Walkways for platforms on offshore marine structures
AssigneeDuron Systems, Inc.
InventorJ. Donald Lower
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A walkway for extending between a pair of adjacent platforms on offshore marine structures including a pair of slidable sections having floors or decks which overlap each other. Interfitting support members which extend along opposed sides of the sliding sections support the slidable sections for sliding movement.
Claims21
A walkway for extending between a pair of adjacent platforms mounted for substantial relative movement within a moon pool of an offshore production facility, said walkway comprising:
- a pair of sliding walkway sections mounted for relative sliding movement for extending between the adjacent platforms and for sliding relative to each other upon relative movement of said platforms;
- a side beam extending along each side of each of said pair of walkway sections;
- a connecting member on an end of each walkway section for connecting the associated walkways section to an adjacent selected platform, each connecting member comprising a tubular member on an outer extending end of each sliding walkway section arranged for receiving a supporting rod mounted on an adjacent platform;
- a support rod secured to said side beam on one of said pair of walkway sections;
- and
- a bearing secured to said side beam on the other of said pair of walkway sections receiving said support rod for slidably mounting said walkway sections.
A walkway of extending between a pair of platforms mounted for substantial relative movement, said walkway comprising;
- a pair of sliding walkway sections mounted for relative sliding movement for extending between a pair of adjacent platforms and for sliding relative to each other upon relative vertical movement of said platforms, said walkway sections each having a beam along each side thereof, each beam having a rod and a bearing member supported by the rod, the rods on one walkway section being received within and supported for sliding movement by the bearing members on the other walkway section;
- a pair of connecting members for connecting each of said sliding sections to an adjacent selected platform;
- and
- each connecting member comprising a tubular member on an outer extending end of each sliding section arranged for receiving a rod mounted on an associated platform.
An offshore marine structure having an upper platform with a moon pool therein, a plurality of wellhead assemblies in said moon pool including wellhead platforms positioned adjacent wellheads within the moon pool, and a walkway extending between a pair of selected wellhead platforms so that workmen may walk between said pair of selected platforms;
- said walkway comprising:
- a pair of walkway sections mounted for relative sliding movement for extending between said pair of selected platforms, said sections mounted in sliding relative to each other upon relative vertical movement between said pair of selected platforms;
- and
- a connecting member for connecting each of said sliding sections to an adjacent selected platform.
A method for releasably connecting a walkway beween a pair of adjacent marine structures arranged for movement relative to each other comprising:
- providing a walkway having a pair of slidable walkway sections mounted for relative sliding movement to each other for extending between the pair of adjacent marine structures;
- providing on an extending end of each of said sliding walkway sections a tubular member extending for substantially the entire width of the walkway section;
- mounting a supporting rod within the tubular member on each walkway section with the supporting rod being in supporting relation to the adjacent marine structure;
- and
- releasably connecting the extending ends of said supporting rod to the adjacent marine structure on each of the walkway sections thereby to detachably connect the walkway to a pair of adjacent marine structures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.