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OwnerHeinrich Waasinventor
Estimating the term…
A method of deflecting ice for protecting upright legs of stationary or floating marine structures such as marine offshore drilling platforms or the like against drift ice by suspending a heavy mass along the leg of the structure in the vicinity of the water surface and oscillating this mass so that the oscillating mass periodically hits ice adjacent the leg of the structure whereby the oscillations of the mass are generated within the oscillating mass and the resultants of the active and reactive forces and the center of gravity of a semi-cross-sectional area of the oscillating mass substantially coincide along a vertical line spaced from and substantially parallel to the leg of the structure. The ice deflector assembly includes an annular or U-shaped oscillating body suspended about the leg of the protected structure, the body housing internal oscillation generating means for generating vertical and/or horizontal oscillations of the body.
A method of deflecting ice from an upright column-like member submerged in water and forming part of a stationary or a floating structure in marine areas in which the occurrence of ice may be expected, comprising supporting a deflector having upwardly and downwardly directed deflecting surfaces about an individual column, adjusting the deflector vertically to locate the deflecting surfaces thereof in the range of the ice around the column-like member, wherein the improvement comprises generating oscillations within the deflector for oscillating the deflector in the upward and downward direction for movement relative to and separate from the column-like member, and elastically suspending the deflector about the column-like member so that the oscillating action of the deflector is not transmitted to the column-like member.
An ice deflector assembly for use with upright columns of stationary or floating structures submerged in marine areas in which the occurrence of ice may be expected, said deflector assembly comprising a deflector member positioned in at least partially encircling relationship about one of the columns, means for movably supporting the deflector member for movement in the upright direction and for positioning the deflector member in the upright direction for locating it in the range of the ice located about the columns, wherein the improvement comprises that said deflector is freely movable in all directions in the operating state, means for elastically suspending said deflector about the column which it at least partly encircles, and means incorporated within said deflector for oscillating said deflector in the vertical direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.