US 5,011,333 AGranted

Underwater pipe laying apparatus

AssigneeIntec Engineering, Inc.

InventorGlenn A. Lanan

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Vessel carried apparatus for laying a continuous metal pipe on the bottom of a body of water comprising a pipe overbending structure mounted on the end of a vessel and having a 90 degree arcuate peripheral configuration in a vertical plane extending from the water to a position overlying the vessel. Pipe engagable rollers are disposed along the arcuate periphery of the overbending structure, and an arcuate track parallel to the arcuate periphery is formed on the overbending structure. A stinger frame carries two longitudinally spaced pipe bending roller means respectively engaging the top and bottom surfaces of a continuous linear pipe formed on the vessel. The first such roller means bends the pipe to conform to a selected extent of the pipe engagable rollers, while the second roller means reversely bends the pipe to a linear configuration. The forward end of the stinger frame is horizontally pivoted to a carriage which is lockable in any selected position along the arcuate track. The rear portions of the stinger may be supported by a gantry mounted cable. The position of the stinger frame along the arcuate track determines the entry angle of the pipe into the water.

Claims20

Dependent claims

Apparatus for laying a continuous metal pipe along the bottom of a body of water from a surface vessel comprising:

means on said vessel for producing a continuous metal pipe in a substantially linear stress free condition and extending longitudinally toward one end of said vessel;
means defining a pipe overbending track structure adjacent said one end of said vessel, said overbending structure having an arcuate periphery in a vertical plane extending from a position overlying said vessel and aligned with said continuous metal pipe to said one end of said vessel;
pipe conveyor means mounted along said arcuate periphery of said overbending structure;
means on said overbending structure defining an arcuate track parallel to said arcuate periphery of said overbending structure;
carriage means movable along said arcuate track to any selected one of a plurality of positions;
a stinger frame straddling said overbending structure and having its forward end horizontally pivotally secured to said carriage means;
a first roller means carried by said stinger frame and engagable with the upper surface of said continuous pipe to bend said pipe into engagement with a selected portion of said pipe conveyor means determined by the selected position of said carriage means in said arcuate track;
a second roller means carried by said stinger frame in longitudinally spaced relationship to said first roller means and engagable with the bottom surface of said continuous pipe to reversely bend said pipe into a substantially linear configuration for discharge into the water;
and
means for selectively positioning said carriage means along said arcuate track, thereby determining the entry angle of the continuous pipe into the water.

7 more elements

Apparatus for laying a continuous metal pipe along the bottom of a body of water from a surface vessel comprising:

means on said vessel for producing a continuous metal pipe in a substantially linear stress free condition and extending longitudinally toward one end of said vessel;
means defining a pipe overbending structure adjacent said one end of said vessel, said overbending structure having an arcuate periphery in a vertical plane extending from a position overlying said vessel and aligned with said continuous metal pipe to the water at said one end of said vessel;
a plurality of horizontal pipe support rollers rotatably mounted in side by side relationship along said arcuate periphery of said overbending structure;
said overbending structure further defining a pair of laterally spaced arcuate tracks perpendicular to the axes of said rollers;
a pair of carriages respectively mounted in said arcuate tracks and movable along said arcuate tracks to any selected one of a plurality of positions;
a stinger frame straddling said overbending structure and having its forward end horizontally pivotally secured to said carriages;
a first roller means carried by said stinger frame and engagable with the upper surface of said continuous pipe to bend said pipe into engagement with a selected plurality of said horizontal rollers determined by the selected position of said carriages in said arcuate tracks;
a second roller means carried by said stinger frame in longitudinally spaced relationship to said first roller means and engagable with the bottom surface of said continuous pipe to reversely bend said pipe into a substantially linear configuration for discharge into the water;
and
means for selectively positioning said carriages along said arcuate tracks, thereby determining the entry angle of the continuous pipe into the water.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.