Gimbal for J-Lay pipe laying system
OwnerBenton F. Baughinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for laying a pipeline from a floating vessel onto the ocean floor in relatively deep ocean water in which a gimbal means provides two degrees of angular freedom of the working table and mast which separates the forces of the pipelines to be supported into vertical and horizontal components and provides separate mechanisms to support the vertical and horizontal components of the pipeline forces.
Claims20
An apparatus for gimballing and supporting the tensile and/or compressive loads of a pipeline being lowered from a near vertical angle from a floating vessel with a mast to a near horizontal position along a sea floor, comprising
- a lower member
- with a vertically cylindrical portion of an internal cylindrical diameter and
- support areas for a multiplicity of jacks,
- a working table comprising
- attachment areas for a multiplicity of jacks, and
- having a truncated-spherical member of a spherical diameter depending therefrom,
- said spherical diameter fitting within said internal cylindrical diameter for vertical guidance of said truncated-spherical member and therefore of said working table,
- a multiplicity of jacks between said lower member and said working table, each of said multiplicity of jacks
- being independently adjustable in vertical height,
- having a slip plane allowing at least 2 degrees of horizontal freedom, and
- having a gimbal,
- the slope of the upper surface of said working table and therefore said mast being adjustable in 2 angular degrees of freedom by the adjustment of said multiplicity of jacks.
An apparatus for gimballing and supporting the tensile and/or compressive loads of a pipeline being lowered from a near vertical angle from a floating vessel with a mast to a near horizontal position along a sea floor, comprising
- a lower skid
- with a vertical portion with an internal cylindrical diameter and
- support areas for a multiplicity of jacks,
- a working table
- supporting a mast,
- having attachment areas for each of a multiplicity of jacks, and
- having a truncated-spherical member of a spherical diameter depending therefrom,
- said spherical diameter fitting within said internal cylindrical diameter for vertical guidance of said truncated-spherical member and therefore said working table,
- a multiplicity of jacks between said lower skid and said working table, said jacks
- being independently adjustable in vertical height,
- the slope of the upper surface of said working table and therefore said mast being adjustable in 2 angular degrees of freedom by the adjustment of said multiplicity of jacks
- such that said pipeline lowered from said vessel toward said sea floor can be lowered at an angle other than vertical.
An apparatus for gimballing and supporting the tensile and/or compressive loads of a pipeline being lowered from a near vertical angle from a floating vessel to a near horizontal position along a sea floor, comprising
- a lower skid
- with a vertical portion with an internal cylindrical diameter and
- support areas for a multiplicity of jacks,
- a working table
- supporting a mast,
- attachment areas for a multiplicity of jacks, and
- having a truncated-spherical member of a spherical diameter depending therefrom,
- said spherical diameter fitting within said internal cylindrical diameter for vertical guidance of said truncated-spherical member and therefore said working table,
- said truncated-spherical member having a spherical center,
- each of a multiplicity of jacks between said lower skid and said working table, said jacks
- being independently adjustable in vertical height,
- having a slip plane with at least 2 degrees of horizontal freedom, and
- having a jack gimbal with at least 2 degrees of angular freedom,
- each said jack gimbal having a spherical center,
- said spherical centers of said jack gimbals and said spherical center of said truncated-spherical member being proximately in a common plane,
- the slope of the upper surface of said working table being adjustable in 2 angular degrees of freedom by the adjustment of said multiplicity of jacks
- such that said pipeline lowered from said vessel toward said sea floor can be lowered at an angle other than vertical.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.