Centring Device for Anchor Handling Wire Rotation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing equipment on anchor handling boats and tugboats fails to securely manage and rotate large-diameter wires and chains during operations, leading to safety hazards due to uncontrolled rotation and potential accidents from heavy components.
Innovation Solution
A centring device with two trapezoidal steel plates driven by hydraulic cylinders, which can be raised and lowered to guide and clamp wires or chains without jaws, preventing rotation and securely holding them between tow pins and shark jaws, with a drainage system to prevent seawater ingress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional shark jaws and tow pins are used to handle large-diameter wires and chains, then the equipment can manage the cable, but the equipment cannot securely prevent rotation and control heavy components during operations
Solution Approach 1:
The centring device features movable guiding plates that can be raised and lowered to adapt to different wire diameters (50-165 mm). The device transitions from a static traditional shark jaw system to a dynamic system where the guiding plates can adjust their position and angle to securely clamp various sizes of cables, thereby improving both safety and load capacity simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The centring device acts as an intermediary component between the tow pins and shark jaws. It provides a stable clamping point that prevents wire rotation before the wire reaches the shark jaw, thereby enhancing the overall system's ability to handle heavy loads safely without requiring the shark jaw itself to perform the clamping function.
2Ease of operation
If the tow is pulled back between the winch and shark jaw to create slack for out-shackling, then components can be replaced easily, but the wire rotates due to heavy loading causing serious accidents
Solution Approach 1:
The centring device performs the preliminary action of clamping and centering the wire before it is pulled back for out-shackling operations. By securing the wire in a centered position beforehand, the device prevents rotation from occurring during the slack creation process, thereby eliminating the rotation hazard while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The centring device applies preliminary anti-action by preventing wire rotation before the harmful effect can occur. The guiding plates create friction and mechanical constraint that counteracts the rotational force generated by heavy loading during out-shackling operations, thereby neutralizing the rotation hazard in advance.
3Shape
If the centring device is level with the deck without protruding edges, then the low profile is maintained, but seawater can enter into the chest around the edges of the arms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a lid that can be opened for servicing and maintenance, creating a sealed environment when closed. This flexible covering protects the internal components from seawater ingress while maintaining the low-profile design when the lid is in place, effectively resolving the contradiction between aesthetic shape and environmental protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The drainage system extracts seawater that enters the chest through the bottom opening. By providing an active removal mechanism for water, the system tolerates the low-profile design that allows water entry while actively managing the harmful effect through extraction and removal of the intruding seawater.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The centring device effectively secures and stabilizes wires and chains of varying diameters, enhancing safety by preventing rotation and reducing the risk of accidents during anchor handling and tugboat operations, while maintaining a low profile and easy maintenance access.
Implementation Method 1
Each steel plate or arm can be moved individually by its own hydraulic cylinder
Implementation Method 2
Clearance of the chest/box is small, but seawater can enter into the chest around the edges of the arms. Therefore, it is preferred that the chest/box can be drained through the bottom
Data Source
AI summary
A system is described for handling a wire, a chain, a cable, etc. (12) onboard a vessel, comprising a number of winches (10) to pull in and let out said wire, chain, etc. (12), and also a number of tow pins (14) and shark jaws (16), mounted in an area at the stern of the vessel, and which is arranged to guide and/or to hold said wire, chain, etc. (12) that runs from or to said winches (10). The system further comprises at least one centering device (18) arranged between said tow pins (14) and shark jaws (16) and winches (10), preferably adjoining said tow pins (14) and shark jaws (16), where the centering device (18) comprises at least two guiding plates (20) that can be raised and lowered and which are arranged to guide and possibly to hold said wire, chain, etc. (12).