Abstract: A method of installing a riser to provide a continuous flow path from a relatively rigid pipeline lying on the bottom of a body of water to an above water connection on an offshore apparatus is disclosed. The riser according to one aspect of the invention is a tubular flexible conduit and in a second aspect is a rigid member connected to the pipeline by a flexible section. The method of the invention for installing the riser uses available equipment, relatively small lifting forces and avoids the deformation of rigid pipe. In one particular embodiment, the pipeline-riser combination is laid on the bottom of the body of water and according to the method, the riser member is thereafter raised to a vertical orientation with respect to the offshore platform. The method provides a riser which does not undergo deformation at the bending zone wherein fluid flow changes between the horizontal and vertical directions.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and apparatus for laying a submergible elongate structure upon the bed of a body of water. The last-assembled portion of the structure is supported upon a floating vessel having a deck which defines a path for movement of the structure relative to the deck, the path including an assembly region in which additional submergible elongate structure can be assembled from components. The structure is clamped downstream (relative to the path of movement) of the assembly region and then additional submergible elongate structure is assembled in that region and is secured to the previously existing structure. The free end of the additional structure is gripped with a connector that is connected, through a flexible cable under tension, to a winch. Then the clamping assembly is disengaged from the structure so that the winch alone maintains tension on the structure.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for cushioning and absorbing force between relatively moving bodies and for dissipating the impact energy, preferably in a marine environment. The apparatus is securable to a structure in a marine environment and typically cushions the impact between a marine means (i.e., barge, boat, etc.) and that structure. The apparatus comprises an upright frame, laterally spaced apart upper shock mounts securing the frame to the structure. Each of the shock mounts includes a shear-type, shock-absorbing, resiliently-deformable member disposed intermediate the upright frame and the structure to which it is secured. The resiliently-deformable members of the upper shock mounts are disposed in an orientation in which they provide both compressive and shear resistance to horizontal loading on the frame.

Abstract: An elongated deck section having two rows of legs with several legs per row is fabricated with the legs hingedly mounted on footings adapted to receive fluid bearings and is transported from the fabricating yard to a dock head over a smooth concrete slab of minimal slope and thence longitudinally via fluid bearing adapted gang planks and tracks onto and along a barge disposed with its stern adjacent the dock head and grounded thereat, the platform being transported by placing fluid bearings under the footings which allow the section to be moved sideways, lengthways, or rotated or turned, as desired, the deck's horizontal truss stresses and the fluid bearing loads being controlled by actuating fluid elevators between each leg and the fluid bearing thereunder, the barge being initially ballasted so that change of ballast during loading is unnecessary to maintain minimal slope of the barge, the section then being anchored to the barge and the barge reballasted to float its stern and trim the barge preparatory to

Abstract: A shoe for adjustably supporting a pipeline relative to a ramp of a lay vessel is comprised of a cradle which supports the pipeline in longitudinally movable relation with the ramp. The cradle contacts the pipeline intermediate the longitudinal axis of the pipeline and the surface of the ramp. An elongated lever is pivotally connected at one extreme to the ramp and at another extreme to the cradle. The elongated lever is rotated by rotating means about the pivotal connection with the surface of the ramp to alternately raise and lower the cradle and thereby adjustably support the pipeline relative to the ramp.According to the method of the invention, a pipeline can be adjustably supported relative to a ramp of a lay vessel by first cradling the pipeline above the surface of the ramp in longitudinally movable relation therewith. This step may be accomplished by a cradle having two degrees of freedom relative to the ramp and pivotally connected thereto through an elongated lever.

Abstract: Apparatus for cleaning a selected surface portion of the interior liner of a tire includes a frame; three cooperative fingers adapted to be spread apart to engage the beads of a tire and to spread such beads proximate the portion of the liner to be cleaned; a brush; actuators arranged to move the brush into engagement with the liner portion; a rotary actuator arranged to spray solvent on to the liner portion; and a drain insertable into the tire to withdraw dirty solvent therefrom.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for connecting and disconnecting a buoyant structure and tower jacket characterized by mutually telescope portions of mated stanchions extending between the buoyant structure and tower jacket, which telescopingly mated stanchion portions are mutually secured by clamping means guidingly carried by the buoyant structure.

