Abstract: A fixing member comprising a tie bar (4) having an expandable buffer (5) mounted thereon, the buffer being surrounded by a split ring (14) which is shorter than the length of said buffer (5), said expandable buffer bearing against an endpiece (6) linked to one end of the tie bar, and a nut (11) being screwed onto the opposite end of the tie bar to compress the expandable buffer (5) axially, thereby causing both the buffer and the split ring (14) to expand radially, the fixing member being characterized in that the inside surface of the split ring (14) has a helical groove (17).

Abstract: The invention provides a method of acting remotely on a site, such as a damaged nuclear power station. It consists in placing lengths of waveguide end-to-end by means of at least one carriage which is remotely controlled by the line of waveguide lengths implemented in this way, the carriage being provided with handling equipment for laying purposes and with at least one robot arm for connecting the lengths of waveguide together under the control of a control station including a signal generator and a signal receiver, which line is laid to the site that is to be inspected and optionally treated.

Abstract: A device for compensating a vibration force uses four rotating weights with parallel rotation axes. The four weights are located in a common plane P and symmetrical in pairs relative to a plane perpendicular to the plane P and passing through the line of action of the vibrational force F to be compensated. The weights of each pair rotate in opposite directions. A device for compensating a vibrational torque uses four rotating weights with rotation axes parallel to an axis D and symmetrical in pairs relative to the axis D. The weights of each pair rotate in the same direction. A real time control device includes a constant gain non-linear self-adapting Kalman filter.

Abstract: A stretch-forming machine for forming about a forming die, the machine comprising two jaws situated longitudinally on either side of the die, each jaw being connected to a fixed portion via drive means enabling each end of the jaw to move substantially in a plane perpendicular to the jaw in its rest position and to move in any direction within the plane. The die is fixed on a base connected to a table of a fixed frame, the table being situated at ground level, and the machine includes vertical guide means for the middles of the jaws, the jaws being connected to the drive means without any possibility of rotating relative to the means about a longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A "soft excavator" utilizes supersonic jets of air to loosen and remove soil and the like without damage to utility lines and other "hard" buried objects. A pair of digger nozzles, each mounted at an angle to the axis of the tubular support shaft which in turn is mounted for planetary motion on a drivehead rotating about a tubular member, trace a epitrochoidal path around the inlet to the tubular member which advances with each rotation of the drivehead to uniformly loosen soil across the cutting face and to gather the lossened soil toward the tubular member. Injector nozzles direct supersonic jets of air into the tubular member in the direction of the discharge end to generate a secondary air flow which sucks lossened soil aerated by the digger nozzles into the inlet end of the tubular member. The entrained soil is decelerated by a diffuser and flexible bag at the discharge end of the tubular member and deposited in a pile.

Abstract: Discrete volumes, or slugs, of liquid are accelerated to high velocities utilizing energy stored by compressing the liquid. Liquid is forced into a pressure vessel already filled with liquid to effect the compression. A slug of liquid is ejected from the pressure vessel into a cumulation nozzle by the energy stored in the compressed liquid when a valve is rapidly opened. The valve is unseated when an unseating force exceeds a closing bias. The valve is then opened rapidly by an opening force generated by the compressed liquid. By repetitively introducing highly pressurized liquid into the pressure vessel, the valve automatically cycles to generate a series of pulsed liquid jets. Rapid opening of the valve is aided by an extension on the valve member which sealingly slides inside the passage of the cumulation nozzle to block release of liquid until the valve member accelerates sufficiently that the required opening rate is achieved as the extension clears the nozzle passage.

Abstract: A device for positioning and applying tension to a set of rods (5) for holding a partially submerged platform wherein the device includes a metal frame, (12, 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D, 14), means for vertically moving said frame relative to the platform, at least one jack (21 22) of a first type which has a cylinder and a rod, at least one jack (31,32) of a second type which has a cylinder and a rod, the cylinders of the rods being fast to said frame and being disposed in such a way that the rods move vertically, the rod of the jack of the first type being fast to a plate (25) which is provided firstly with an orifice for the rod of the second type of jack to pass through and secondly with means of fixing to the end of the set of rods, the rod of the second type of jack having a stop (31, 32) at its end, the rods of the jacks of both types being of unequal length and being chosen in such a way that the jack of the second type drives the plate only in the platform immersion step. Application to oil well drilling.

Abstract: A load transfer apparatus for jackup barges provides a barge and at least three legs movably attached to the barge with a jacking mechanism associated respectively with each of the legs for vertically moving the legs with respect to the barge. A hydraulic pad is associated with each of the jacking mechanism and is placed between the jacking mechanism and the barge, forming a load transfer and load monitoring interface between the jacking mechanism and the barge. The pad includes preferably a hollow inflatable steel reinforced rubber pad which is pressurized during operation using suitable hydraulic fluid. The apparatus reduces impact load on the platform structure when the legs first touch bottom and might also be used to pre-load the legs using the hydraulic pads instead of ballast. The apparatus can be additionally used to monitor the load carried by each leg and to balance the loads among the legs, as well as to dampen vibrations.

