Articulated joints for deep water installations

An articulated joint for a deep water installation in which two structural members are connected so as to afford limited pivotal movement between the members, the joint comprising replaceable flexible tendons connecting the structural members with a clearance between the members, each said tendon terminating at each end in a cylindrical member that is entered, at a mounting station associated with the relevant structural member, in a tubular portion of a tendon anchorage there being access from the interior of one only of the structural members to that end of each of said tendons that is connected to this structural member and each said tendon being releasably held fast at this end by a screw-threaded member mounted on said cylindrical member at this end of the tension, disposed in fluid-tight manner with respect to this structural member, the mounting station for each tendon in this structural member being adapted to have fitted at it a pressure bottle for containing the tendon whilst maintaining the fluid-tight sealing relationship of the tendon with the structural member;

• and each tendon at its other end being made releasably fast with the other of the structural members by the engagement of an anchor head carried by the tendon with an anchor block fast with the other structural member, this engagement being effected or released by actuation of a drive connected thereto that passes along the tendon from said one only of the structural members;
• removal of the tendon from the joint being effected, with the pressure bottle fitted and the tendon released at its other end from the other structural member by actuating said drive member, by pressurizing the bottle, releasing said one end of the tendon, and depressurizing the bottle to permit the tendon to enter the bottle;
• there being a tendon extension at the other end of the tendon which is arranged to enter into fluid-tight sealing relationship with the last-mentioned structural member, when entry of the tendon into the pressure bottle is completed, thereby permitting removal of the tendon and the bottle from the tendon extension and fitting of a replacement tendon to the tendon extension.

An articulated joint for a deep water installation in which two structural members are connected so as to afford limited pivotal movement between the members, the joint comprising replaceable flexible tendons connecting the structural members with a clearance between the members, each said tendon terminating at each end in a cylindrical member that is entered, at a mounting station associated with the relevant structural member, in a tubular portion of a tendon anchorage there being access from the interior of one only of the structural members to that end of each of said tendons that is connected to this structural member and each said tendon being releasably held fast at this end by a screw-threaded member mounted on said cylindrical member at this end of the tendon, disposed in fluid-tight manner with respect to this structural member, the mounting station for each tendon in this structural member being adapted to have fitted at it a pressure bottle for containing the tendon whilst maintaining the fluid-tight sealing relationship of the tendon with the structural member;

• and each tendon at its other end being made releasably fast with the other of the structural members by the engagement of an anchor head carried by the tendon with an anchor block fast with the other structural member;
• this engagement being effected or released by rotating the entire tendon;
• removal of the tendon from the joint being effected, with the pressure bottle fitted and the tendon released at its other end from the other structural member by rotating the entire tendon, by pressurizing the bottle, releasing said one end of the tendon, and depressurizing the bottle to permit the tendon to enter the bottle;
• there being a tendon extension at the other end of the tendon which is arranged to enter into fluid-tight sealing relationship with the last-mentioned structural member, when entry of the tendon into the pressure bottle is completed, thereby permitting removal of the tendon and the bottle from the tendon extension and fitting of a replacement tendon to the tendon extension.

An articulated joint for a deep water installation in which two structural members are connected so as to afford limited pivotal movement between the members, the joint comprising replaceable flexible tendons connecting the structural members with a clearance between the members, each said tendon terminating at each end in a cylindrical member that is entered, at a mounting station associated with the relevant structural member, in a tubular portion of a tendon anchorage there being access from the interior of one only of the structural members to that end of each of said tendons that is connected to this structural member and each said tendon being releasably held fast at this end by a screw-threaded member mounted on said cylindrical member at this end of the tendon, disposed in fluid-tight manner with respect to this structural member, the mounting station for each tendon in this structural member being adapted to have fitted at it a pressure bottle for containing the tendon whilst maintaining the fluid-tight sealing relationship of the tendon with the structural member;

• and each tendon at its other end being made releasably fast with the other of the structural members by the engagement of resiliently-loaded keys with a key way;
• this engagement being released by the actuation of ram means operated by supplying pressure flud through a bore in the tendon;
• removal of the tendon from the joint being effected, with the pressure bottle fitted and the tendon released at its other end from the other structural member by actuating said ram means by pressurizing the bottle, releasing said one end of the tendon, and depressurizing the bottle to permit the tendon to enter the bottle;
• there being a tendon extension at the other end of the tendon which is arranged to enter into fluid-tight sealing relationship with the last-mentioned structural member, when entry of the tendon into the pressure bottle is completed, thereby permitting removal of thetendon and the bottle from the tendon extension and fitting of a replacement tendon to the tendon extension.

An articulated joint for a deep water installation in which two structural members are connected so as to afford limited pivotal movement between the members, the joint comprising replaceable flexible tendons connecting the structural members with a clearance between the members, each said tendon terminating at each end in a cylindrical member that is entered, at a mounting station associated with the relevant structural member, in a tubular portion of a tendon anchorage there being access from the interior of one only of the structural members to that end of each of said tendons that is connected to this structural member and each said tendon being releasably held fast at this end by a screw-threaded member mounted on said cylindrical member at this end of the tendon, disposed in fluid-tight manner with respect to this structural member at a mounting station adapted to have fitted at it a pressure bottle for containing the tendon whilst maintaining the fluid-tight sealing relationship of the tendon with the structural member;

• the other end of the tendon being made releasably fast with the other of the structural members by the engagement of resiliently-loaded arms with a key way;
• there being a tendon extension at this other end formed as a cap that can engage the arms to overcome their resilient-loading and hold them clear of said key way;
• this cap being actuated by supplying pressure fluid through a bore in the tendon;
• removal of the tendon from the joint being effected, with the pressure bottle fitted and the tendon released at its other end from the other structural member by actuating said cab to engage said arms, by pressurizing the bottle, releasing said one end of the tendon, and depressurizing the bottle to permit the tendon to enter the bottle;
• said tendon extension at the other end of the tendon being arranged to enter into fluid-tight sealing relationship with the last-mentioned structural member, when entry of the tendon into the pressure bottle is completed, thereby permitting removal of the tendon and the bottle from the tendon extension and fitting of a replacement tendon to the tendon extension.