System for placing freshly mixed concrete on the seafloor
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsRobert D. Rail, Harvey H. Haynes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A means for placing freshly mixed concrete on the ocean floor at great des. A pipeline is grossly positioned by a ship whereas the position of the submerged end is controlled by guide wires, water jets, props, etc. The discharge device at the end of the pipeline includes a slip joint, a tank flooded with seawater to maintain the pipe end submerged a certain distance in the concrete, and an expansion chamber where the velocity of the concrete being discharged is reduced. Deflector means at the pipe end directs the concrete laterally and negates the vertical lift component of the discharging concrete.
Claims14
A system for placing freshly mixed concrete on the seafloor at great depths, comprising:
- a. a surface platform means;
- b. a pipeline means extending from said surface platform means to the seafloor for transferring concrete mix from said surface platform means to the seafloor;
- c. A discharge means at the seafloor end of said pipeline means;
- d. said discharge means comprising:
- a telescoping slip joint means which accommodates a portion of the seafloor end of said pipeline means and operates as a heave control for allowing vertical movement of the pipeline means therein while decoupling the discharge means from any vertical motion of said pipeline means;
- an expansion chamber where velocity of concrete mix flowing through the pipeline means is reduced;
- a discharge end, from which flowing concrete mix from said pipeline means is discharged;
- a deflector means for directing downward flowing concrete mix to a horizontal flow, and which negates the vertical lift component of discharging concrete mix;
- a means positioned about said discharge means for maintaining said discharge end at a desired fixed depth of burial in a mound of discharged concrete;
- e. said discharge means operable for controlling the placement of concrete mix on the seafloor, and on objects and structures in the vicinity of the seafloor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.