Mooring device
United States Patent Mesnet et al.  
 1 Apr. 15, 1975 1 MOORING DEVICE [75] Inventors: Gerard Mesnet, London, England;  
 Georges Dadon, Kremlin Biceire, France; Raymond Le Guennee, Lorient, France; Philippe Remon-Beauvais, Ris Organgis, France; Yann Pivet; Armand Le Luherne, both of Lorient, France [7 3] Assignee: Etat Francais represente par le Delegue Ministresiel pour IArmement, Paris, Armies, France [22] Filed: Mar. 28, 1973 [2]] Appl. No.: 345,744  
 { 30] Foreign Application Priority Data Apr, 19, 1972 France 72113713 [52] US. Cl. 244/115 [51] Int. Cl B641 1/12 [58] Field of Search 404/35; 248/36] R; 52/180, 52/581;29/19l.4;244/115,116,114 R, 110 E, 17.17; 114/435 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,326,963 8/1943 Morton 52/180 2,377,648 6/1945 Prince 52/581 2,403,456 7/1946 Pitcairn... 244/115 UX 3,502,286 3/1970 Warren 244/115 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,253,269 1/1961 France 244/l7.l7  
 [57] ABSTRACT A mooring device for receiving and securing mooring hooks or clamps used in mooring loads such as helicopters to a platform, such a ships deck, subject to instability, includes an upper perforated plate adapted to receive a mooring hook without sliding, and a lower or base support structure which provides overall resistance to impact loading. A matrix of upright supporting columns join the perforated plate to the base. The portions of the upper platform defining the perforations are preferably of semicircular shape in cross section and this construction, together with the elimination of flat areas between the perforations, ensures rapid engagement with the mooring hook.  
 7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures SLiiUEQfZ FIG 4 FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to mooring devices for receiving and securing mooring hooks or clamps used in mooring loads to a platform. The invention is particularly adapted for use in mooring wheeled vehicles and helicopters to an unstable platform such as the deck of a ship.  
 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The mooring or securing of a load such as a wheeled vehicle to an unstable surface. such as the deck of a ship, presents a number of obvious problems. These problems are exaggerated in mooring a helicopter or other V.T.O.L. vehicles since substantially instantaneous mooring is required to ensure safe docking of the craft.  
  A number of different devices have been used for this purpose. reference is made to US. Pat. No. 3,303,807 (Stewart et al.) for a good discussion of these devices. Insofar as the present invention is concerned, of most interest are those devices which employ a grid or bar structure which is adapted to be engaged by a mooring hook suspended from the helicopter or other load to be secured. It will be appreciated that in order to provide the rapid mooring required it is necessary to provide a large number of mooring points over the platform area to ensure that some of these mooring points will be convenient to a mooring hook. Such an approach weakens the overall platform structure and produces heavy stress concentrations in the platform framework. A further disadvantage of these devices concerns the tendency of the mooring hook or clamp to slip or even to become unhooked or unlatched.  
  Two prior art devices of interest are particularly designed for providing rapid mooring of a helicopter to the deck ofa ship. The first ofthese is a bulky and complex device which includes two horizontal cleats which lock in a pin mounted under the helicopter and suffers obvious disadvantages regarding cost. handling and maintenance. The second device includes a plate or dish covered by a grid formed by rows of cylindrical bars adapted to be gripped perpendicular to their longitudinal axes by a pair of hooks provided on a hooking device or harpoon&#34; suspended from the helicopter. Because of weight limitations on the helicopter. the dimensions ofthe hooking device must be relatively small and it is difficult to utilize bars in the grid of a corresponding size which will provide support approaching that of the deck. i.e.. sufficient to safely support the weight of the helicopter. Moreover. the arrangement also requires that (l the hooking device be capable of swiveling over an angle of 90 in either direction so as to permit correct positioning of the hooking device relative to the bars when coupling is to take place at an angle relative to the longitudinal axes of the bars. (2) the hooks or barbs of the hooking device must be of a special shape to permit the necessary rotation referred to above when the device is inserted aslant. i.e.. at an angle. between the bars. and (3) there is a risk of the hooking device merely sliding along the longitudinal axis of a bar rather than making engagement.  
  Reference is made to US. Pat. Nos. 3,075,73l (Bennett et al.). 3.151.826 (Michel) and 3.559.927 (Baekken) for a further discussion of prior art mooring techniques although it will be understood that the listing provided is in no way represented. or intended. to be exhaustive.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention, a mooring device is provided which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art discussed above. The device provides a tensile or compressive support strength which is at least equal to the platform framework and enables mooring to take place without sliding of the hooking device. Further. the mooring device of the invention permits the use of a non-swivelling or only slightly swivelling hooking device.  
  According to a preferred embodiment thereof. a mooring device is provided for receiving and securing a mooring hook or clamp which comprises an upper perforated plate for engaging the mooring hook and a lower support structure for supporting the plate. The support structure includes a base framework and a plurality of support columns which extend upwardly from the base framework to support the plate. The base framework is preferably formed by a plurality of T- shaped sections which are welded together to form a support matrix. The mooring device is preferably mounted in a recess or cavity in the platform, e.g., the deck of a ship, to which the load is to be moored, so that the plate is level or flush with the platform.  
  The perforations or holes are preferably circular and are flared at the top and bottom to aid in providing rapid gripping and secure holding of the mooring hook. The portions of the perforated plate defining the perforations are curved so that there are substantially no flat surfaces between the perforations presented to the hook.  