Abstract: Improvements in buoyancy structures independently comprising each ofA radiating, circumferentially extending buoyancy cell network encircling an offshore jacket leg, andA double-walled buoyancy chamber wall fabricated from a shell and overlapping pipe segments bonded thereto.An offshore platform jacket assembly is disclosed in which a plurality of jacket legs are anchored by piling members to the bed of a body of water. A buoyancy unit is disposed at a lower portion of the jacket in association with at least one of the jacket legs. Each buoyancy unit comprises a chamber disposed around its respective leg. Each chamber is divided into a plurality of circumferentially displaced, radiating cells and these cells are disposed inwardly of a periphery defined by a series of piling guides spaced around the leg. A plurality of generally upright divider fins extend radially outwardly from the leg to divide the chamber into the radiating cells which are arranged about the leg for the reception of a buoyant medium.

Abstract: The method includes the steps of cleaning, priming, and coating pipe segments with a bituminous composition. The coated pipe segments are wrapped and carefully handled so as not to disturb the bituminous coating. Wire reinforcing cages are formed around the pipe segments and the individual pipe segments are then loaded into individual mold cars positioned end-to-end upon a first railway track assembly. The cars are then translated onto a first transfer car, which rides on a second track means, and are conveyed to a third railway track assembly comprising a plurality of parallel sets of rails. The mold cars are transferred abreast from the transfer car onto the third railway track assembly, filled with a cementitious weight coating material and fed into a drying kiln whereby the cementitious weight coating cures at least until the cement becomes self-supporting.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for retrieving, securing, and launching an anchor buoy characterized by an anchor buoy handling mechanism mounted on the stern of a service vessel and including apparatus for engaging a floating anchor buoy, elevating the anchor buoy, and moving the anchor buoy to a substantially immobilized position on a stern deck portion of the service vessel.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for handling piling and anchoring an offshore tower are disclosed wherein sudden loading of a derrick handling the piling is avoided as the piling is moved into position preparatory to driving. The apparatus entails a base intended to rest upon an upper end of a piling guide. A releasable gripping means is connected to the base and serves to grip and restrain an add-on piling while the add-on piling is connected to a piling connected and thus suspended within the piling guide and also while the suspended piling is released therefrom. Releasing means are employed to release the gripping means to permit concurrent downward movement of the add-on and suspended piling.In further aspects, the apparatus and method of the invention effect the connection of an add-on piling to a piling suspended from an offshore tower by first at least partially enclosing the add-on piling within a chuck releasably gripping the add-on piling.

Abstract: An offshore tower is anchored to a water bed by inserting piling elements into piling jackets located at the tower base and driving the piling elements into the water bed. Grouting material is poured between each jacket and piling element to bond these members together. Grouting material is also poured into the tubular piling elements and into a bell-shaped cavity located therebelow to form a bell footing which anchors the piling element to the water bed. A metallic reinforcement tube which is at least one-half the diameter of the piling element, is inserted into the piling element so as to extend between the piling element and the bell footing. The reinforcing tube presents considerable grouting-encased surface area extending between the piling element and the bell footing to maximize the connection therebetween. In addition, the reinforcing tube effectively reinforces the grouting material against tension, compression, and torsion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transporting and erecting an offshore tower jacket is disclosed. The apparatus involves a first pair of elongated buoyancy members which are spaced apart along the lengths thereof and which are operable to float in a horizontal posture on the surface of a body of water. The apparatus further involves a second pair of elongated buoyancy members likewise spaced apart and operable to float in a horizontal posture. The first and second pairs of buoyancy members are themselves maintained in spaced apart relation to one another so that a leg of an offshore tower jacket carried thereby reposes in vertical alignment with the space between the buoyancy members of each pair. A plurality of bridging means serve to interconnect the buoyancy members to maintain the buoyancy members of each pair in the spaced apart relation. The bridging means further serve to carry the offshore tower jacket.

Abstract: A drill conductor is installed into a water bed from an offshore tower situated in a body of water by lowering the conductor from a deck portion of the tower along a straight path which is inclined relative to vertical until the bottom end of the conductor reaches a predetermined depth in the water bed. The conductor is then bent about a fulcrum to displace an upper segment thereof to a vertically straight posture while maintaining a lower segment thereof above the water bed in a straight and inclined posture. A special arrangement of apertured guides is provided along the tower to accommodate the initial inclinedly straight insertion of the conductor and to accommodate the subsequent displacement of the upper conductor segment. The guides thus support the conductor such that a portion of the conductor disposed above the water bed includes upper and lower straight segments, the upper segment being vertically disposed and the lower segment being inclined relative to vertical.

