comprising a longitudinal moving assembly which is based on a hydraulic jack that has a piston (43) and a tube (44), the tube being secured to the cargo floor with a fastening support (85) whereas the piston is fixedly attached to a modular frame (90) of the assembly, with attached finger holders (42). Each finger holder (46) holds a pair of lower fingers (31 ,31 ’) and a pair of upper fingers (31. Each finger is held by a pivoting pin that is fastened to the finger holder. A proximal part of each finger is joined to a tension spring, thus the lower fingers are joined to lower tension springs (89) and the upper fingers joined to upper tension springs (88), with steel wires (97). The tension springs interact with the fingers so that their default position is an extended position, with the fingers extending transversely to the device, beyond the tub bottom space width of tubs (80) suited for the device. The figures show the lowermost parts of tubs, i.e. parts of the runners of the tubs but the main part of the tubs are not shown. Thus, there are shown runner boards (83) and the blocks connected the runner boards to the tub, end runner blocks (86) and center runner blocks (87), where the indications a, b, c refer to different tubs (i.e. 83a, 86a 87a are parts of the same tub). The tub runner boards sit on lane rails (6), along which the tubs can be moved by the device.

[0083] In FIG. 9a the jack of the device is contracted so that the device is in its most aft position. In this position the rear end of the device, i.e. part of rear finger holder (42) extends aft of the lane rails (6) to a tub (a) which is placed rear of the device and aligned with the device. The rear fingers (33) extend into forklift openings of the tub a and can thereby pull the tub, by pushing on its end blocks (86a), in the direction into the lane of the device (to the right, in the figure), as the jack is extended. In FIG. 1 b the device has moved, by extending the piston (43) of the jack and now the tub a is fully in the lane. Aft of the lane is a transfer carriage (13) (its lower parts), with a carriage platform (54) and wheels (55).

[0084] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of the device and shows how the device is arranged between parallel lane rails (6).

[0085] FIG. 11 shows a view where an upper plate of the finger holder (46) is removed exposing the fingers, which are in extended position. The upper finger (33) has a distal part (extended part) (95) and a proximal part (96). The proximal part meets a support surface (94). The steel wire (91) from the tension spring (88) is bent around the finger to a wire fixture (98) on the finger. Thus, when the device moves forward (to the right in the fig.) the distal part (95) of the finger pushes on the end block (86a) and the support surface (96) stops the finger from turning further clockwise. The support surface (96) is preferably arranged with a dampener to reduce noise when the fingers pivot from retracted position to extended position. The lower finger has a corresponding fastening arrangement with a lower tension spring (89). Both tension springs (upper and lower) are each fastened with a bolt (92) and has an adjustment nut (93). The lower finger (31) interacts with the runner board (83b) of the next adjacent tub.

[0086] FIG. 12 exposes a lower layer to show more clearly the lower finger and its interaction with the tub, the parts of the device in the height of the upper fingers and above are not shown. The lower finger (31) distal part (95) meets the end of the runner board (83b) that rests on lane rail (6). The finger can pivot on pivot pin (48). The lower tension spring (89) is joined via steel wire (91) to the proximal part (96) of the finger, such that when the dive moves in the rear direction (to the left in the fig.) and the finger meets resistance, it can pivot to a retracted position, stretching the tension spring, when the resistance is removed, the spring pulls the finger to the extended position, until the proximal part meets the support surface (94) that stops the finger.

[0087] FIG. 13 shows an end-view of a tub (80) placed in a lane with lane rails (6) on top of and engaged with a device (30). Upper fingers (33,33’) are positioned at a height to engage with forklift openings (84) of the tub (80) whereas lower fingers (31 , 3T) can engage with runner boards (83) of a tub. It is shown how the lane rails (6) in this embodiment lift the tubs off the lane floor. The runner boards (83) of the tub sit on the lane rails (6) and the same steel profile form bottom rails (67) that are fastened to the cargo deck. Supports (49) support the finger holders. In this view the upper fingers (33) are in extended position whereas the lower fingers (31) (behind the upper fingers in this view) are folded to retracted position.

[0088] The device is fastened to the lane floor by means of a fastening support (85) that is fixed to the tube (44) of the jack of the moving assembly of the device.

[0089] FIGS. 15a and 15b show another embodiment of cargo mover (30) comprising a longitudinal moving assembly which is based on a hydraulic jack that has a piston (43) and a tube (44), the tube being secured to the cargo floor whereas the piston is fixedly attached to inner panels (39) of the assembly. Slide panels (41) are fixed to the outside of the inner panels, where the slide panels (41) are preferably from nylon or the like strong plastic material to give low friction movement relative to outer panel walls of box (38) (removed in FIG. 5b) that encloses the inner panels and slide panels. Jointed arms (35,35’) are attached to the inner panels (39) with arm attachments (45) that are aligned with slits (40) on the box (38). As the piston (43) extends in its movement direction (47) it moves the inner panels (39) along with the arm attachments (45) fixed thereto. With the first approx. 10 cm of movement of the piston (43) and inner panels, the jointed arms (35, 35’, 36, 36’) act to make the fingers (31 , 3T, 32, 32’) pivot around pivot members (48) so that the fingers pivot into an extended position, as will the distal fingers (33,33’). When the arm attachments (45) have moved with the inner panels (39,41) to reach the end of the slits (40) the box (38) moves along together with the finger holders (42,46). During this second phase of movement the fingers will push tubs that they interact with. FIG. 5b shows the cargo mover without the box (38) and the lids of the finger holder (46) and distal finger holder (42), to show the interior of the cargo mover.

[0090] The FIGS. 15a-b further show the different height of the base fingers (lower fingers) (31 , 3T, 32,32’) and rear fingers (upper fingers) (33,33’), as the base fingers are positioned to push the bottom boards of the runners of tubs and the height of the distal fingers, which are higher up, positioned to engage with forklift openings in the runners of tubs and push (pull) a tub that way.

[0091] FIG. 3a shows an end-view of a tub (80) placed in a cargo lane (5) on top of and engaged with a cargo mover (30). The distal fingers 33,33’) are positioned at a height to engage with forklift openings (84) of the tub (80) whereas base fingers (32,32’) engage with runner boards (bottom boards) of the runners (83) of a tub. In this view, the distal fingers are engaged with forklift openings of the shown tub further back from the front end (82) of the tub being shown and the base fingers that seen, which are the most distal base fingers of the shown cargo mover (other base fingers are not visible in this view) would push the next tub in front of this tub (hidden behind the tub shown in this view). It is seen how the cargo lane rails (6) lift the tubs off the cargo lane floor. The runners (83) of the tub sit on the cargo lane rails (6). In this embodiment the cargo lane rails (6) are made from the same shaped steel plate as the next cargo lane rail (6) in the next adjacent cargo lane, and mover rails (67) that guide movement of the cargo mover which has feet (49) which are preferably from nylon or other strong plastic and fit in the mover rails (67). Guide profiles (65) ensure correct alignment of the tubs. Divider slots (66) are for placing the dividers (60) (not shown here).

[0092] The cargo mover is fastened to the cargo lane floor by means of a fastening support (85) that is fixed to the tube (44) of the jack of the movement assembly (34) of the cargo mover.

[0093] FIG. 3b shows the same view as 6a but the fingers in a folded (not extended) position.

[0094] The cargo mover is typically configured with a pair of base fingers (lower fingers) for each tub length of its cargo lane, for example, if a cargo lane has a length of five tubs, its cargo mover has five pair of pushing fingers, and the additional pair of distal fingers (upper fingers), that act as pulling fingers. FIG. 17a shows a bottom view of a cargo mover with five pairs of the base fingers and a pair of distal fingers, in this view the cargo mover is in its frontmost position. The tub to the far left represents a tub in the transverse transfer lane aft of this cargo lane of five tubs.

[0095] FIG 17b shows the same cargo mover now in its aft most position, where the distal end (aft end) of the cargo mover extends into the transverse transfer lane and underneath the tub which is there so that the distal pair of fingers can engage with forklift openings in the runners of that tub. And pull it into the cargo lane as the cargo mover would at the same time push the rightmost tub / stack out of the cargo lane.

[0096] Thus, FIG. 17a shows a bottom view of a cargo mover engaged with a line of tubs (80) where the jack piston (43) and movement assembly (34) is in a most extended front position. The distal finger holder (42) holds arm (not visible) for distal fingers that would engage with forklift openings and a distalmost pair of base fingers, whereas other finger holders (46) hold central base finger pairs through their respective jointed arms. The fastening support (85) is fixed to the cargo lane floor.

[0097] FIG. 17b shows the same view as 17a but with cargo mover now in an aft-most position, i.e. the piston (43) of the jack is fully retracted. In this position the fingers are all folded back, but as the jack extends to move the cargo mover in the front direction (its transfer direction) the inner panels of the movement assembly would first move (first movement phase) and thereby the fingers pivot to an extended position, and as the arm attachments (45) have moved along the slits on the outer panels / box (38) the box and finger holders move along thus moving the fingers in a translational movement and thereby also the engaged line of tubs are moved in the transfer direction.

[0098] FIG. 18 shows a slightly different embodiment of the cargo mover, sitting in lane rails. The view in FIG. 18a shows the cargo mover in an aft position, with fingers folded. FIG. 18b shows the cargo mover in a front position with fingers extended.

