Gangplank safety deployment system

Abstract

A safety netting assembly for a gangplank; the gangplank being deployable between a vessel and a quay; the assembly includes stanchions pivotally connected with railings at an upper end and pivotally interconnected with a beam structure of the gangplank at a lower end; the railings being movable between a stowed position in which the railings are located adjacent to a surface of the gangplank, and a deployed position in which the railings are located at a distance vertically above the gangplank surface, and safety netting.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A safety netting assembly for a gangplank; the gangplank being deployable between a vessel and a quay; the assembly including:
 stanchions pivotally connected with railings at an upper end and pivotally interconnected with a beam structure of the gangplank at a lower end; the railings being movable between a stowed position in which the railings are located adjacent to a surface of the gangplank, and a deployed position in which the railings are located at a distance vertically above the gangplank surface, and safety netting.   
     
     
         24 . The assembly of  claim 23 , wherein the assembly further includes a safety netting deployment assembly attachable to the beam assembly and to the railings; the safety netting deployment assembly being movable between a stowed position in which the netting deployment assembly projects at least partially across the width of the gangplank, and a deployed position in which the netting deployment assembly extends between the beam assembly and the railings; the safety netting attached to elements of the netting deployment assembly. 
     
     
         25 . The assembly of  claim 23 , wherein, the safety netting is attached to upper and lower members of a scissor-like mechanism of the netting deployment assembly. 
     
     
         26 . The assembly of  claim 25 , wherein lower ends of the lower members are attached to inside surfaces of an elongate members by hinged brackets. 
     
     
         27 . The assembly of  claim 25 , wherein the upper and lower members are interconnected by hinged joints. 
     
     
         28 . The assembly of  claim 25 , wherein upper ends of the upper members are each provided with a sleeve element; the railings passing through the sleeve elements of respective scissor-like mechanisms at each side of the gangplank as a free sliding fit. 
     
     
         29 . The assembly of  claim 28 , wherein the sleeve elements are connected to the upper ends of the upper members by hinged joints. 
     
     
         30 . The assembly of  claim 23 , wherein the safety netting is formed of first lengths of chain parallel to the railings and second lengths of chain crossing the first lengths at right angles; the first lengths and the second lengths interconnected at their intersections to form a flexible, substantially rectangular mesh. 
     
     
         31 . The assembly of  claim 30 , wherein apertures of the substantially rectangular mesh measure no greater than 190 mm on the diagonal. 
     
     
         32 . The assembly of  claim 23 , wherein the mesh of the safety netting is formed of one or more series of lower and upper panels along each side of the gangplank; lower panels attached to lower members of the scissor-like mechanisms and upper panels attached to upper members of the scissor-like mechanisms. 
     
     
         33 . The assembly of  claim 24 , wherein stanchions are urged into rotation about their pivot axles when a railing is moved longitudinally relative the beam structure of the gang plank. 
     
     
         34 . The assembly of  claim 33 , wherein the longitudinal movement of the railing raises the railing from the stowed position when moved in a first direction and lowers the railing from the deployed position when moved in a second direction. 
     
     
         35 . The assembly of  claim 33 , wherein the panels of the safety netting are brought into a substantially vertical plane relative the gangplank when the railing has been raised to the deployed position. 
     
     
         36 . A method of deploying railings and safety netting on a gangplank; the method including the steps of:
 lowering the gangplank from a stowed position towards a quay,   pulling the railings longitudinally relative the gangplank surface to rotate stanchions from a stowed position into a raised position normal to the gangplank surface, securing the railings in the raised position, and   wherein the rotation of the stanchions brings the safety netting into a deployed position in which the safety netting substantially fills space between the gangplank and the railings.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the safety netting is comprised of first lengths of chain generally parallel to the railings when in the raised position, and second lengths of chain at right angles to the first lengths to form a flexible rectangular mesh. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein panels of the safety netting is supported by scissor-like mechanisms disposed along each side of the gangplank. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the scissor-like mechanisms each include an upper member and a lower member; the lower member attached to sides of the gangplank by a hinged bracket; a sleeve element at an upper end of the upper member allowing passage of a railing as a free sliding fit.