US3633369A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for transporting and launching an offshore tower
Assignee: Brown and Root Inc
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Filing: 1970-04-20
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Granted: 1972-01-11
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Expires: 1990-04-20
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for transporting an offshore tower to a working site upon one or more articulated strings of freely pivotally connected flotation chambers. At a desired site, the flotation chambers are sequentially flooded to controllably lower the tower into the body of water. The flotation string may then be disconnected from the tower and controllably sequentially refloated for subsequent reuse.
Inventors
- 👤 Joseph Benton Lawrence
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 17:27
CPC Classifications
B; B63; B63B; B63B35/00; B63B35/003; E; E02; E02B; E02B17/00; E02B17/02; E02B17/027; B63B1/00; B63B1/02; B63B1/10; B63B1/12; B63B1/125; B63B2001/126; B63B35/28; B63B35/285; E02B2017/0039
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
239 words
An offshore tower transport and launching apparatus comprising: a first plurality of generally hollow elongate flotation vessels, each vessel having a longitudinal axis and said vessels being pivotally connected in substantially axial alignment for connection to the lateral surface of an offshore tower whereby the longitudinal axis of the offshore tower is substantially parallel to the aligned axes of the elongate flotation vessels; a second plurality of generally hollow elongate flotation vessels, each vessel having a longitudinal axis and said vessels being pivotally connected in substantially axial alignment for connection to the lateral surface of an offshore tower whereby the longitudinal axis of the offshore tower is substantially parallel to the aligned axes of the elongate flotation vessels; means for fixedly interconnecting corresponding vessels of said first plurality of flotation vessels with said second plurality of flotation vessels in a generally parallel posture; means for releasably connecting said first and second plurality of flotation vessels to the lateral surface of the offshore tower; means for selectively admitting fluid into each of said flotation vessels to submerge said vessels and the offshore tower within the body of water; means for simultaneously disconnecting in a submerged posture each of said flotation vessels from the lateral surface of the offshore tower; and means for selectively jettisoning fluid from the interior of each of said flotation vessels to induce the ascent of said vessels from a submerged posture in the body of water.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
239 words
An offshore tower transport and launching apparatus comprising: a first plurality of generally hollow elongate flotation vessels, each vessel having a longitudinal axis and said vessels being pivotally connected in substantially axial alignment for connection to the lateral surface of an offshore tower whereby the longitudinal axis of the offshore tower is substantially parallel to the aligned axes of the elongate flotation vessels; a second plurality of generally hollow elongate flotation vessels, each vessel having a longitudinal axis and said vessels being pivotally connected in substantially axial alignment for connection to the lateral surface of an offshore tower whereby the longitudinal axis of the offshore tower is substantially parallel to the aligned axes of the elongate flotation vessels; means for fixedly interconnecting corresponding vessels of said first plurality of flotation vessels with said second plurality of flotation vessels in a generally parallel posture; means for releasably connecting said first and second plurality of flotation vessels to the lateral surface of the offshore tower; means for selectively admitting fluid into each of said flotation vessels to submerge said vessels and the offshore tower within the body of water; means for simultaneously disconnecting in a submerged posture each of said flotation vessels from the lateral surface of the offshore tower; and means for selectively jettisoning fluid from the interior of each of said flotation vessels to induce the ascent of said vessels from a submerged posture in the body of water.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
An offshore tower transport and launching apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further comprising: means connected to each of said flotation vessels for establishing a generally neutrally buoyant state of each of said flotation vessels upon said vessels being flooded.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
150 words
An offshore tower transport and launching apparatus comprising: a plurality of generally uniform submergible flotation vessels pivotally connected in tandem for transporting on a body of water an offshore tower to a desirable offshore work site and for submerging with the offshore tower at the work site to position the offshore tower in an erect posture within the body of water; means for admitting fluid into each of said flotation vessels to submerge said flotation tanks within the body of water; means for releasably disconnecting in a submerged posture each of said flotation vessels from the lateral surface of the offshore tower; and at least one chamber of compressed gas fixedly connected to each of said generally uniform flotation vessels and having a selectively operable control means connecting the interior of said flotation vessel and said at least one compressed gas chamber for controllably jettisoning fluid from said flotation vessel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
150 words
An offshore tower transport and launching apparatus comprising: a plurality of generally uniform submergible flotation vessels pivotally connected in tandem for transporting on a body of water an offshore tower to a desirable offshore work site and for submerging with the offshore tower at the work site to position the offshore tower in an erect posture within the body of water; means for admitting fluid into each of said flotation vessels to submerge said flotation tanks within the body of water; means for releasably disconnecting in a submerged posture each of said flotation vessels from the lateral surface of the offshore tower; and at least one chamber of compressed gas fixedly connected to each of said generally uniform flotation vessels and having a selectively operable control means connecting the interior of said flotation vessel and said at least one compressed gas chamber for controllably jettisoning fluid from said flotation vessel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
An offshore tower transport and launching apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein: said at least one chamber of compressed gas is positioned within the interior of said uniform flotation vessel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
An offshore tower transport and launching apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein: said at least one chamber of compressed gas connected to said generally uniform flotation vessel is dimensioned to provide neutral buoyancy of said flotation vessel when said flotation vessel is flooded.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