[0099] FIG. 19 shows the same cargo mover embodiment as in the FIGS. 18 in a perspective rear view showing in detail how the cargo lane rails (6), guide profiles (65), mover rails (67) and divider slots (66) can be advantageously configured.

[0100] As used herein, including in the claims, singular forms of terms are to be construed as also including the plural form and vice versa, unless the context indicates otherwise. Thus, it should be noted that as used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Throughout the description and claims, the terms “comprise”, “including”, “having”, and “contain” and their variations should be understood as meaning “including but not limited to” and are not intended to exclude other components.

[0101] The present invention also covers the exact terms, features, values and ranges etc. in case these terms, features, values and ranges etc. are used in conjunction with terms such as about, around, generally, substantially, essentially, at least etc. (i.e. , "about 3" shall also cover exactly 3 or "substantially constant" shall also cover exactly constant).

[0102] The term “at least one” should be understood as meaning “one or more”, and therefore includes both embodiments that include one or multiple components. Furthermore, dependent claims that refer to independent claims that describe features with “at least one” have the same meaning, both when the feature is referred to as “the” and “the at least one”.

[0103] It will be appreciated that variations to the foregoing embodiments of the invention can be made while still falling within the scope of the invention. Features disclosed in the specification, unless stated otherwise, can be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose. Thus, unless stated otherwise, each feature disclosed represents one example of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

[0104] All of the features and / or steps disclosed in the specification can be combined in any combination, except for combinations where at least some of the features and / or steps are mutually exclusive. In particular, preferred features of the invention are applicable to all aspects of the invention and may be used in any combination.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A system (1) for transferring and arranging tubs (80) in a cargo deck (2) of a vessel, in particular fish tubs in a fishing vessel, comprising: a front cargo section (3) with at least two cargo lanes (5) that lie in a direction of the vessel and that have a length of at least one tub; an aft cargo section (4) with more than two cargo lanes (5) that lie in a direction of the vessel and that have a length of at least two tubs; a pair of loading and supply lifts (7,8) configured to load the cargo deck (2) with tubs (80) into stacks of tubs to the front of the front cargo section, and to supply a processing deck above the cargo deck with tubs; a first transverse transfer lane (11) with a first transfer carriage (13) for transferring stacks of tubs along the transfer lane, in a transverse direction to the cargo deck (2), aft of the front cargo section (3) and front of the aft cargo section (4); characterised by that the system (1) comprises a second transverse transfer lane (12) with a second transfer carriage (14) for transferring stacks of tubs along the transfer lane in a transverse direction, aft of the aft cargo section (4); for each cargo lane (5) at least one cargo mover (30) is configured to move stacks of tubs (80) along said cargo lane (5) in a transfer direction towards the front or rear of the cargo lane, such that in each cargo section (3,4) there is at least one cargo lane (5) with a cargo mover (30) that moves stacks of tubs in the front direction and at least one cargo lane (5) with a cargo mover (30) that moves stacks of tubs in the rear direction; said first and second transfer carriages (13,14) are configured for receiving a stack of tubs from a cargo lane (5) which the transfer carriage has been aligned to and for allowing a stack of tubs to be removed from the transfer carriage (13,14) and into an aligned cargo lane (5); wherein each said cargo mover (30) is configured so that it can engage with a lowermost tub in a stack of tubs on a transfer carriage (13,14) in a transverse transfer lane aft of the cargo mover’s transfer direction (47) when the stack is aligned with said cargo lane (5), and pull said stack into the cargo lane (5) as the cargo mover (30) moves its stacks of tubs in its transfer direction (47).

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each cargo mover (30) is unidirectional, configured to move stacks of tubs (80) along its cargo lane (5) in either the front direction or rear direction.

3. The system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, which is configured for tubs (80) with lengthwise arranged pallet-like runners (83) arranged on the bottom of the tubs adjacent to and parallel with the long edges of the bottom of the tubs, having an open bottom space extending lengthwise between the runners defining a bottom space width, the system being configured for having said tubs (80) oriented lengthwise in said cargo lanes (5).

4. The system (1) according to claim 3, wherein each said cargo mover (30) is arranged on a cargo lane floor and fits in said open bottom space in between said runners (83) of said tubs (80) fitting the system when the tubs are positioned in the cargo lane (5) of said cargo mover (30).

5. The system (1) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein each said cargo mover (30) comprises a longitudinal moving assembly (34) with at least one first pair of joined transversely extending fingers (31 ,31 ’), said fingers configured to be pivotable such that they can pivot out in opposite directions to an extended position in which they extend beyond the bottom space width of an aligned tub (80).

