Apparatus for remotely joining underwater pipelines

Claim 2

Apparatus for the underwater coupling of a pair of pipelines on the sea bottom remotely actuated from the water surface comprising: a frame; frame stabilizing and support means depending from said frame for maintaining said frame in a stabilized upright position on the sea bottom; first clamping means mounted on said frame for retaining the first of said pair of pipelines in overlapping relationship with the second of said pipelines; second clamping means mounted on said frame adapted to secure the second of said pipelines in a fixed, predetermined position to said frame and in overlapped relationship with the first of said pair of pipelines; pipe cutting means mounted on said frame for cutting off the overlapped portion of the first of said pipelines; coaxial alignment means mounted on said frame for coaxially aligning the cutoff end of the first of said pipelines with respect to the second of said pipelines; joining means operatively engaging said frame and adapted to securely join the first of said pipelines in fixed, coaxial relationship with the second of said pipelines; and remote actuating means extending from said frame to said water surface for remotely actuating all of said first and second clamping means, said pipe cutting means, said coaxial alignment means and said joining means.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 including a guideline attached to the first of said pipelines, said frame further including cooperating guide means adapted to coact with said guideline attached to the first of said pipelines for clamping and guiding the frame into engagement with the first of said pipelines.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 including propulsion means mounted on said frame for moving sAid frame through a body of water.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein both of said clamping means includes hydraulically actuated cylinders for operating said clamping means.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cutting means comprises a sawing unit having a cutting blade adapted to engage the overlapped portion of the first of said pipeline.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the cutting blade is prealigned on the frame so that it is adapted to cut in substantially the same plane as the free end of the second of said pipelines.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 1 including clearing means mounted on said frame for clearing the cutoff portion of the first of said pipelines free of said frame.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the coaxial alignment means includes preset prime mover means adapted to pivot the first clamping means retaining the cutoff end of the first of said pipelines a fixed distance, such that said cutoff end is moved in a direction normal to the longitudinal axis of said pipelines thereby coaxially aligning the first of said pipelines with the second of said pipelines.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said frame includes cutoff end preparing means mounted thereon adapted to prepare the cutoff end of the first of said pipelines for subsequent joining to the second of said pipelines.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the cutoff end preparing means includes a die flange attached to said cutoff end preparing means and adapted to be inserted onto the cutoff end of the first of said pipelines prior to coaxial alignment of the first of said pipelines with the second of said pipelines; and flange forming means coupled to said die flange adapted to form a flange on the cutoff end of the first of said pipelines.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the cutoff end preparing means further includes machining means adapted to machine the cutoff end to the predetermined inner diameter of the die flange.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the flange forming means includes an explosive charge adapted to cooperate with said die flange to form said flange on the cutoff end of the first of said pipelines.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said joining means includes a weld flange welded to the free end of the second of said pipelines; said weld flange being adapted to abut against said die flange in sealing engagement when said pipelines are coaxially aligned; and third clamping means mounted on said frame and adapted to engage both of said weld and die flanges to form an axial cam and pull said weld and die flanges into sealing engagement with each other and with said pipelines.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said third clamping mean is a hinge split clamp locked in a preloaded condition on said frame; said frame further includes split clamp moving means mounted on said frame and adapted to move said split clamp into engagement with said weld and die flanges; and prime mover closing means for closing said split clamp about said weld and die flanges.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the cutoff end preparing means includes machining means adapted to form a circumferential groove in the outer wall of said cutoff end; the free end of the second of said pipelines further including a similar circumferential groove; and said joining means including a third clamping means having projection means thereto adapted to engage both of said grooves.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said third clamping means is a hinged split clamp locked in a preloaded condition on said frame; split clamp moving means mounted on said frame and adapted to move said split clamp into engagement with said grooves; and prime mover closing means for closing said split clamp so that the projection means engage said grooves thereby sealing said split clamp about both of said pipelines.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the joining means includes externally insulated mold sleeve means adapted to surround both the cutoff end of the first of said pipelines and the free ends of the second of said pipelines when said pipelines are in coaxial alignment with one another; said mold sleeve means being adapted to form a mold cavity between the inner wall of said mold sleeve means and the outer walls of said pipelines; a reaction chamber adapted to contain therein a thermit mixture in communication with said mold sleeve means and having a reaction chamber conduit communicating with said mold cavity; air inlet means operatively engaging both said reaction chamber and said mold cavity for introducing air through said chamber and into said cavity; a receiver communicating with said mold sleeve means and having a receiver conduit communicating with said mold cavity; a vent operatively engaging said receiver; a one-way valve permitting flow from the receiver to the vent located between said vent and said receiver; and insulated expandable backing ring means carried by the second of said pipelines and adapted to be moved into sealing abutting engagement with the inner walls of both of said pipelines adjacent to the juncture of said pipelines when they are in coaxial relationship with each other.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said thermit mixture consists basically of iron oxide and aluminum; valve means located in the reaction chamber conduit adapted to control the introduction of the molten metal resulting from the ignition of said thermit mixture within said chamber into said cavity; and a fusible tapping plug located between said reaction chamber and said reaction chamber conduit and bypassed by the air from said air inlet means for allowing the slag resulting from the ignition of the thermit mixture to float to the top of the reaction chamber after completion of the reaction.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the reaction chamber is located on the upper portion of said mold sleeve means and the receiver is located on the lower portion of said mold sleeve means.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the reaction chamber is located on the lower portion of said mold sleeve means and the receiver is located on the upper portion of said mold sleeve means.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said mold sleeve means includes a hinged split sleeve; and split sleeve moving means mounted on said frame and adapted to move said split sleeve into engagement with the juxtaposed ends of said pipelines when they are in coaxial relationship with one another.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 21 including a ceramic lining located in the mold cavity.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said mold sleeve means includes a solid cylindrical sleeve; and sleeve moving means mounted on said frame and adapted to move said sleeve into engagement with the juxtaposed ends of said pipelines when they are in coaxial relationship with one another.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 17 including auxiliary heating means cooperating with said mold sleeve means for selectively heating predetermined portions of said mold sleeve means.