Offshore platforms and method of installing same

Claim 1

AN OFFSHORE PLATFORM ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED WORKING PLATFORM, A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART AND VERTICALLY DISPOSED ELONGATED HOLLOW PYLONS EACH MOUNTED FOR VERTICAL SLIDABLE MOVEMENT THROUGH SAID PLATFROM, RELEASABLE CONNECTION MEANS BETWEEN SAID PLATFORM AND EACH OF THE RESPECTIVE OF SAID PYLONS, SAID RELEASABLE CONNECTION MEANS AT EACH PYLON BEING ENGAGEABLE AND DISENGAGEABLE INDEPENDENTLY OF ANY OTHER WHEREBY EACH PYLON IS INDEPENDENTLY SLIDABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID PLATFORM, A PLURALITY OF HEAVY BUT FLOATABLE HOLLOW AND ENCLOSED TANKS CORRESPONDING IN NUMBER AND RESPECTIVELY SURROUNDING EACH OF THE SAID PLURALITY OF PYLONS, THE BUOYANCY CAPACITY OF SAID TANKS BEING ADEQUATE TO FLOATABLY SUPPORT SAID ASSEMBLY, SAID TANKS BEING DISPOSED BELOW SAID PLATFORM AND IN UNATTACHED AND SUBSTANTIALLY SLIDABLE RELATION WITH RESPECT TO ITS ASSOCIATED PYLON, A TANK SUPERSTRUCTURE FRAMEWORK RIGIDLY ATTACHING SAID TANKS TOGETHER AND PROJECTING UPWARDLY FROM SAID TANKS TO SUPPORT SAID PLATFROM AT A PRESELECTED ELEVATION A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE ABOVE THE NORMAL WATERLINE OF SAID TANKS WHEN FLOATABLY SUPPORTING SAID ASSEMBLY, SECOND RELEASABLE CONNECTION MEANS BETWEEN SAID TANK SUPERSTRUCTURE FRAMEWORK AND SAID PLATFORM, SAID SECOND RELEASABLE CONNECTION MEANS WHEN RELEASED PORVIDING COMPLETE DETACHMENT OF SAID SUPERSTRUCTURE FROM SAID PLATFROM AND BEING OPERABLE INDEPENDENTLY OF ANY OF THE FIRST SAID RELEASABLE CONNECTION MEANS BETWEEN SAID PLATFORM AND THE RESPECTIVE OF SAID PYLONS, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING AND EXPELLING WATER INTO AND OUT FROM EACH OF SAID TANKS, AND MEANS FOR INTRODUCING AND EXPELLING WATER INTO AND OUT FROM EACH OF SAID PYLONS, SAID PYLONS BEING UNOBSTRUCTED ALONG THEIR RESPECTIVE LENGTHS EXTENDING BELOW SAID PLATFORM WHEREBY SAID TANKS AND SUPERSTRUCTURE FRAMEWORK ARE FREELY SLIDABLE WITH RESPECT TO ALL OF SAID PYLONS BETWEEN SAID PLATFORM AND SUBSTANTIALLY THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID PYLONS.