6. The system (1) of claim 5, wherein each said cargo mover (30) further comprises at least one pair of rear fingers (33,33’) of the cargo mover configured so that when the cargo mover is in an aft position with its rear end extending out of the cargo lane (5) and into the transverse transfer lane (11 ,12,15) aft of the cargo mover’s transfer direction (47), the rear fingers (33,33’) extend beyond the bottom space width and are designed so that they will engage with openings (84) in the runners of a tub (80) in said transverse transfer lane which is aligned with the cargo lane, to pull said tub into said cargo lane when the cargo mover (30) moves from the aft position in its transfer direction (47).

7. The system (1) of claim 5 or 6, wherein said longitudinal moving assembly (34) of the cargo mover (30) comprises a jack such as a hydraulic jack, with a piston (43) and tube (44), one of said piston and tube acting as the moveable part and being connected to a support holding said fingers and the other of said piston or tube being connected to a fastening support (85) forming said fixed part, to be fixedly connected to said cargo storage surface.

8. The system (1) of any of claims 5 to 7, wherein said fingers are configured such that when the moving assembly (34) moves in the transfer direction, the device acts to position the fingers (31 , 3T) in the extended position, and when the moving assembly (34) moves in theopposite direction, the fingers (31 ,31’) can fold to the retracted position, or at least in case they meet resistance when moved in the opposite direction.

9. The system (1) according to claim 6, wherein said at least one first pair of fingers (31 , 3T) are arranged at a height so that they will engage with and push on bottom boards of runners of tubs (80) in the cargo lane (5) of said cargo mover (30), and said at least one pair of rear fingers (33,33’) is arranged at a height so that they will engage with fork lift openings (84) of said runners of tubs in the cargo lane.

10. The system (1) of claim 9 or 10, wherein said at least one first pair of fingers (31 , 3T) and said at least one pair of rear fingers (33,33’) are configured and joined to the device such that when the device moves opposite to its transfer direction the fingers (31 , 3T, 33, 33’) can fold back to the retracted position if they meet resistance.

11. The system (1) of claim 10, wherein each of said fingers comprises a distal part extending beyond the bottom space width in the extended position, and a proximal part located on the opposite side of the pivoting pin of the finger relative to the distal part, the proximal part being connected to a tension spring which is connected to the moving part, such that folding of the finger in to a retracted position stretches the tension spring, and upon release of resistance to movement opposite to the device transfer direction, the tension spring returns the finger back to the extended position.

12. The system (1) of any of claims 5 to 10, wherein said longitudinal moving assembly (34) comprises inner panels (39) along the axis of the cargo mover (30) with affixed at least one pair of arm attachments (45) to which are joined jointed arms (35,35’), and outer slide panels (41) with slits (40) aligned with said arm attachments (45) which allow a degree of translational movement of the arm attachments (45) within and with respect to the slits (40), the slide panels (41) being fixed to an finger holder (46) for each pair of arm attachments (45), said each finger holder (46) having pivot pins (48) on which fingers of respective arms pivot as the inner panels (39) move relative to the slide panels (41).

13. The system (1) of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a cargo shaft (70) and cargo cage (71) arranged in the aft cargo section (4), for unloading cargo tubs from the cargo deck (2).

14. The system (1) of any of the preceding claims, further comprising support dividers (60) arranged in between adjacent cargo lanes.

15. The system (1) according to claim 15, wherein said support dividers (60) hold gatekeeper flaps configured to hold back a stack of tubs from sliding or tipping into an adjacent transversetransfer lane, wherein said gatekeeper flaps are configured to allow transfer of a stack of tubs when desired.

16. The system (1) of any of the preceding claims wherein each said transfer carriage (13,14,16) comprises a carriage platform (54) for receiving and supporting a tub (80) or stack of tubs in the transverse transfer lane (11 ,12,15) of the carriage, so that the carriage (13,14,16) can move said received tub (80) back and forth along the transverse transfer lane, and preferably also at least one vertical support member.

17. The system (1) according to claim 16, wherein each said transverse transfer lane(11.12.15) is arranged in a ditch (50) at a level below the height of the cargo lane floor, forming a lower level ditch floor (51) such that the carriage (13,14,16) of each said transverse transfer lane (11 ,12,15) can move in said ditch (50) without interfering with movement of cargo movers (30) when they extend into said transverse transfer lane.

18. The system (1) of any of the preceding claims wherein each said transfer carriage(13.14.16) comprises a carriage cage (56) that provides vertical support to long ends (81) of a stack of tubs (80) in said transfer carriage.

19. The system (1) according to claims 17 and 18, wherein said transfer carriage (13,14,16) is engaged with ditch rails (52) running along the floor or walls of said ditch (50) of the transverse transfer lane of said carriage.

20. The system (1) according to any of claims 17 and 18, wherein said at least one vertical support member or carriage cage (56) extends to a top connector (58) that engages with and moves along a guide arranged above said transverse transfer lane.

Images