Pontoon support for over-the-water pipelines

Claim 1

AN ASSEMBLY FOR SUPPORTING SECTIONS OF PIPELINE HAVING UNIVERSALLY CONNECTED ENDS ABOVE THE SURFACE OF A BODY OF WATER FOR LIMITED ARTICULATED MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER ABOUT SAID ENDS, COMPRISING: (A) A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED FRAMEWORKS DISPOSED IN PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OF SAID SECTIONS, SAID FRAMEWORKS EACH COMPRISING: (1) A BASE PORTION; (2) THREE MOUNTS DISPOSED ON SAID BASE PORTION IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE, SAID MOUNTS BEING SPACED RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER TO DEFINE THE APEXES OF A TRIANGULAR CONFIGURATION; AND, (3) AN UPSTANDING PORTION FIXED TO AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BASE PORTION; (B) MEANS ON THE UPSTANDING PORTION OF EACH OF SAID FRAMEWORKS PENDULOUSLY SUSPENDING THE SECTION OF PIPELINE WHICH IS IN PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH; (C) FIRST PONTOON MEANS SECURED, RESPECTIVELY, TO AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM A PAIR OF SAID MOUNTS ON EACH FRAMEWORK ALONG A LINE EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO AND TO ONE SIDE OF THE SECTION OF PIPELINE SUSPENDED THEREFROM FOR FREE PIVOTAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID FRAMEWORK ABOUT AN AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID SECTION; (D) SECOND PONTOON MEANS SECURED TO AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE REMAINING MOUNT ON EACH FRAMEWORK ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SECTION OF PIPELINE SUSPENDED THEREFROM FOR FREE PIVOTAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID FRAMEWORK ABOUT AN AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID SECTION; AND WHEREIN, (E) SAID FIRST AND SECOND PONTOON MEANS AER OF SUFFICIENT BUOYANCY TO SUPPORT SAID FRAMEWORK AND SECTIONS OF PIPELINE SUSPENDED THEREFROM ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE BODY OF WATER; AND, (F) THE FRAMEWORKS DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE UNIVERSALLY CONNECTED ENDS OF THE SECTIONS OF SAID PIPELINE ARE JOINED TOGETHER FOR LIMITED ARTICULATED MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER.