Marine Gangway and a Marine Structure Comprising Such a Marine Gangway

Abstract

A marine gangway has a tower adapted for attachment to a marine structure, rotatably about a tower rotational axis extending in a longitudinal direction of the tower. The tower has a tower aperture and at least one tower doorway arranged below and/or above the tower aperture where the tower aperture and the at least one tower doorway is adapted for people and/or goods to pass through. The marine gangway includes a gangway device comprising a gangway platform attached to the tower movably in the longitudinal direction of the tower, and a gangway rotatably attached to the gangway platform. The marine gangway further comprises a lift arranged inside the tower movable in the longitudinal direction of the tower. The lift has a lift doorway adapted to align with the tower aperture and with the at least one tower doorway as the lift moves in the longitudinal direction of the tower.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A marine gangway ( 18 ), comprising:
 a tower ( 20 ) comprising a main bearing ( 15 ) and being configured to be rotatably mounted to a deck ( 11 ,  12 ,  13 ) of a ship ( 10 ) via said main bearing ( 15 ) to allow the tower ( 20 ) to rotate about a tower rotational axis (A) extending in a longitudinal direction of the rotatable tower ( 20 ), the tower ( 20 ) being provided with a tower aperture ( 25 ) and at least one tower doorway ( 26 ) arranged one or both of below and above the tower aperture ( 25 ), the tower aperture ( 25 ) and the at least one tower doorway ( 26 ) being adapted for one or both of people and goods to pass through,   a gangway device ( 32 ) comprising a gangway platform ( 34 ) attached to the tower ( 20 ) movable in the longitudinal direction of the tower ( 20 ), and a gangway ( 42 ) rotatably attached to the gangway platform ( 34 ),   a lift ( 28 ) arranged inside the tower ( 20 ) movable in the longitudinal direction of the tower ( 20 ), the lift ( 28 ) being provided with a lift doorway ( 29 ) adapted to align with the tower aperture ( 25 ) and with the at least one tower doorway ( 26 ) as the lift ( 28 ) moves in the longitudinal direction of the tower ( 20 ).   
     
     
         23 . The marine gangway ( 18 ) according to  claim 22 , wherein
 the gangway platform ( 34 ) comprises a support platform ( 36 ) movably attached to the tower ( 20 ) in the longitudinal direction of the tower ( 20 ), and an attachment platform ( 39 ) rotatably attached to the support platform ( 36 ), and   the gangway ( 42 ) is rotatably attached to the attachment platform ( 39 ).   
     
     
         24 . The marine gangway ( 18 ) according to  claim 23 , wherein the attachment platform ( 39 ) is rotatably attached to the support platform ( 36 ) about an attachment platform rotational axis (B) substantially parallel to the rotational axis (A) of the tower ( 20 ). 
     
     
         25 . The marine gangway ( 18 ) according to  claim 24 , wherein the gangway ( 42 ) is rotatably attached to the attachment platform ( 39 ) about an axis (C or D) which lies in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis (B) of the attachment platform. 
     
     
         26 . The marine gangway ( 18 ) according to  claim 23 , wherein the gangway ( 42 ) is rotatably attached to the attachment platform ( 39 ) about an axis (C or D) which lies in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis (B) of the attachment platform. 
     
     
         27 . The marine gangway ( 18 ) according to  claim 23 , wherein the gangway ( 42 ) is rotatably attached to the attachment platform ( 39 ) about two independent axes (C, D), of which at least one axis (C) lies in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis (B) of the attachment platform. 
     
     
         28 . The marine gangway ( 18 ) according to  claim 23 , wherein the support platform ( 36 ) comprises a support platform floor ( 37 ) and the attachment platform ( 39 ) comprises an attachment platform floor ( 40 ), the support platform floor ( 37 ) and the attachment platform floor ( 40 ) being substantially level. 
     
     
         29 . The marine gangway ( 18 ) according to  claim 22 , wherein the tower aperture ( 25 ) is elongated and extends in the longitudinal direction of the rotatable tower ( 20 ). 
     
     
         30 . The marine gangway ( 18 ) according to  claim 22 , wherein the gangway device ( 32 ) is movable in the longitudinal direction of the tower ( 20 ) at least partly along the tower aperture ( 25 ). 
     
     
         31 . The marine gangway ( 18 ) according to  claim 22 , wherein the gangway ( 42 ) comprises a first gangway section ( 44 ) and a second gangway section ( 45 ), the second gangway section ( 45 ) being telescopically arranged in or on the first gangway section ( 44 ). 
     
     
         32 . The marine gangway ( 18 ) according to  claim 22 , wherein the gangway ( 42 ) is rotatable to a stowed position where the gangway ( 42 ) extends in the longitudinal direction of the tower ( 20 ). 
     
     
         33 . The marine gangway ( 18 ) according to  claim 22 , wherein the gangway platform ( 42 ) is one or both of rollingly and slidably attached to the rotatable tower ( 20 ). 
     
     
         34 . The marine gangway ( 18 ) according to  claim 22 , wherein the rotatable tower ( 20 ) and the lift ( 28 ) rotate together about the tower rotational axis (A). 
     
     
         35 . The marine gangway ( 18 ) according to  claim 22 , wherein the tower ( 20 ) and the gangway device ( 32 ) rotate together about the rotational axis (A) of the tower ( 20 ). 
     
     
         36 . The marine gangway ( 18 ) according to  claim 22 , wherein the tower ( 20 ) is provided with a sail device ( 48 ) which is retractable to a storage position and expandable to an active position. 
     
     
         37 . The marine gangway ( 18 ) according to  claim 22 , wherein the rotatable tower ( 20 ) is mounted to the main bearing ( 15 ) such that the rotational axis (A) of the tower ( 20 ) is substantially vertical when the deck ( 11 ,  12 ,  13 ) lies in a horizontal plane. 
     
     
         38 . The marine gangway ( 10 ) according to  claim 37 , wherein said deck of the ship ( 10 ) is the main deck ( 11 ) of the ship ( 10 ). 
     
     
         39 . The marine gangway ( 18 ) according to  claim 22 , wherein the tower ( 20 ) and gangway ( 42 ) have two substantially vertical and parallel rotational axes for operation of the gangway, a tower rotational axis A for the tower ( 20 ) which can be rotated 360 degrees relative to the ship ( 10 ), and an attachment platform rotational axis B for the gangway ( 42 ) which is arranged to be operated within a further rotational range of up to 260 degrees relative to the rotatable tower ( 20 ). 
     
     
         40 . The marine gangway ( 18 ) according to  claim 22 , further comprising sensors that register:
 a position of the tower ( 20 ) relative to the ship ( 10 ) comprising the rotational position of an attachment platform ( 39 ) about an attachment platform rotational axis (B),   the position of the gangway ( 42 ) relative to the attachment platform ( 39 ) comprising the rotational position of the gangway ( 42 ) about one or both of a first gangway rotational axis C and a second gangway rotational axis D, and   an extension of a telescopic gangway section or sections ( 45 ) comprising the total length of the gangway ( 42 ).   
     
     
         41 . The marine gangway ( 18 ) according to  claim 40 , further comprising a control system signally connected to said sensors and which controls and adjusts said positions of the rotatable tower ( 20 ), support platform ( 36 ), attachment platform ( 39 ), gangway ( 42 ) and the length of the gangway ( 42 ) such that an outer end portion of the marine gangway ( 18 ) is kept at a desired position when the ship ( 10 ) moves.