Abstract: A modular undersea oil production plant having at least one satellite unit whose product is conveyed by a collector pipe (10) towards a central structure (4) in which operating modules (5,6) are grouped together, said product being removed from said operating modules, wherein said satellite unit has a wellhead (1) linked by a connector (13) to the upper portion of a pipe (44) in a drill hole, an individual auxiliary module (3) which can be raised being associated with said wellhead, said module containing the control and operation components and being connected firstly to said wellhead by a first connector (23) and secondly to one end of said collector pipe (10) by a second connector (24), said wellhead (1) and said auxiliary module (3) being installed on a template (2) in two distinct cavities whose shape is complementary to that of said wellhead and of said auxiliary module which has means for disconnecting it from the collector pipe and from the wellhead and for removing it from the template (2), said disc

Abstract: An off-shore platform (1) is floated on a barge (2). A support structure is fixed to the sea bed and including a plurality of upstanding piles with at least two of said piles (4) having platform-receiving guide means (5) at their upper ends. The platform includes a plurality of legs for fixing to corresponding ones of the piles with at least two of the legs (6) being hollow and being provided with respective plungers (8) slideably mounted therein for co-operating with said platform-receiving guide means. Each plunger is associated with a releasable fastening (10, 11) capable of holding the plunger fixed in its leg, and of releasing it suddenly on command to drop into engagement with said platform-receiving guide means. The releasable fastenings of at least two of the plungers are arranged to release simultaneously on a common command.

Abstract: A device for damping impacts between a load (1) and a floating support (70) while the load is being removed from said support which includes at least one housing (10) on which the load rests. The device includes means (11, 15, 18) for automatically and irreversibly inserting a damping unit (14) between the load and its bearing point on the floating support as soon as the weight of the load is removed from the bearing point.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an assembly for a equipping vessel propelled by nuclear power. In accordance with the invention, a vessel is made in two prefabricated parts (2,3) and a chamber (5) is provided in the part (2). A nuclear reactor block (6) is placed in said chamber before assembling the two parts. The invention applies to building diverse nuclear powered vessels such as ice-breakers for example.

Abstract: A tug and v-notched barge connection apparatus provides an elastic rope which connects the tug and the v-notched barge together, the rope stretching during operation to allow relative movement between the barge and the tug. Each end portion of the rope attaches respectively to the stern of the barge and the stern of the tug. At the stern deck portion of the tug is provided a pair of hydraulically actuated pistons and (in the preferred embodiment) a pair of movably mounted levers. Each lever provides at its outboard end portion a hook which is adapted to attach to a provided eye at the tug end portion of the elastic rope.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for removal and deposition of loads between two supports in repeated relative vertical movement. The device consists essentially of a crane close to the high point of the support on which said load rests in its rising movement for lifting the load. To do this, the lifting device suspended from the hook of the lifting crane comprises a structure supporting a winch, a detection device for the winding in or out of the cable wound by said winch and brakes adapted to block the paying out of said cable when its winding ceases momentarily, that is to say when the speed of lifting of the crane is equal to the decreasing speed of heaving of the support. The device is applicable to the unloading of ships supplying off-shore platforms.

Abstract: An assembly for revaporizing liquefied gases. The arrangement is of the running water type and includes a nest of tubes (1) preferably grouped to form panels and connected to inlet and outlet manifolds and over which water is caused to flow. To withstand the corrosion of salt water, an A-G4MC alloy is used and the cross-section of each tube 1 includes two diametrally opposite outer fins 2,3 and inner fins 5. Said tube is produced preferably by extrusion.Application to vaporization of natural gas.

Abstract: PCT No. PCT/FR78/00005 Sec. 371 Date Feb. 28, 1979 Sec. 102(e) Date Feb. 26, 1979 PCT Filed June 28, 1978 PCT Pub. No. WO79/00016 PCT Pub. Date Jan. 11, 1979The invention relates to a method for positioning a support structure for installations outside a petroleum platform and to said support structure.The structure comprises a biped tower (2) supporting a bridge (1) which supports a flare (3) at one of its ends. The structure, in folded towing position, floating by means of floats (26) and dead men (10), is towed to the site, the tail of the structure is supported by the platform (40), and the dead men (10) and then the floats (26) are ballasted when the tower (2) is in vertical position. When the feet of the tower rest on the ocean bed (11) the tail is hoisted onto the platform (40) in order to anchor it to the latter and the floats (26) are recovered.The invention is applied to a flare support for a marine platform.