111 words
An offshore tower transport and launching apparatus comprising: an articulated string of freely pivotally connected flotation vessels adapted to ferry an offshore tower to a drilling site; means for releasably connecting each of said flotation vessels to a lateral surface of the offshore tower; means for selectively flooding each of said flotation vessels thus permitting said offshore tower to sink into the body of water; and a high pressure chamber positioned within the interior of each of said flotation vessels and having at least one selectively controlled aperture therein for providing communication from within the pressure chamber to the region between said pressure chamber and the shell of said flotation vessel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
111 words
An offshore tower transport and launching apparatus comprising: an articulated string of freely pivotally connected flotation vessels adapted to ferry an offshore tower to a drilling site; means for releasably connecting each of said flotation vessels to a lateral surface of the offshore tower; means for selectively flooding each of said flotation vessels thus permitting said offshore tower to sink into the body of water; and a high pressure chamber positioned within the interior of each of said flotation vessels and having at least one selectively controlled aperture therein for providing communication from within the pressure chamber to the region between said pressure chamber and the shell of said flotation vessel.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
An offshore tower transport and launching apparatus as defined in claim 6 and further comprising: at least another articulated string of freely pivotally connected flotation vessels as defined in claim 6 and fixedly connected in a generally parallel posture with respect thereto.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
107 words
A method of transporting and erecting an offshore tower comprising the steps of: floating the offshore tower to an offshore site upon at least one articulated string of pivotally connected flotation vessels connected along a lateral surface thereof; sequentially flooding each of said flotation vessels beginning with the vessel attached nearest to the bottom of the offshore tower to permit said offshore tower to descend within the body of water; disconnecting said flotation vessels from the submerged offshore tower; and sequentially blowing said flotation vessels beginning with the vessel nearest the surface of the body of water to induce said flotation vessels to rise to the surface.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
107 words
A method of transporting and erecting an offshore tower comprising the steps of: floating the offshore tower to an offshore site upon at least one articulated string of pivotally connected flotation vessels connected along a lateral surface thereof; sequentially flooding each of said flotation vessels beginning with the vessel attached nearest to the bottom of the offshore tower to permit said offshore tower to descend within the body of water; disconnecting said flotation vessels from the submerged offshore tower; and sequentially blowing said flotation vessels beginning with the vessel nearest the surface of the body of water to induce said flotation vessels to rise to the surface.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method of transporting and erecting an offshore tower as defined in claim 8 wherein: said flotation vessels are simultaneously disconnected from the submerged offshore tower.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method of transporting and erecting an offshore tower as defined in claim 8 and further comprising the step of: simultaneously with said step of sequential blowing towing said freely pivoted articulated string of flotation vessels away from the submerged tower.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method of transporting and erecting an ofFshore tower as defined in claim 8 and further comprising the step of: maintaining the flooding valve of each flotation vessel in the open position during the sequential flooding and blowing operations to minimize the pressure differential on the flotation vessels walls.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method of transporting and erecting an offshore tower as defined in claim 8 wherein: said step of sequentially flooding each of said flotation vessels proceeds only to the neutral buoyancy point of each of said flotation vessels.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
139 words
A method of transporting and erecting an offshore tower comprising the steps of: floating the offshore tower to an offshore site carried upon at least one articulated string of freely pivotally connected flotation vessels connected along a lateral surface thereof; sequentially flooding each of said flotation vessels to generally the point of neutral buoyancy beginning with the vessel attached nearest to the bottom of the offshore tower to permit said offshore tower to descend within the body of water; disconnecting said flotation vessels simultaneously from the submerged offshore tower; sequentially blowing the said flotation vessels beginning with the vessel nearest the surface of the body of water to induce said string of flotation vessels to rise to the surface; and simultaneously towing said at least one articulated string of freely pivotally connected flotation vessels away from the submerged tower.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
139 words
A method of transporting and erecting an offshore tower comprising the steps of: floating the offshore tower to an offshore site carried upon at least one articulated string of freely pivotally connected flotation vessels connected along a lateral surface thereof; sequentially flooding each of said flotation vessels to generally the point of neutral buoyancy beginning with the vessel attached nearest to the bottom of the offshore tower to permit said offshore tower to descend within the body of water; disconnecting said flotation vessels simultaneously from the submerged offshore tower; sequentially blowing the said flotation vessels beginning with the vessel nearest the surface of the body of water to induce said string of flotation vessels to rise to the surface; and simultaneously towing said at least one articulated string of freely pivotally connected flotation vessels away from the submerged tower.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method of transporting and erecting an offshore tower as defined in claim 13 and further comprising the step of: maintaining the flooding valve of each flotation vessel in the open position during the sequential flooding and blowing operations to minimize the pressure differential on the flotation vessels walls.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-01-10 | 1975-07-12 | 1976-01-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-01-10 | 1979-07-12 | 1980-01-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-01-10 | 1983-07-12 | 1984-01-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |