Abstract: A regenerative hydraulic cylinder has a piston dividing its interior into a pair of chambers. A rod extends from the piston through a cylinder end wall. Several axial passages in the piston extend between opposite piston faces. A valve member is mounted over one piston face and has a sleeve that slides axially in a recess formed in the one piston face. Springs urge the valve member to a flow-impeding orientation against the piston face. A hydraulic pilot line in the rod, accessible at an external rod end, permits the valve member to be displaced away from the piston face to a flow-enabling orientation. The valve state is controlled to permit fluid flow directly between chambers during extension or contraction of the cylinder.

Abstract: Press platens are maintained parallel in critical central regions proximate to a mold between the platens. Leveling cylinders acting between the platens to resist downward action of a central ram on a movable platen. Data identifying expected local platen deflection in response to various operating pressures of the leveling cylinders are recorded. For each leveling cylinder, the current operating pressure is determined and the relative spacing of the platens proximate to the leveling cylinder is sensed. The operating pressures of the cylinders are controlled in response to the sensed relative spacing of the platens and in response to the expected local platen deflection for each leveling cylinder at its current operating pressure to maintain a substantially parallel relationship between the platens proximate to the mold.

Abstract: In a press having a lower stationary platen, an upper movable platen, a hydraulic ram that travels with the upper platen, light-duty cylinders that position the upper platen, and a gate mechanism that closes above the ram to permit the ram to drive the upper platen during compression phases of operation, method and apparatus for adjusting the clearance between the upper and lower platens. A number of cylindrical spacers can be distributed, as desired, between an upper end of the ram and a spacer retaining mechanism located above the gate mechanism. The spacers are shaped to vertically interlock to form a stable stack atop the ram. The retaining mechanism extends downwardly from an upper cross-head of the press and is received in the interior of the stack of spacers. The retaining mechanism has spring-biased locking members that can locate below an internal lip of any spacer.

Abstract: In an anchoring system for a floating vessel which includes an anchor line comprising chain cable, a chain locker and a windlass having a chain wheel that conveys the chain cable during paying out from the chain locker, a mechanism is positioned between the chain locker and chain wheel to back-tension the chain during paying out. The mechanism has an axis along which the chain is passed with every second links oriented in a given plane. Paired brake shoes are positioned to either side of the plane and define braking surfaces of sufficient extent along the axis of chain movement that a given chain link and an immediately succeeding link of similar orientation can be simultaneously engaged during their movement to provide a continuous retarding effect. One pair of braking shoes is pivotally mounted on an appropriate support structure and urged with hydraulic cylinders towards the other pair thereby causing the brake shoes to engage the opposing faces chain link.

Abstract: An anchoring system for a floating structure is described. The anchoring system is of the type which employs a combination anchor line consisting of a lower length of chain cable connected to an anchor and an upper length of wire rope and which involves disconnection of the wire rope from the chain cable during paying out and retrieval of the anchor line. A winch and windlass mounted on the floating structure serve to separately haul in and pay out the wire rope and chain cable, respectively. The windlass has a length of lead chain which can be used to lead the chain cable over a chain wheel to the chain locker. An overwide chain link terminates the chain cable, and together with a pair of detachable links permits the load of the chain cable to be transferred directly from the winch to the windlass, during paying out and retrieval, without the requirement for an intermediate chain hanger.

Abstract: An anchoring system for semisubmersible drill rigs is described which includes a wire rope-chain cable anchor line and in which system components co-operate to convey the junction of the wire rope and chain cable smoothly over a fairlead sheave. The connector joining the anchor line has a narrow end in which the rope is rigidly retained, a large end at which a chain end link is pivotally retained, and a radially symmetric, generally concave surface extending between the two connector ends. The outer surface of the connector is shaped to seat against the central hub of the fairlead sheave in a predetermined orientation in which a limited fixed bend angle is formed between the connector and the wire rope. The geometry of the connector naturally biases the connector to seat against the central hub of the fairlead sheave in the predeterminted orientation during hauling in of the anchor line.

Abstract: A press has upper and lower platens which can be moved towards and away from one another. Four hydraulic leveling cylinders are mounted in a vertical orientation on the lower platen for purposes of platen parallelism control. In preferred form, each cylinder has a piston rod which engages an associated post on the upper platen as the platens approach one another. The piston rod and associated piston are formed with a longitudinal bore open at the upper piston rod end, and a rigid shaft is mounted in the bore with a lower end extending through the bottom of the cylinder housing. A coil spring in the interior of the piston rod urges the rigid shaft upwardly until a collar formed on the shaft engages a stop surface, the upper shaft end then being flush with the upper piston rod end. The associated post is fixed to the upper press platen in-line with the piston rod and has an internal passage in which is located a stud-like shaft that engages the rigid shaft mounted in the piston rod.

