Back to results
US 5,533,834 AGranted
Pipelay stinger
AssigneeStena Offshore Limited
InventorCarlos E. Recalde
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeStena Offshore Limited
InventorCarlos E. Recalde
Estimating the term…
A reel pipelaying vessel includes pipe conditioning apparatus at its stern. The pipe conditioning apparatus includes a radius control device 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 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. A stinger assembly is located at the downstream end of the pipe conditioning apparatus, extending sternwards of the vessel, and arranged to further increase the entry angle of the pipe after it exits the pipe conditioning apparatus. The stinger is curved and is provided with a series of pipe supporting rollers or pipe supporting endless conveyors apparatus.
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, wherein said radius control means and said pipe straightening means are both mounted on a common support means, said common support means being coupled to the remainder of said vessel in a manner allowing said common support means to be controllably inclined with respect to a nominal or actual horizontal, characterised in that said vessel includes a pipelay stinger means extending sternwards of said vessel and being located downstream of said radius control means and said straightening means in the direction of de-spooling of said length of pipe from said reel in pipelaying operation of said vessel, said pipelay stinger means being arranged to increase the launch angle of said length of pipe, relative to said nominal or actual horizontal, from said vessel in pipelaying operation of said vessel.
A method of operating a reel pipelaying ship which includes radius control means and pipe straightening means both mounted on a common support means which may be controllably inclined with respect to a nominal or actual horizontal in order to increase the launch angle of a length of pipe laid by said vessel, relative to said nominal or actual horizontal, in pipelaying operation thereof, said method being characterised in the steps of providing a pipelay stinger means extending sternwards of said vessel, and laying said length of pipe by way of said pipelay stinger means, having arranged said pipelay stinger means to increase said launch angle relative to said nominal or actual horizontal.
A curved pipelay stinger means characterised in that said curved pipelay stinger means is formed as a cantilever mounting an endless pipe conveyor means disposed along the length of said cantilever to present pipe-supporting contact points therealong which collectively define the curve of said curved pipelay stinger means.
The pieplay stinger means of cliam 19, wherein said endless pipe conveyor means comprises an endless chain of mutually pivotally linked pipe supporting elements, said elements being slidably mounted on an upper surface of said pipelay stinger means, said endless chain being suspended beneath said upper surface to complete the path of said endless pipe conveyor means around said pipelay stinger means.
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, wherein said radius control means and said pipe straightening means are both mounted on a common support means, said common support means being coupled to the remainder of said vessel in a manner allowing said common support means to be controllably inclined with respect to a nominal or actual horizontal, characterised in that said vessel includes a pipelay stinger means extending sternwards of said vessel and being located downstream of said radius control means and said straightening means in the direction of de-spooling of said length of pipe from said reel in pipelaying operation of said vessel, said pipelay stinger means being arranged to increase the launch angle of said length of pipe, relative to said nominal or actual horizontal, from said vessel in pipelaying operation of said 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, wherein said radius control means and said pipe straightening means are both mounted on a common support means, said common support means being coupled to the remainder of said vessel in a manner allowing said common support means to be controllably inclined with respect to a nominal or actual horizontal, characterised in that said vessel includes a pipelay stinger means extending sternwards of said vessel and being located downstream of said radius control means and said straightening means in the direction of de-spooling of said length of pipe from said reel in pipelaying operation of said vessel, said pipelay stinger means being arranged to increase the launch angle of said length of pipe, relative to said nominal or actual horizontal, from said vessel in pipelaying operation of said vessel;
A curved pipelay stinger means characterised in that said curved pipelay stinger means is formed as a cantilever mounting an endless pipe conveyor means disposed along the length of said cantilever to present pipe-supporting contact points therealong which collectively define the curve of said curved pipelay stinger means;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.