Barge transportation system and refurbishing system and method of transporting and refurbishing barges

Abstract

A transportation system and method of transferring a barge from a waterway and to a refurbishing system. The transportation system includes transport systems that move the barge out of water and onto to a position away from the water, then moves the barge into the refurbishing system. The transport systems then move the refurbished barge back into the water.

1 . A refurbishing system for refurbishing a barge, the system, comprising:
 a covered blast system having a blast media storage container which stores abrasive media, the covered blast system further having a blast media discharge system in communication with the blast media storage container, the blast media discharge system comprising a plurality of blast discharge nozzles which are configured to discharge the abrasive media against an exterior surface of the barge;   a reclamation system in communication with the blast media discharge system, the reclamation system having a collector and a recycler, wherein the collector receives the abrasive media after the abrasive media has been discharged against the exterior surface of the barge and wherein the recycler accepts the collected abrasive media from the collector and moves the collected abrasive media to the blast media storage container for reuse of the collected abrasive media;   and a transportation system, the transportation system having rails and at least one wheeled support, the rails being positioned within the covered blast system, the at least one wheeled support being operatively connected to the rails and being configured to support the barge, the transportation system being configured to move the barge through the covered blast system.   
     
     
         2 . A refurbishing system for refurbishing a barge having a length of about 100-450 feet (about 30 to about 135 meters), a width of about 30-75 feet (about 9 to about 23 meters), and a depth of about 8-30 feet (about 2.5 to about 9 meters), the system comprising:
 a covered blast area having a blast media storage container which stores abrasive media, the covered blast area further having a blast media discharge system in communication with the blast media storage container, the blast media discharge system being configured to discharge the abrasive media against an exterior surface of the barge thereby to blast and to clean said exterior surface of the barge;   a covered coating area having a supply of coating and a coating discharge system, the coating discharge system being configured to discharge the coating onto the blasted exterior surface of the barge; and   a transportation system operatively connected with the covered blast area and operatively connected with the covered coating area, the transportation system comprises a first transport system, a second transport system and a third transport system, the first transport system includes at least one first wheeled support that runs on inclined rails extending into a waterway beneath a barge positioned thereabove, said first wheeled support being configured to contact and to support the barge and to move the barge out of the waterway as said first wheeled support is moved up said inclined rails, the second transport system including at least one second wheeled support that is configured to support and to move the barge away from said waterway on a second set of rails generally parallel to said inclined rails to an on-land position, the third transport system including at least one third wheeled support that is configured to move the barge on a third set of rails generally perpendicular to said second set of rails to the covered blast area in a level orientation for blasting the exterior sides and bottom of the barge by said blast media discharge system, said third transport system further moving said barge to the covered coating area for coating the sides and bottom of the barge.   
     
     
         3 . The refurbishing system of  claim 2  wherein the transportation system further comprises a drive system that operatively moves the first transport system, the second transport system and the third transport system. 
     
     
         4 . A method of refurbishing a barge, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) laterally moving the barge from a waterway up an embankment to a position on-land;   (b) thereafter longitudinally moving the barge into an enclosed abrasive blast area, the blast area comprising a blast media discharge system;   (c) producing relative movement between the barge and the blast media discharge system;   (d) causing the blast media discharge system to discharge blast media into contact with sides of the barge; and   (e) automatically controlling at least one of the steps (c) and (d).   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein step (e) causes the blast media discharge system to discharge blast media in a predetermined pattern on the sides of the barge. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the blast media discharge system discharges blast media into contact with a bottom of the barge. 
     
     
         7 . A refurbishing system for refurbishing a barge on land, the system comprising:
 a covered blast system positioned on land, the covered blast system having a blast media storage container that stores abrasive media, the covered blast system further having a blast media discharge system in communication with the blast media storage container, the blast media discharge system comprising a plurality of blast discharge nozzles;   a transportation system having rails leading to and within the covered blast system, the transportation system being configured to move the barge on said rails into the covered blast system wherein the plurality of blast discharge nozzles discharge the abrasive media against an exterior surface of the barge; and   a reclamation system in communication with the blast media discharge system, the reclamation system having a collector and a recycler, wherein the collector receives the abrasive media after the abrasive media has been discharged against the exterior surface of the barge and wherein the recycler accepts the collected abrasive media from the collector and moves the collected abrasive media to the blast media storage container for reuse of the collected abrasive media.