Quick-release mooring apparatus for floating vessels

摘要

An improved platform-mounted apparatus for holding and rapidly releasing a flexible load line (38) having the proper­ties of a wire rope comprises wedge gripper means (100) for holding the line up to a tensile force substantially equal to the breaking strength of the line. The gripper means comprise a grip frame (54, 60, 62) for mounting to the platform (10) and a pair of opposed grip wedges (74). A grip body (102) has seating surfaces which taper toward each other such that motion of the grip wedges (74) into the taper of the seating surfaces (78) causes the opposed grip wedges to wedge together to en­gage the line (38) and motion out of the taper of the seating surfaces causes release of the line. Release means connected to the pair of grip wedges (74) and the grip body (102) posi­tively move the grip body (102) relative to the grip wedges (74) to cause line release. When the wedge gripper means is combined with a winch means (40) for mounting to a platform, with the winch means having the ability to draw in and hold the line (38) up to a tensile force less than the breaking strength of the line, the combined apparatus can draw in, hold, pay out and rapidly release a mooring line.