Hydraulic
pocketing passerelle
suitable
for boarding with a motorized wheelchair.
~ Continued
To
comfortably accommodate the motorized wheelchair
the passerelle was designed
with a minimum walking-surface width of 28.5”
(72cm) and a clear width between the stainless
steel rail stanchions of 30.0” (76cm).
The configuration of the passerelle would provide
boarding to the stern of the vessel as well
as to the starboard side of the yacht. To achieve
this, the passerelle was designed to slew a
total of 90-degrees, 20-degrees to port and
70-degrees to starboard. To facilitate boarding
in the most diverse circumstances it was decided
that this passerelle must be able to be self-supporting,
capable of being used without support from wheels
on the dock. The structure of the passerelle
supports 600-pounds (272-Kgs) applied to the
end of the plank with a very minimal amount
of plank-end deflection.
The
car section of the passerelle was extended to
create a landing area prior to reaching the
slewing section.
Integrated into this landing area we fit a hydraulically
actuated ramp section 70” (1.6-m) long
that automatically elevates asymmetrically so
that the forward leading edge of the ramp configures
to interface with the camber of the main deck.
This design eliminated the uncomfortable step
from the inboard-side of the ramp to the deck
had the ramp elevated level side-to-side. The
passerelle includes a second hydraulic telescoping
section that extends the plank to its total
deployed length of 23.6-feet (7.19-meters).
Additionally, a manually deployed ramp folds
out of the end of the passerelle providing an
additional 36” (91cm) of length and a
gentle self-adjusting transition from the plank
to the dock. 3-M black non-skid walking surfaces
were selected in lieu of traditional teak decking
to enhance the wheelchair’s ability to
find traction on the inclined surfaces.
The
passerelle includes an owner’s wireless
controls that permit an operator to adjust the
luff and slew positions from the dock. As with
all passerelles we build, this passerelle utilizes
our self-aligning technology to deploy and stow
from the enclosure reliably without the use
of unreliable electrical proximity switches
or sensors. Dual hydraulic cylinders on both
the luffing and slewing functions position the
passerelle for transport with repeatable precision.
A hydraulic sequence ensures that the passerelle
is aligned within the enclosure prior to deployment.
The passerelle drives itself in and out of the
enclosure with a self-propelled drive system
independent of the enclosure. This is a safety
system that permits the passerelle to move within
the enclosure in the event of plank-end contact.
Ultimately the passerelle was built to be ultimately
safe and very reliable.
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