Tensioner pads for laying subsea pipelines and the like
AssigneeAcergy France SAS
InventorsJean-Baptiste Thierry Rougeot, Aurelien Lagache
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pad for a track-type tensioner includes an interface layer made up of a plurality of rigid elements that together define a contact face of the pad for gripping a pipeline or other elongate product supported by the tensioner in use. A substrate layer of pliant material is sandwiched between a rigid base plate and the interface layer. The flexibility of the substrate layer supports the elements of the interface layer for movement relative to each other and relative to the base plate to suit an outer shape profile of the product. For example, by virtue of pivoting or translational movement of the rigid elements relative to the base plate, the same pads can adapt to different products that have different diameters.
Claims27
A pad for a track-type tensioner comprises:
- a rigid base plate;
- an interface layer comprising a plurality of rigid elements that together define a contact face of the pad for gripping an elongate product supported by the tensioner in use, wherein the contact face of the pad is substantially planar in a rest state;
- and
- a substrate layer of pliant material sandwiched between the base plate and the interface layer, the substrate layer supporting the elements of the interface layer for movement relative to each other and relative to the base plate;
- the pad further comprising elongate gaps between adjacent elements of the interface layer, which gaps extend through the full thickness of the interface layer.
A method of holding back an elongate product being laid into water comprises:
- gripping the product with a plurality of pads of a track-type tensioner, each pad having a contact face defined by a plurality of rigid elements of an interface layer with elongate gaps between adjacent elements extending through the full thickness of the interface layer, wherein the contact face is substantially planar in a rest state;
- and
- by virtue of squeeze force applied by the tensioner to the product via the pads, moving the rigid elements relative to each other and relative to base plates of the pads to suit an outer shape profile of the product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.