Abstract: A barge includes port and starboard sides in which longitudinal troughs are formed. Each trough is bounded at its top by an outwardly directed undersurface of an upper wing section and bounded at the bottom by an outwardly directed topsurface of a lower wing section. The topsurface of the lower wing section is located for submersion during offshore operations to oppose heave and roll motions of the barge. An upper ballast system is provided in the upper wing sections to carry ballasting fluid above the center of the barge. A lower ballast system is provided in the lower wing sections to carry ballast fluid below the barge center. Operation of the upper and lower ballast systems enables a unique control of floatation characteristics to be provided. Namely, by ballasting the upper ballast tanks, the center of gravity is raised and the metacentric height is reduced. Deballasting of the upper ballast tanks causes a lowering of the center of gravity and an increase of the metacentric height.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for purging water from a submerged pipeline including means for handling pipeline "pigs" (i.e., sphere, plug, or other device movable through a pipeline interior in sliding peripheral engagement therewith). In the system of the invention a pig launcher is attached at a first pipeline means end and a pig receiver is attached at a second, submerged pipeline means end. The pig launcher is operable to propel a plurality of pig elements in sequence through the pipeline under the urging of pressurized gas in order to displace fluid and/or locate obstructions. The pig receiver is arranged to exhaust such displaced fluid and receive and store the propelled pig elements. The pig receiver may include a fluid discharge system for exhausting propulsion gas into the ambient water in response to the arrival of a pig element and thus provide means to signal such arrival.

Abstract: Apparatus for burning fluid at a burner mounted on a floating vessel subject to wave action, the apparatus including a floating vessel, a generally upright pedestal, and a boom mounted in a centilever manner on a pivot member supported for swinging movement on the pedestal. A burner is carried by an outer portion of the boom. An outrigger is mounted on the pedestal and supports a drive member which is drivingly engaged with the pivot member, with the drive member being operable to effect swinging movement of the pivot member and the boom about the pedestal. A wave-action-accommodating mechanism is operable to sense the effects of wave-action-induced force acting on the boom and restrain or impede undesired swinging movement of the boom which would otherwise be induced by such wave-action-induced force.

Abstract: A system for determining the thermal characteristics of a cooling system and controlling the cooling system in response to the determined thermal characteristics. The flow pattern of a cooling reservoir having a surface exposed to the atmosphere is represented by a plurality of water segments each representing a specified time interval, preferably equal time intervals. A thermal characteristic of the segments is determined at least periodically, preferably in response to the prevailing thermal transfer characteristics at the surfaces of the segments, and the flow pattern of the cooling reservoir is modified to accommodate the required cooling needs of the system and to prevent the discharge of cooling water into natural reservoirs if the thermal characteristics of the cooling water do not permit such discharge because of set standards. A method for at least periodically calculating the temperature of each segment from known and assumed thermal data through a trial iteration process is also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention affords a method and apparatus for transporting and erecting an offshore tower. The invention entails a barge which buoyantly supports the tower as it is conveyed to a desired offshore location. Supporting means connected to the barge and sliding means connected to the tower slidingly interconnect the tower and the barge. Suitable rotating means operably associated with the barge serves to rotate the barge about the longitudinal axis thereof to lower one side and thus statically, laterally incline the supporting means and the sliding means relative to the surface of the surrounding water. This occurs once the barge and tower reach the desired offshore location. Translating means operably associated with the barge are afforded for the purpose of moving the tower down the resulting incline, off the lowered side of the barge, and into the surrounding water. In the course of this downward movement, the tower and sliding means move in sliding relation along the supporting means.

Abstract: A slant-type drilling rig assembly is disclosed having a pipe handling device which requires one operator during the transfer of conduit sections between an inclined drilling mast and a generally vertical conduit storage structure. The pipe handling device, or transfer apparatus, includes a pair of support columns having a horizontal structure connecting the upper end portion thereof. Freely suspended below the horizontal structure are an operator control station and an elevator. The elevator is connected to a fluid pressure operated means for raising and lowering which means is in turn connected to a fluid pressure actuated slidably mounted carriage. The transfer apparatus is pivotally mounted at its lower end for arcuate movement in a plane between the drilling mast and the pipe storage structure.