Offshore drilling platform protection device

On an offshore oil well drilling vessel including a drilling platform supportable on a plurality of extendable legs, wherein each leg is moved by a rack gear assembly which includes an otherwise exposed first gear which engages a second gear positioned in a housing, protective device, comprising:

• first and second protective sections adapted for mounting over such first gear, which is mounted on a shaft extending through a back wall, said protective sections being adapted for mounting adjacent to second gear housing, which second gear housing includes an opening on one corner thereof in which opening is positioned a portion of such first gear for meshing engagement with said second gear;
• said first protective section being generally semi-circular in configuration and including front and rear walls connected by a first arcuate rim to form a generally semi-circular configuration, said front and rear walls and first rim having edge portions cooperating to form a first cover section opening;
• said second protective section being generally semi-circular in configuration and including front and rear walls connected by a second arcuate rim to form a generally semi-circular configuration, said front and rear walls and second rim having edges cooperating to provide a second cover section opening for cooperating with said first cover section opening to provide an L-shaped opening to be positioned adjacent to the corner opening of such second gear rectangular housing;
• protective section connection means mounted with said first and second cover sections for connecting said cover sections together over the first gear;
• and
• mount means for mounting said first and second protective sections onto such first gear back wall.