  Other features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in, or apparent from. the detailed description of a preferred embodiment found hereinbelow.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section view of a mooring device in accordance with the invention as incorporated in the landing platform on the deck of a ship;  
  FIG. 2 is a plan view of the mooring device of FIG. I, with the lower one half broken away to show the support structure;  
  FIG. 3 is a detail ofthe drilling and making of the perforated plate of FIG. 2;  
  FIG. 4 is a section view taken along line A-A of FIG. 3;  
  FIG. 5 is a plan view similar to that of FIG. 3 illustrating the relative locations of the support columns; and  
  FIG. 6 is a section view taken along line B-B of FIG. 5.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, a mooring device in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the invention is generally denoted 10. The mooring device is mounted in a deck cavity or recess 12 in the deck I4 of a ship, both cavity 12 and deck 14 being shown in phantom. An annular support flange 16 extending inwardly from the side walls of deck cavity 12 serves in mounting and supporting the mooring device I0 in spaced relationship to the remainder of cavity 12, as illustrated. Also shown in phantom in FIG. 1 are two different types of aircraft, viz., a helicopter 18 shown in chain lines and a transport plane 20 shown in dashed lines. Both crafts are indicated as being supplied with a hooking device 22. The hooking device 22 shown in FIG. 1 includes a pair of guide members 22a and 22b and a pair of clamps 220. It will be understood that the hooking device can take a number of other, different forms and that the device illustrated is merely exemplary.  
  Referring to FIGS. 2 to 6. together with H6. 1, as illustrated. the mooring device comprises an upper perforated plate 24 which includes a plurality of circular holes 26 drilled therein. It will be appreciated that holes 26 will weaken the plate 24 and hence prevent the plate from safely withstanding the impact of a helicopter landing thereon or from even resisting repeated heavy loading. in accordance with an important aspect of the invention this stressing of plate 24 is relieved or neutralized by a resisting framework 27 formed by a network or matrix of T-shaped sections 28 and a series of upright rodlike columns or pillars 30. As perhaps can best seen in FIG. 6, columns 30 are secured to T- shaped sections 28 by suitable means such as welded or bolted brackets, and to plate 24 in the remaining areas which define the holes 26, the latter being accomplished. for example. by screw fitting the ends of the columns 30 into corresponding bores in the plate 24. The T-shaped sections 28 are weld&#39;assembled and the resulting structure is laterally welded to a ring or annulus 32 which is bolted to plate 24. Plate 24 and support columns 30 are all preferably constructed of stainless steel to prevent corrosion. This approach is be seen to the use of anticorrosion films in that the latter are relatively ineffective due to the damage to which they are subject during landing of the aircraft and from the hooking device itself.  
  As can best be seen in FIG. 2, the holes 26 in plate 24 are arranged so that the centers thereof correspond to the apexes of equilateral triangles formed thereby, thus providing what might be considered a system of bars disposed in positions corresponding to sides of hexagons. This arrangement serves in ensuring that the barbs of the hooking device are almost instantaneously engaged by the holes 24 without sliding of the hook thereover. it is noted that while holes 26 are shown to be circular other universally symmetrical shapes such as triangles and hexagonal can be used. As shown in FIG. 4, as well as FIG. 6 for a slightly different embodiment. the portions of the plate 24 defining the holes 26 are specially shaped to ensure that there is no flat section between three holes arranged in a triangle, thus ensuring that the barbs or guiding points of the hooking device will be automatically directed into a hole 26 when the hooking device touches the plate 24. Specifically. the holes 24 are flared at the top. as well as at the bottom, as illustrated, so that the portions of the plate 24 defining the holes are of semi-circular shape and thus. overall, the connecting portions are of roughly the ellipsoidal or tear drop shape shown in FIG. 6. The flaring of the holes at the bottom enables ready securing of the booking device to the plate. The construction discussed above permits the use of hooks which do not swivel at all and, in any event, of hooks which need only swivel a maximum of 30 in order for the hook to catch or engage the plate 24.  
  The mooring device of the invention is generally ap plicable for use in any situation where a machine or other load. and, in particular, a wheeled vehicle is to be rapidly moored to an unstable platform, without the risk of the mooring hook slipping and with the maintenance of the strength and integrity of the platform structure. The device is particularly useful in providing automatic mooring of a helicopter to the deck of a ship and to rapid engagement and securing of other loads, such as trucks or rolling stock, to the deck of a ship without the necessity of adjusting the length of the mooring slings.  
  Although the invention has been described relative to an exemplary embodiment it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations and modifications may be effected in this exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.  
 We claim:  
  1. A mooring device for engaging and holding a mooring hook or clamp secured to a load to be moored on an unstable platform, such as helicopter upon landing on the deck ofa ship, said mooring device comprising an upper perforated plate including a plurality of holes for engaging a said mooring hook and lower support means for supporting the platform so as to increase the loading strength thereof. said holes being flared at the top and the bottom as viewed in cross section and said support means including a base framework and a plurality of upright support columns which extend upwardly from said base framework to support said plate.  
  2. A mooring device as claimed in claim I wherein said framework comprises a matrix formed from a plurality of T-shaped sections.  
  3. A mooring device as claimed in claim I wherein said mooring device is secured to the platform and the plate is level with the remainder of the platform.  
  4. A mooring device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said holes in said plate are circular.  
  5. A mooring device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said holes are arranged in a hexagonal pattern.  
  6. A mooring device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the portions of the plate defining the holes are curved so that there are substantially no flat portions of the plate between the holes.  
  7. A mooring device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said columns are secured to the portions of said plate defining holes, said plate and said columns being constructed of stainless steel.