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US 5,527,134 AGranted
Pipelaying vessel
AssigneeStena Offshore Limited
InventorCarlos E. Recalde
Life of this patent
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AssigneeStena Offshore Limited
InventorCarlos E. Recalde
Estimating the term…
A reel pipelaying vessel includes pipe conditioning apparatus located at its stern. The pipe conditioning apparatus includes radius control apparatus for imparting a substantially uniform curve to the pipe after it is unspooled from the reel, straightening apparatus for imparting a reverse bending force to the pipe opposite to the curvature imparted to the pipe by the reel, and an apparatus for guiding the pipe into the water after it emerges from the straightening apparatus. The pipe conditioning apparatus is pivotable about a pivot axis to adjust the pipe entry angle at which the pipe enters the water. Endless pipe conveyor apparatus is arranged around the radius control apparatus to convey the pipe over the radius control apparatus in the passage of the pipe from the reel into the pipe straightening apparatus. The position of the downstream end of the radius control apparatus is adjustable relative to the pipe straightening apparatus.
A reel pipelaying vessel comprising at least one reel for selectively spooling and de-spooling a length of pipe thereon, radius control means including pipe bearing means defining an arcuate path for imparting a substantially uniform radius of curvature to said length of pipe at least during de-spooling of said pipe from said reel in pipelaying operation of said vessel, and pipe straightening means downstream of said radius control means in the direction of de-spooling of said length of pipe from said reel in pipelaying operation of said vessel, wherein said pipe bearing means of said radius control means comprises endless pipe conveyor means mounted on said radius control means to define said arcuate path and to convey said length of pipe over said radius control means in the passage of said pipe from said reel by way of the radius control means into said pipe straightening means during pipelaying operation of the vessel.
A reel pipelaying vessel comprising at least one reel for selectively spooling and de-spooling a length of pipe thereon, radius control means for imparting a substantially uniform radius of curvature to said length of pipe at least during de-spooling of said pipe from said reel in pipelaying operation of said vessel, and pipe straightening means downstream of said radius control means in the direction of de-spooling of said length of pipe from said reel in pipelaying operation of said vessel, the position of the downstream end of said radius control means relative to said pipe straightening means being selectively adjustable along a predetermined path in the plane of said curvature imparted to said length of pipe during de-spooling of said pipe from said reel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.