Methods and apparatus for laying elongate flexible means on a submerged surface

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR LAYING ELONGATED, FLEXIBLE MEANS ON A SUBMERGED SURFACE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: FLOATING VESSEL MEANS; ELONGATED, UNITARY RAMP MEANS; CONNECTING MEANS PIVOTABLY ATTACHING SAID ELONGATE RAMP MEANS TO SAID FLOATING VESSEL MEANS SUCH THAT SAID RAMP MEANS EXTENDS LONGITUDINALLY AWAY FROM SAID FLOATING VESSEL MEANS AND IS PIVOTABLE ABOUT A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS; SAID RAMP MEANS HAVING AT LEAST A PORTION SUBMERGED AND INCLINED RELATIVE TO A HORIZONTAL PLANE, AND A LOWER END TERMINATING ABOVE SAID SUBMERGED SURFACE; FIRST SUPPORT MEANS ON SAID FLOATING VESSEL MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A PORTION OF ELONGATE, FLEXIBLE MEANS FOR AXIAL, SLIDABLE MOVEMENT THEREALONG WITH THE AXIS OF SAID PORTION EXTENDING IN A GENERALLY STRAIGHT LINE; SECOND SUPPORT MEANS ON SAID FLOATING VESSEL MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A PORTION OF ELONGATE, FLEXIBLE MEANS FOR AXIAL, SLIDABLE MOVEMENT THEREALONG WITH THE AXIS OF SAID PORTION BEING CURVED; THIRD SUPPORT MEANS CARRIED BY SAID RAMP MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A PORTION OF ELONGATE, FLEXIBLE MEANS FOR AXIAL, SLIDABLE MOVEMENT THEREALONG WITH THE AXIS OF SAID PORTION EXTENDING IN A GENERALLY STRAIGHT LINE; SAID RAMP MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY INDEPENDENT COMPARTMENT MEANS DISPLACED LONGITUDINALLY THEREALONG; FIRST BUOYANCY ADJUSTING MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY AND INDEPENDENTLY SUPPLYING BALLAST TO EACH OF A PLURALITY OF SAID COMPARTMENT MEANS; SECOND BUOYANCY ADJUSTING MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY AND INDEPENDENTLY REMOVING BALLAST FROM EACH OF A PLURALITY OF SAID COMPARTMENT MEANS; CONTROL MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID FIRST AND SECOND BUOYANCY ADJUSTING MEANS SO AS TO ADJUST THE INCLINATION OF AT LEAST A SUBMERGED AND INCLINED PORTION OF SAID RAMP MEANS TO A PREDETERMINED POSITION, TO MAINTAIN SAID POSITION, AND TO MAINTAIN THE LOWER END OF SAID RAMP MEANS AT A PREDETERMINED ELEVATION ABOVE SAID SUBMERGED SURFACE; AND SAID CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING SEPARATE CONTROLS FOR FIRST AND SECOND BUOYANCY ADJUSTING MEANS FOR EACH OF A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY DISPLACED COMPARTMENT MEANS WHEREBY AN UPWARDLY DIRECTED BUOYANT FORCE EXERTED BY EACH OF SAID PLURALITY OF COMPARTMENT MEANS MAY BE SELECTIVELY AND INDEPENDENTLY VARIED.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR LAYING ELONGATED, FLEXIBLE MEANS ON A SUBMERGED SURFACE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: FLOATING VESSEL MEANS; ELONGATED, UNITARY RAMP MEANS; CONNECTING MEANS PIVOTABLY ATTACHING SAID ELONGATE RAMP MEANS TO SAID FLOATING VESSEL MEANS SUCH THAT SAID RAMP MEANS EXTENDS LONGITUDINALLY AWAY FROM SAID FLOATING VESSEL MEANS AND IS PIVOTABLE ABOUT A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS; SAID RAMP MEANS HAVING AT LEAST A PORTION SUBMERGED AND INCLINED RELATIVE TO A HORIZONTAL PLANE, AND A LOWER END TERMINATING ABOVE SAID SUBMERGED SURFACE; FIRST SUPPORT MEANS ON SAID FLOATING VESSEL MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A PORTION OF ELONGATE, FLEXIBLE MEANS FOR AXIAL, SLIDABLE MOVEMENT THEREALONG WITH THE AXIS OF SAID PORTION EXTENDING IN A GENERALLY STRAIGHT LINE; SECOND SUPPORT MEANS ON SAID FLOATING VESSEL MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A PORTION OF ELONGATE, FLEXIBLE MEANS FOR AXIAL, SLIDABLE MOVEMENT THEREALONG WITH THE AXIS OF SAID PORTION BEING CURVED; THIRD SUPPORT MEANS CARRIED BY SAID RAMP MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A PORTION OF ELONGATE, FLEXIBLE MEANS FOR AXIAL, SLIDABLE MOVEMENT THEREALONG WITH THE AXIS OF SAID PORTION EXTENDING IN A GENERALLY STRAIGHT LINE; SAID RAMP MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY INDEPENDENT COMPARTMENT MEANS DISPLACED LONGITUDINALLY THEREALONG; FIRST BUOYANCY ADJUSTING MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY AND INDEPENDENTLY SUPPLYING BALLAST TO EACH OF A PLURALITY OF SAID COMPARTMENT MEANS; SECOND BUOYANCY ADJUSTING MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY AND INDEPENDENTLY REMOVING BALLAST FROM EACH OF A PLURALITY OF SAID COMPARTMENT MEANS; CONTROL MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID FIRST AND SECOND BUOYANCY ADJUSTING MEANS SO AS TO ADJUST THE INCLINATION OF AT LEAST A SUBMERGED AND INCLINED PORTION OF SAID RAMP MEANS TO A PREDETERMINED POSITION, TO MAINTAIN SAID POSITION, AND TO MAINTAIN THE LOWER END OF SAID RAMP MEANS AT A PREDETERMINED ELEVATION ABOVE SAID SUBMERGED SURFACE; AND SAID CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING SEPARATE CONTROLS FOR FIRST AND SECOND BUOYANCY ADJUSTING MEANS FOR EACH OF A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY DISPLACED COMPARTMENT MEANS WHEREBY AN UPWARDLY DIRECTED BUOYANT FORCE EXERTED BY EACH OF SAID PLURALITY OF COMPARTMENT MEANS MAY BE SELECTIVELY AND INDEPENDENTLY VARIED.