Secondary release mechanism for fluid actuated couplings

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR SELECTIVELY UNCOUPLING A CONDUIT FROM AN UNDERWATER INSTALLATION, SAID CONDUITS HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PASSAGE THROUGH WHICH A SMALLERDIAMETER CONDUIT MAY BE LOWERED, SAID APPRATUS COMPRISING: A LOCKDOWN ASSEMBLY SECURED TO THE CONDUIT ADJACENT A FREE END THEREOF SAID LOCK-DOWN ASSEMBLY HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PASSAGE IN REGISTER WITH THE PASSAGE OF SAID CONDUIT; A LOCKDOWN RECEIVER FIXED TO THE UNDERWATER INSTALLATION, SAID RECEIVER BEING DIMENSIONED TO RECEIVE SAID LOCKDOWN ASSEMBLY IN TELESCOPIC ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH; LOCKING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID LOCKDOWN ASSEMBLY AND BEING MOVEABLE WITH RESPECT THERETO INTO AND OUT OF LOCKED ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LOCKDOWN RECEIVER WHEN SAID ASSEMBLY IS IN TELESCOPIC ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RECEIVER; FLUID PRESSURE OPERATED ACTUATING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID LOCKDOWN ASSEMBLY AND OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID LOCKING MEANS TO MOVE SAID LOCKING MEANS AT LEAST TO UNLOCKED DISENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RECEIVER; SAID MANIFOLD INCLUDING AT LEAST TWO SEPARATE PASSAGEWAYS FOR CONDUCTING PRESSURIZED FLUID TO SAID ACTUATING MEANS, AND PASSAGEWAYS PROVIDING A PRIMARY AND A SECONDARY FLUID CONDUIT MEANS TO PROVIDE A SOURCE OF PRESSURE FLUID TO AT LEAST UNLOCK SAID ACTUATING MEANS, THE VOLUMETRIC FLOW CAPACITY OF SAID PRIMARY FLUID CONDUIT MEANS BEING LESS THAN THE VOLUMETRIC FLOW CAPACITY OF SAID SECONDARY FLUID CONDUIT MEANS, SAID PRIMARY FLUID CONDUIT MEANS EXTENDABLE TO A PRIMARY EXTERNAL SOURCE OF FLUID UNDER PRESSURE; AND RUPTURABLE DIAPHRAGM MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID SECONDARY CONDUIT MEANS OF SAID MANIFOLD MEANS AND THE INTERIOR OF THE CONDUIT.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR SELECTIVELY UNCOUPLING A CONDUIT FROM AN UNDERWATER INSTALLATION, SAID CONDUITS HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PASSAGE THROUGH WHICH A SMALLERDIAMETER CONDUIT MAY BE LOWERED, SAID APPRATUS COMPRISING: A LOCKDOWN ASSEMBLY SECURED TO THE CONDUIT ADJACENT A FREE END THEREOF SAID LOCK-DOWN ASSEMBLY HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PASSAGE IN REGISTER WITH THE PASSAGE OF SAID CONDUIT; A LOCKDOWN RECEIVER FIXED TO THE UNDERWATER INSTALLATION, SAID RECEIVER BEING DIMENSIONED TO RECEIVE SAID LOCKDOWN ASSEMBLY IN TELESCOPIC ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH; LOCKING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID LOCKDOWN ASSEMBLY AND BEING MOVEABLE WITH RESPECT THERETO INTO AND OUT OF LOCKED ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LOCKDOWN RECEIVER WHEN SAID ASSEMBLY IS IN TELESCOPIC ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RECEIVER; FLUID PRESSURE OPERATED ACTUATING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID LOCKDOWN ASSEMBLY AND OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID LOCKING MEANS TO MOVE SAID LOCKING MEANS AT LEAST TO UNLOCKED DISENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RECEIVER; SAID MANIFOLD INCLUDING AT LEAST TWO SEPARATE PASSAGEWAYS FOR CONDUCTING PRESSURIZED FLUID TO SAID ACTUATING MEANS, AND PASSAGEWAYS PROVIDING A PRIMARY AND A SECONDARY FLUID CONDUIT MEANS TO PROVIDE A SOURCE OF PRESSURE FLUID TO AT LEAST UNLOCK SAID ACTUATING MEANS, THE VOLUMETRIC FLOW CAPACITY OF SAID PRIMARY FLUID CONDUIT MEANS BEING LESS THAN THE VOLUMETRIC FLOW CAPACITY OF SAID SECONDARY FLUID CONDUIT MEANS, SAID PRIMARY FLUID CONDUIT MEANS EXTENDABLE TO A PRIMARY EXTERNAL SOURCE OF FLUID UNDER PRESSURE; AND RUPTURABLE DIAPHRAGM MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID SECONDARY CONDUIT MEANS OF SAID MANIFOLD MEANS AND THE INTERIOR OF THE CONDUIT.