Permanent mooring apparatus

A permanent mooring of the type for embedding into the sea bottom using a source of fluid pressure connected to a rigid pipe, comprising:

• a tubular body member having a nozzle arranged at one end for expelling fluid,
• connecting means for connecting said rigid pipe to said tubular body member for forcing said fluid under high pressure through said tubular body member and out said nozzle,
• a plurality of flukes hingedly attached to an exterior surface of said tubular body member and arranged to pivot outwardly from a first position in relation to said hollow tubular body to a second position, said plurality of flukes cooperating with one another in the first position to substantially surround said hollow tubular body and to form a substantially closed cylindrical surface,
• means for limiting the extent of motion of said plurality of hingedly attached flukes such that said flukes can be in said first position folded substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said tubular body member and in said second position unfolded substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said tubular body member, and
• transmitting means attached to said tubular body member and extending therefrom to the surface of the sea for transmitting tensional force, and
• release means releasably holding the plurality of flukes in said first position and responsive to said tensional force from said transmitting means for releasing the plurality of flukes from said first positon;
• wherein, upon location of said mooring adjacent the sea bottom, said fluid is expelled from said nozzle, whereupon said mooring is embedded in the sea bottom, and, upon application of said tensional force to said transmitting means, said transmitting means transmits said tensional force to said release means and said release means releases the plurality of flukes from said first position and the plurality of flukes are moved to said second position.

A permanent mooring for embedding in a sea bottom, comprising:

• a hollow tubular body having a top end and a bottom end,
• a plurality of flukes foldably attached to said body and arranged to pivot outwardly from a first position in relation to said body, said plurality of flukes cooperating with one another to substantially surround said hollow tubular body and to form a substantially closed cylindrical surface,
• release means releasably holding the plurality of flukes in the first position and capable of being operated by a tensional force,
• nozzle means arranged at said bottom end of said body for washing said mooring into the sea bottom,
• transmitting means associated with said release means for transmitting a tensional force to said release means to operate same and release the plurality of flukes from the first position and permit said plurality of flukes to pivot outwardly, and
• connection means at the top end of the hollow tubular body for receiving a pipe connected to a high-pressure fluid source for receiving and transmitting said fluid under high pressure to said nozzle means;
• wherein, upon placement of said mooring in the sea bottom, said high-pressure fluid source provides fluid under high pressure, via said pipe, to said connection means and thereby transmits said fluid to said nozzle means, whereupon said nozzle means expels said fluid under pressure to facilitate embedding of said permanent mooring in the sea bottom;
• and
• wherein, upon application of said tensional force to said transmitting means, said transmitting means transmits said tensional force to said release means to release said plurality of flukes from said first position and permit said plurality of flukes to pivot outwardly;
• and
• said permanent mooring further comprising stop means associated with said plurality of flukes for preventing said plurallity of flukes from pivoting outwardly more than a predetermined distance.