Abstract: Outflow of oil from a damaged tanker having some tanks dedicated for carriage of oil and others for sea water ballast is minimized by transferring oil out of the upper part of any damaged tank to one or more empty ballast tanks. This is accomplished by installing a passageway in bulkheads common to a cargo tank and a ballast tank which is normally closed by a one-shot valve including an annular flange secured to one end of a section of pipe, a blank flange secured to said one end of said pipe by a short, thin, cylindrical sealing ring and a hydraulic hose compressed between the flanges which, when pressurized, ruptures the sealing ring to release the blank flange and open the passageway to allow oil to flow from the damaged cargo tank to a ballast tank.

Abstract: A valve structure for connecting an oil tank to a ballast tank separated by a bulkhead includes a butterfly valve bolted to a short section of flanged pipe which is welded or bolted to the bulkhead separating the two tanks in combination with a rupturable disk fitted within the pipe section and capable of withstanding the maximum pressure of either a full ballast tank or a full cargo tank. A cutting edge is secured to the rotatable disk of the butterfly valve which, upon opening of the butterfly valve, slices the disk sufficiently to assure its collapse and failure by liquid flowing through the opened butterfly valve.

Abstract: Outflow of oil from a damaged tanker having some tanks dedicated for carriage of oil and others for sea water ballast is minimized by transferring oil out of the upper part of any damaged tank to one or more empty ballast tanks. This is accomplished by installing a passageway in bulkheads common to a cargo tank and a ballast tank which is normally closed by at least a one-shot valve including a blank flange bolted to a section of pipe and a hydraulic hose compressed by the flange which, when pressurized, breaks the bolts to release the flange and open the passageway to allow oil to flow from the damaged cargo tank to a ballast tank.

Abstract: Outflow of oil from a damaged tanker of "segregated ballast" type having some tanks dedicated for carriage of oil and others for water ballast is minimized by transferring oil out of the upper part of any damaged tank and minimizing the reduction of draft at the damaged area. This is accomplished by installing sluice valves and piping to connect each cargo tank to one or more ballast tanks and providing controls therefor which, in case there is leakage from a cargo tank, are operative to open appropriate valves to allow oil to flow from the upper part of the damaged cargo tank to one or more ballast tanks, which would be empty.

Abstract: Tug/barge apparatus comprises a barge with a notch in the stern shaped to receive the bow of a tug, and the barge being coupled to the tug by a rigid coupling member on the barge which is adapted to be releasably retained in a bearing socket member formed in the bow of the tug. The coupling member is made buoyant enough to float on the water and the bearing member is located in the vicinity of the water line at the bow of the tug so that the two are at essentially the same level when the tug moves into the notch in the stern of the barge to effect a coupling operation. The coupling and bearing members are releasably retained in coupled relation and prevented from inadvertent uncoupling thereof.

Abstract: Conventional installations for pumping of liquid LNG (liquefied natural gas) from a sealed tank of a marine vessel to a shore installation commonly include a pump immersed in the liquid, a riser pipe from the pump to a level above the liquid, a stop valve on the riser pipe outside the tank, and a connection to the header leading to the shore installation. With the stop valve closed, operation of the pump can cause slamming of the liquid, accelerating up the riser pipe, against the stop valve, to the extent that the valve or piping may be damaged or destroyed. The invention provides a method of operation, and apparatus to permit it to be carried out, whereby a pocket of non-liquefiable gas is formed in the riser pipe above the liquid level so that, upon operation of the pump with the stop valve closed, although LNG vapor in the riser pipe may become compressed to liquid, the pocket of gas remains to act as a compressible buffer between the rising liquid and the stop valve.