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US 4,789,269 AGranted
Winged pipelaying
AssigneeShell Oil Company
InventorsRay R. Ayers, Frans Kopp
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Subsea pipelay is accomplished by flying the pipestring underwater with the use of wings which provide sufficient lift to maintain the pipestring off bottom as it is towed.
Claims11
An apparatus for towing at least one submerged pipeline above-seabed comprising:
- tow means attached to the pipeline;
- and
- at least one wing attached to the pipeline and positioned to provide lifting force to the pipeline when the pipeline is being towed, said wing being rotatable from a substantially perpendicular alignment to a substantially lateral alignment with the pipeline in a non-towing mode.
A method for towing at least one submerged pipeline above-seabed comprising:
- attaching tow means to the pipeline;
- and
- providing at least one wing secured to said pipeline and rotatable to provide lifting force to the pipeline as the pipeline is towed;
- and
- rotating said wing from being substantially perpendicularly aligned to being substantially laterally aligned with the pipeline in a non-towing mode.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.