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: Submersible diffuser for a hydroelectric power plant includes chambers defined in its lateral wall and which can be filled with water to sink the diffuser or with gas to float it; additionally, the diffuser has lateral rollers. The hydroelectric power plant is provided with guide surfaces positioned adjacent the water outlet thereof for receiving the rollers of the diffuser and enabling positioning of the diffuser at the water outlet. Also included is the method of submerging and positioning the diffuser at the water outlet of the power plant.

Abstract: A mine roof support assembly which has a stowage or goaf screen lining pivoted to a floor-engaging sill structure and a piston and cylinder unit arranged between the sill structure and the screen to effect pivoting of the screen. A roof bar is pivotably connected to a bell-crank lever which is itself pivoted to the screen and a stiff rod is pivotably connected to the bell-crank lever and to the sill structure. The rod and bell-crank lever form a control linkage which exerts a compensating effect on the roof bar as the screen is pivoted to move the bar against or away from the roof, so that the bar maintains in horizontal orientation while the front end of the bar moves along a vertical line.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a water gate control system which selects either the automatic mode or forced mode, in the automatic mode the gate being automatically swung depending upon the level of a stream or water-way between the upright or closing position and the flat or opening position by a single- or double-acting hydraulic cylinder in which a directly or indirectly spring loaded piston is displaced depending upon the hydraulic pressure acting on the gate, and in the forced mode, the working oil under pressure being introduced into the hydraulic cylinder for swinging the gate to and holding it in a desired angular position independently of the level.

Abstract: A system for laying a subterranean water impervious asphalt layer which is mounted on a tractor and includes a liquidized asphalt supply tank and a subterranean plough provided with a plurality of outlet ports so that liquidized asphalt is fed from the tank through a liquidized ashalt supply pipe connecting the tank to the ports by a liquidized asphalt supply pump provided in the pipe and driven by a hydraulic motor so that liquidized asphalt is discharged by the ports to form a water impervious asphalt layer into a subterranean cavity. The system is provided with a hydraulic pump driven by an engine of the tractor and connected to the hydraulic motor and a switching valve provided in the lines connecting the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic motor so that the hydraulic motor is driven in the forward or reverse direction as well as is held standstill by the actuation of the switching valve.

Abstract: An ice removal system to protect a drill string in an ice covered waterway from possible damage due to ice movement. The drill string extends down into the waterway from a vessel which has an ice melting system for melting ice coming into direct contact with it. If the ice is thicker than the draft of the vessel, the unmelted portion of the ice passing under the vessel is deflected downward by ice breaking ridges surrounding the drill string. The downward deflection causes the ice to fail in tension thereby breaking it up into a plurality of ice blocks. The ice blocks float up into a moon pool surrounding the drill string, and are then flushed out of the moon pool through a channel and into the surrounding waterway. A cylindrical protective plate surrounding the drill string prevents the ice blocks from coming into direct contact with the drill string and thereby possibly damaging it.

Abstract: An off-shore drilling platform structure and method of mounting in which the structure comprises a base with spaced upstanding legs thereon and a floatable platform slidable along the legs. Laminated tension elements have the opposite ends connected to the base and the upper ends of the legs and the platform has clamp devices for clampingly engaging the laminated tension elements. One clamp device pertaining to each element is nonmovable in the direction of the legs on the platform while the other is movable on the platform in the direction of the length of the legs by power operated devices. The clamp devices pertaining to each tension element are selectively operable so the platform can be moved along the legs.

Abstract: A building pile structure and system utilizing a skin friction pile having a casing or sleeve of somewhat larger inside diameter than the outside diameter of the pile and driven over the pile either simultaneously with the driving of the pile or driven somewhat in advance of the pile to isolate the pile from certain areas of the surrounding soil for a portion of the total depth to which the pile is driven.

Abstract: A method of grouting an offshore structure such as the leg of an offshore platform having an outer tubular jacket and an inner tubular piling wherein grout is deposited in the annulus therebetween. The method includes introducing a tube downwardly through the annular space until the lower end of the tube is proximate the bottom of the annular space. Thereafter grout is circulated down the tubing and up the annulus to thereby displace water from the annulus and fill the same with a column of grout. Preferably, the tube is removed from the annulus before the grout hardens.In certain instances, it may be required to form a plug in the bottom of the annulus to establish circulation through the tube, up the annulus, and out at the top.In order to form such a plug, a quantity of plug forming material, such as a liquid epoxy resin composition or a quick-setting cement slurry is circulated down the tube to the bottom of the annular space and there deposited.

Abstract: This invention relates to a device for solidifying sludgy material depositing on the earth surface, the device comprising an agitator having intergrated agitating shafts, each of which is provided with agitating blades. The agitator is attached to a stern of a working barge with a certain angle of inclination and also provided with nozzles for injecting chemical hardener. The device is capable of effectively solidifying the surface sludge over a wide area.

