Compact and reusable shipping attachments for securing heavy machinery on a deck

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10059249-B2
Application number	US-201615243045-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2016
Priority date	Aug 22, 2016
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

An assembly for securing machinery such as a gas turbine on a deck includes a first block unit configured to restrict vertical displacement of the machinery relative to the deck, and a second block unit configured to restrict axial and lateral displacement of the machinery. The first block unit includes a base block securable to the deck and an attachment block secured to the base block. The second block unit is engageable with the machinery base.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly for securing machinery on a deck, the machinery having a machinery base, the assembly comprising:
a first block unit configured to restrict vertical displacement of the machinery relative to the deck, the first block unit including a base block securable to the deck and having an upwardly facing support surface, and an attachment block secured to the upwardly facing support surface and extending axially beyond a boundary of the base block such that the attachment block is configured to extend over the machinery base; and
a second block unit configured to restrict axial and lateral displacement of the machinery and securable to the deck, the second block unit including a through-hole and a pin positioned in the through-hole, wherein the pin is extendable into the machinery base, wherein the second block unit comprises a top half piece with a downwardly facing groove therein and a bottom half piece with an upwardly facing groove therein, the downwardly facing groove and the upwardly facing groove defining the through-hole, wherein the top half piece and the bottom half piece are connected to each other with at least one connecting bolt extending through the top half piece and the bottom half piece.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the base block of the first block unit comprises an end wall extending upwardly above the support surface, and wherein the attachment block is secured to the end wall and extends axially over the end wall.

3. An assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the attachment block comprises a base section secured to the base block and a height adjusting section secured to the base section, the height adjusting section extending axially beyond the boundary of the base block and being height adjustable to accommodate varying machinery base heights.

4. An assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the height adjusting section comprises a first part engageable with the machinery base, a second part positioned over the first part, and a connector connected between the first part and the second part, wherein an upper surface of the first part comprises an incline and a lower surface of the second part comprises a reverse incline defining a two-part wedge, and wherein a height of the height adjusting section is a function of a relative axial position of the first part and the second part.

5. An assembly for securing machinery on a deck, the machinery having a machinery base, the assembly comprising:
a first block unit configured to restrict vertical displacement of the machinery relative to the deck, the first block unit including a base block securable to the deck and having an upwardly facing support surface, and an attachment block secured to the upwardly facing support surface and extending axially beyond a boundary of the base block; and
a second block unit configured to restrict axial and lateral displacement of the machinery and securable to the deck, the second block unit including a through-hole and a pin positioned in the through-hole, wherein the pin is extendable into the machinery base, wherein the base block of the first block unit comprises an end wall extending upwardly above the support surface, and wherein the attachment block is secured to the end wall and extends axially over the end wall, wherein the attachment block comprises a base section secured to the base block and a height adjusting section secured to the base section, the height adjusting section extending axially beyond the boundary of the base block and being height adjustable to accommodate varying machinery base heights, and wherein the base section of the attachment block is secured to the support surface with a first connector and is secured to the end wall with a second connector.

6. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one connecting bolt is sized to extend into the deck.

7. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the second block unit further comprises a strip member that is positioned across at least a portion of a through-hole opening.

8. A shipping configuration for securing machinery on a deck using the assembly defined in claim 1 , wherein the first block unit is welded to the deck, and wherein the second block unit is secured to the deck with at least one connecting bolt extending through the second block unit into the deck.

9. A shipping configuration according to claim 8 , wherein the machinery base includes a front end piece, a back end piece, and side pieces connected between the front end piece and the back end piece, the shipping configuration comprising four of the first block unit, two each engaging the front end piece and the back end piece respectively, and two of the second block unit, one each engaging the side pieces, respectively.

10. An assembly for securing machinery on a deck, the machinery having a machinery base including a front end piece, a back end piece, and side pieces connected between the front end piece and the back end piece, the assembly comprising:
a pair of first block units configured to restrict vertical displacement of the machinery relative to the deck, the first block units each including a base block securable to the deck and adjacent the front end piece and the back end piece of the machinery base, respectively, and an attachment block secured to the base block and extending axially over the front end piece and the back end piece, respectively, such that the attachment block is configured to extend over the machinery base; and
a pair of second block units configured to restrict axial and lateral displacement of the machinery and securable to the deck, each of the second block units being respectively engageable with one of the side pieces of the machinery base.

11. An assembly according to claim 10 , comprising two pairs of the first block units, one pair each securable adjacent the front end piece and the back end piece of the machinery base, respectively.

12. An assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the base block of the first block unit comprises an upwardly facing support surface, and wherein the attachment block is secured to the upwardly facing support surface and extends axially beyond a boundary of the base block.

13. An assembly according to claim 12 , wherein each of the second block units comprises a through-hole and a pin positioned in the through-hole, wherein the pin is extendable into the machinery base.

14. An assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the base block of the first block unit comprises an end wall extending upwardly above the support surface, and wherein the attachment block is secured to the end wall and extends axially over the end wall.

15. An assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the attachment block comprises a base section secured to the base block and a height adjusting section secured to the base section, the height adjusting extending axially beyond the boundary of the base block and being height adjustable to accommodate varying machinery base heights.

16. An assembly according to claim 15 , wherein the height adjusting section comprises a first part engageable with the machinery base, a second part positioned over the first part, and a connector connected between the first part and the second part, wherein an upper surface of the first part comprises an incline and a lower surface of the second part comprises a reverse incline defining a two-part wedge, and wherein a height of the height adjusting section is a function of a relative axial position of the first part and the second part.

17. An assembly according to claim 15 , wherein the base

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Reddy Asani Likhith
• Venugopal Setty Dinesh
• Mills Jeffrey Patrick

Classifications

• F02C7/20

  Mounting or supporting of plant; Accommodating heat expansion or creep · CPC title

• B63B25/28

  for deck loads · CPC title

• F16M7/00

  Details of attaching or adjusting engine beds, frames, or supporting-legs on foundation or base; Attaching non-moving engine parts, e.g. cylinder blocks (elastic or equivalent mounting for absorbing vibrations F16F, especially F16F15/04) · CPC title

• B60P7/135 Primary

  Securing or supporting by load bracing means · CPC title

• B60P3/00

  Vehicles adapted to transport, to carry or to comprise special loads or objects (ambulances or other vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances A61G3/00; hearses A61G21/00; fire-fighting land vehicles A62C27/00; refuse-collecting vehicles B65F3/00, B65F7/00; snow-removing vehicles E01H; armoured or armed vehicles F41H7/00; self-propelled mine-clearing vehicles F41H11/16) · CPC title