Abstract: A hydraulic press is adapted to permit adjustment of the clearance between upper and lower platens and to permit the press to be divided into distinct upper and lower sections for purposes of transport. The press has four vertical posts which extend upwardly from the lower platen. Each post has a lower section which slides in the lower platen, an upper section is fitted into and slides relative to the upper platen, and a releasable joining structure which connects the post sections to define a unitary post structure. Light-duty hydraulic cylinders permit gross positioning of the upper platen on the posts. The upper platen is then locked to the upper post sections in a predetermined relative position, and heavy-duty hydraulic cylinders acting on the posts serve to draw the upper platen towards the lower platen to compress a work piece.

Abstract: A hydraulic press has a frame including a crosshead formed with a vertical passage. A lower platen is fixed to the base of the frame, and an upper movable platen is located between the crosshead and lower platen. Light-duty hydraulic cylinders move the upper platen between an operating position proximate to the lower platen and a retracted position relatively distant from the lower platen. A short-stroke, large-bore hydraulic ram extends vertically from the upper platen and travels with the upper platen is positioned by the light-duty cylinders. An upper free end of the ram locates in the vertical passage of the crosshead when the upper platen is in its retracted position but clears the passage when the upper platen is in its operating position. A hydraulic mechanism then closes the passage so that the ram can drive the upper platen towards the lower platen.

Abstract: An integrated winch and windlass for hauling in and paying out a mooring line which consists of wire rope serially connected to chain cable is described. The integrated system has a pair of traction winch drums for conveying the wire rope, and a chain wheel for conveying the chain cable. The chain wheel is coaxially mounted with one traction winch drum, and has a wire rope groove with a groove diameter substantially the same as that of the traction winch drums. A sheave directs wire rope between one of the drums and the chain wheel, and is so positioned that a wrap of wire rope is formed about the chain wheel whenever the system is operating on wire rope exclusively. A drive mechanism is provided for rotating the traction winch drums and chain wheel, including a common drive shaft, and a clutch mechanism which permits the traction winch drums and the chain wheel to be located simultaneously or separately.

Abstract: A 2000 ton hydraulic press is designed to eliminate the side slabs and substantial cross-head associated with conventional presses. The press simply has a base that includes a lower platen and bolster plate. Four vertical posts extend upwardly through the lower platen bolster plate, and guide structure beneath the lower platen bolster plate constrains the posts to move vertically while bearing horizontal forces and bending moments which may be applied to posts for example during compression of a mold containing a molding charge. Four large-bore, short-stroke hydraulic cylinders are attached to the base below the lower platen bolster plate, and serve to raise and lower the posts during compression phases of operation.

Abstract: A 2000 ton hydraulic press which can be conveniently retrofitted for platen parallelism control has a conventional support structure which includes a base, a pair of side slabs and a cross-head. A lower platen is fixed to the base structure, and an upper platen is guided on the side slabs for vertical movement towards and away from the lower platen. Short-stroke, large bore compression-phase hydraulic cylinders are mounted within the lower platen, and have piston rods extending vertically through an upper surface of the lower platen. A vertical post is supported from each piston rod, and travels through an aligned vertical passage provided in the upper platen. A pair of long-stroke, narrow bore hydraulic cylinders permit the upper platen to be advanced quickly towards the lower platen to close the gap between the platens.

Abstract: A mooring device is secured to a sea-going vessel to handle anchor line of the type having an upper length of wire rope in series with a lower length of chain cable. The mooring device comprises a traction winch for handling the wire rope and a windlass for handling the chain cable. The windlass includes a chain wheel so positioned beneath the winch when the mooring device is located in its operative position that the anchor line can be hauled by the winch substantially vertically between flanges of the chain wheel. In operation the wire rope can be hauled up or paid out without actively engaging the chain wheel, the flanges merely serving as a guide to ensure that the anchor line is properly located for chain handling functions.

Abstract: An improved spooling device is provided having a drive shaft defining a track including conventional douple helices which are connected at their ends by parts of the track having any suitable curved or straight contour. An assembly on the drive shaft is made to reciprocate by engagement with the track for guiding a rope to and from a drum. The assembly includes two pivotal followers and a fixed center follower. When the assembly is moving axially in one direction, the pivotal followers are engaged in one helix and are in respective first positions. Then, when the assembly is returning in the opposite axial direction the followers are guided by the other helix and the pivotal followers are in respective second positions. Consequently the fixed follower and one of the pivotal followers take the load when the assembly is being moved in one direction whereas the fixed follower and the other of the pivotal followers take the load when moving the assembly in the opposite direction.