Abstract: An earth anchor includes a steel tension member, or members, sheath encased and embedded in a hardenable material such as mortar grout poured in a bore hole prepared in the ground. Lubricant is applied to the surfaces of the steel tension members before the members are placed within the interior sheaths. Gripping metal pieces are secured to the end portions of the steel tension members in abutment with a pressure bearing plate or plates, also secured to the end portions of the steel tension members. The gripping metal pieces are designed to be sripped from the steel tension end portion member with a force exceeding the predetermined work load of the steel tension members.

Abstract: An articulated joint for a deep water installation in which two structural members are connected by flexible tendons and there is access from one of the members to the other via a hollow shaft.

Abstract: In the assembling and laying of an undersea pipe in which the already submerged pipe portion is suspended from a surface support, the end of the submerged pipe portion being supported on a variable inclination laying ramp, and a new pipe section is moved into alignment with the end of the pipe portion and fixed thereto, the submerged pipe portion is so suspended from the surface support that the tension in the pipe portion is maintained substantially constant irrespective of vertical movements of the surface support caused by the action of waves on the surface support.

Abstract: A new and improved pipeline coupling apparatus is disclosed. This apparatus incorporates an elongate support member having the form of an I-beam where the flanges of the I-beam serve as a guide for a traveling carriage. The traveling carriage is urged along the I-beam by means of a hydraulic cylinder and piston rod. The traveling carriage centers a pipe. It positions the coupling and forces the pipe into the coupling. The coupling itself is supported for sliding movement by a free moving carriage beneath the I-beam.

Abstract: Tunnel-driving apparatus utilizes a plurality of elongate drive or knife members arranged side-by-side and supported and guided for longitudinal movement on a frame. The members and the frame are advanced in succession during the driving process. Some or all of the drive members are hollow and accommodate telescopically extendible and retractible devices, conveniently of tubular form, used for treating the working face, for example, by conveying fluid to or from the face. The devices each have a series of cam-like projections engageable with spring-biased stops supported on the frame and the drive members. These stops serve to lock the devices in various positions and to automatically extend the devices from the members when the frame is shifted.The stops can be displaced however to generally engage the projections in such manner as to allow or prevent movement of the devices inwardly or outwardly of the drive members.

Abstract: Precast stretchers in four basic configurations may be used to construct cribbing faces, end walls, and corners for virtually every retaining wall requirement. Each stretcher of the invention comprises an elongated body having two support heads with flat upper and lower surfaces for stacking the stetchers one on another. All the support heads are equally spaced and each head contains a vertical hole for receiving a steel tie rod that extends, in several threaded sections, from the footing to the top of the wall for tying together the stacked support heads and stretchers. Anchor rods for deadmen, bin wall anchorages, or rock bolts are connected to the vertical tie rods to form a rigid interlocked retaining structure.

Abstract: An improved containment barrier or boom section of the type having a flotation means for supporting the barrier or boom on the surface of a liquid body such as a lake, harbor, river, ocean, or the like, and also having a sinking means such as a flexible skirt section coupled to the bottom of the flotation means and extending below the surface, the skirt section containing ballast and, preferably, a tension member, to contain contamination or material floating on or near the surface, such as an oil spill, usually on one side thereof. End connectors are provided at each end of the barrier section for coupling to additional barrier or boom sections and/or to a towing means for deployment and/or recovery. The flotation means comprises an elongated tubular member having a cavity extending throughout the elongated length thereof and the tubular member is flexible.

Abstract: An improved platform for performing subaqueous operations in ice conditions. A substructure on the platform supports the equipment for performing the subaqueous operation and straddles an aperture through the platform. Means are secured to the underside of the substructure for presenting a relatively low coefficient of friction or low lateral resistance between the underside of the substructure and the face of the platform. Locomotion means are associated with substructure for moving the substructure laterally over the face of the platform relative to the aperture whereby the equipment for performing the subaqueous operations may remain over the wellhead in spite of certain magnitudes of lateral movement of the platform responsive to the ice conditions.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for pulling flexible duct through soil simultaneously with the penetration of soil which comprises a means for penetrating the soil having a duct receiving portion mounted to its trailing end. The duct is pulled through the soil by a pulling means operably associated with the penetrating means which acts to pull the duct in the same direction and simultaneously with the movement of the penetrating means.

Abstract: A device for positioning segments to line a tunnel wall. An axially rotatable drive shaft carries at one end of an articulated arm with pivotably connected upper and lower arm members. A jack interconnects the two arms intermediate their ends. The upper arm member is pivotably connected at its free end to the drive shaft on an axis normal both to the shaft and to the upper arm member, and the arm lies in a plane through the normal axis. Preferably a shoe is detachably connectable to the lower arm member and to a segment to be positioned against the tunnel wall.