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US 5,486,069 AGranted
Offshore jack-up rig locking system
OwnerJohn Breedeninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fixation system which can be automatically engaged or disengaged from a remote control room as well as from a local at each fixation unit. The fixation system that uses a toothed chord chock which is vertically movable to match the elevation of the leg chord rack teeth and horizontally movable to engage the teeth of leg chord. The toothed chord chock has upper and lower inclined surfaces. A fixation system which includes an upper and lower wedge which rides on upper and lower fixed inclined surfaces. The upper and lower wedges can be moved to engage the upper and lower inclined surfaces of the tooth chock.
Claims23
A fixation system for fixing the leg of a mobile jack up drilling platform with the hull of the platform comprising:
- a) a hull having a plurality of at least three legs, each movable into different elevational positions relative to the hull so that the hull can be elevated upon the legs;
- b) jacking towers that enable the legs to be elevated and lowered and the hull to be elevated on the legs when the legs have engaged the underlying seabed;
- c) each of the legs having a longitudinal axis and a toothed rack that extends longitudinally along the leg;
- d) each of the jacking towers including means supported upon the hull adjacent each of the legs for engaging the toothed rack;
- e) upper, middle and lower actuators associated with each leg jacking tower positioned to travel between retracted and extended positions, each of the actuators having a first end portion that is connected to the jack tower and a second end portion including bearing surfaces thereon, wherein the extended position places the bearing surfaces adjacent the toothed rack;
- f) a chock member attached to the middle actuator, with a plurality of teeth thereon that correspond in shape and spacing to the teeth of the toothed rack of the leg, wherein the extended position places the chock member adjacent the toothed rack;
- g) the chock member having upper and lower bearing surfaces that correspond to the upper and lower actuator bearing surfaces respectively;
- h) wherein each leg can be fixed relative to the hull when the upper and lower actuators travel to the extended position and engage the bearing surfaces of the chock;
- and
- i) means for remotely and automatically aligning the chock teeth and leg teeth without requiring a human visual confirmation of alignment.
7 more elements
A fixation system for fixing the leg of a mobile jack up drilling platform with the hull of the platform comprising:
- a) a hull having a plurality of at least three legs, each movable into different elevational positions relative to the hull so that the hull can be elevated upon the legs;
- b) a jacking system that enables the legs to be elevated and lowered and the hull to be elevated on the legs when the legs have engaged the underlying seabed;
- c) each of the legs having a longitudinal axis and a toothed rack that extends longitudinally along the leg;
- d) the jacking system including means supported upon the hull adjacent each of the legs for engaging the toothed rack;
- e) first and second actuators associated with each leg and positioned to travel between retracted and extended positions, each of the actuators having a first end portion that is connected to the hull and a second end portion with a pair of bearing surfaces thereon that define an acute angle, wherein the extended position places the actuator bearing surfaces adjacent the toothed rack;
- f) the hull having a pair of fixed supports positioned respectively above and below the first and second actuators;
- g) a third actuator movable between extended and retracted positions, movably attached at a first end portion to the hull;
- h) a chock member attached to the third actuator, the chock member having a plurality of teeth thereon that correspond in shape and spacing to the teeth of the toothed rack of the leg, wherein the extended position of the third actuator places the chock member adjacent the toothed rack for engagement therewith;
- i) the chock member having upper and lower chock bearing surfaces that correspond to the upper and lower actuator bearing surfaces respectively;
- j) wherein one of the legs is locked relative to the hull when the chock member engages the toothed rack, and the first and second actuators travel to the extended position and engage the bearing surfaces of the respective hull fixed supports and chock bearing surfaces.
7 more elements
A fixation system for fixing the leg of a mobile jackup drilling platform with the hull of the platform comprising:
- a) a hull having a plurality of at least three legs, each leg being movable into different elevational positions relative to the hull so that the hull can be elevated upon the legs;
- b) a jacking system that enables the legs to be elevated and lowered and the hull to be elevated on the legs when the legs have engaged the underlying sea bed;
- c) each of the legs having a longitudinal axis and a toothed rack that extends longitudinally along the legs;
- d) a plurality of lock actuators associated with each leg for fixing the leg with the hull, each actuator being positioned to travel between retracted and extended positions, each of the actuators having a first end portion that is connected to the hull and a second end portion with at least one actuator bearing surface thereon, wherein the extended position places the actuator bearing surfaces adjacent the toothed rack;
- e) a chock member associated with each of the legs, the chock member having a plurality of teeth thereon that correspond in shape and spacing to the teeth of the toothed rack of the leg, the chock having first and second chock bearing surfaces;
- f) a chock actuator movable between retracted and extended posititions, the chock member being attached to the chock actuator for travel therewith between retracted and extended positions, wherein the extended position places the chock member adjacent the toothed rack for engagement therewith;
- and
- g) wherein one of the legs is locked relative to the hull when the chock member engages the toothed rack and a plurality of the lock actuators travels to the extended position and engages the first and second chock bearing surfaces with actuator bearing surfaces.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.