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US 5,855,178 AGranted
Taut leg mooring system
AssigneeAker Marine, Inc.
InventorsJohannes Jacobus Treu, Peter George Scott Dove
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A taut leg bow mooring system includes an anchor positionable on the floor of the sea. A riser line is normally secured to and extends upwardly from the anchor, and a submerged buoy is secured to the end of the riser line remote from the anchor. A line extends upwardly from the submerged buoy to a surface buoy. A mooring line is pivotally connected in the line extending from the submerged buoy to the surface buoy.
Claims10
A taut leg bow mooring system comprising:
- an anchor producing an anchoring force sufficient to remain the anchor fixed on the water body floor under predetermined maximum riser line tension;
- a riser line normally secured to and extending from the anchor;
- means for releasably connecting the riser line to the anchor;
- a submerged buoy secured to the upper end of the riser line, said submerged buoy positioned substantially below the surface of the water body both when the mooring system is connected to a vessel and when said mooring system is not connected to a vessel, said submerged buoy having a first predetermined buoyancy sufficient to maintain the riser line in tension and in a substantially vertical position when said mooring system is not connected to a vessel, thereby minimizing flexure wear of a lower portion of the riser line;
- a line having a proximate end secured to the submerged buoy and extending therefrom;
- a surface buoy positioned on the surface of the water and having a second predetermined buoyancy sufficient to prevent submergence of the surface buoy at a maximum vessel offset, said surface buoy secured to a distal end of the line connected to and extending from the submerged buoy, said surface buoy adapted to float on the surface of the water body;
- and
- a mooring line pivotally connected in the line connected between the submerged buoy and the floating buoy.
5 more elements
A taut leg buoy mooring system comprising:
- an anchor producing an anchoring force sufficient to maintain the anchor fixed in place relative to the water body floor under predetermined maximum riser line tension;
- a riser line normally secured to and extending from the anchor and including a chain section proximate to the anchor;
- a side entry chain receptacle mounted on the anchor for normally engaging the chain portion of the riser line to releasably secure the riser line to the anchor;
- a submerged buoy comprising an air-filled steel cylinder secured to the end of the riser line remote from the anchor, said submerged buoy position substantially below the surface of the water body both with the mooring system that is connected to a vessel and when the mooring system is not connected to a vessel, said submerged buoy having a first predetermined buoyancy sufficient to maintain the riser line in tension in a substantially vertical position when the mooring system is not connected to a vessel, thereby minimizing flexure wear of the lower portion of the riser line;
- a line having a proximate end secured to the submerged buoy and extending therefrom;
- a surface buoy positioned on the surface of the water and having a second predetermined buoyancy sufficient to prevent submergence of the surface buoy at maximum vessel offset, said surface buoy secured to the distal end of the line connected to and extending from the submerged buoy, said surface buoy adapted to float on the surface of the water body;
- a triangularly shaped plate connected in line extending between the submerged buoy and the surface buoy;
- a pair of swivels each connected between the line extending between the submerged buoy and the surface buoy and apex of the triangularly shaped plate for permitting pivotal movement of the triangularly shaped plate relative to the submerged and surface buoys without causing twisting of the line extending therebetween;
- a mooring line connected to the third apex of the triangularly shaped plate and including a floating hawser at the distal end thereof;
- means for maintaining a portion of the mooring line extending between the triangularly shaped plate and the floating hawser at a predetermined level below the surface of the water body.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.