Single anchor leg single point mooring system

Claim 2

A single point mooring and cargo-handling system for tanker vessels which comprises, in combination: a mooring foundation anchored to the sea bottom, a mooring buoy capable of carrying a mooring load located at or near the surface of the sea including means for mooring the vessel directly thereto, anchor leg means for interconnecting said mooring buoy and said foundation in coaxial relation and capable of carrying a mooring load, said anchor leg means including a nonrotating rigid fluid conduit flexibly connected to said foundation and means for flexibly interconnecting said rigid fluid conduit and said buoy such that said buoy is held under tension, and means in operable communication with said rigid fluid conduit for transferring cargo to and from said rigid fluid conduit.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 wherein said anchor leg means comprises as a lower portion said rigid fluid conduit flexibly connected to said foundation and as an upper portion said means for flexibly interconnecting said rigid fluid conduit to said buoy, said upper portion comprising means for allowing said buoy to rotate with respect to said lower portion.

Claim 4

The system of claim 2 wherein said last-named means comprises swivel means and said upper portion further comprises restraint means directly connected between said swivel means and said buoy to permit said swivel meanS and said buoy to rotate in unison.

Claim 5

The system of claim 2 wherein said rigid fluid conduit is connected to said foundation by flexible restraint means for preventing said lower portion from rotating about a vertical axis with respect to said foundation.

Claim 6

The system of claim 4 wherein said flexible restraint means comprises a universal joint for permitting free pivotal movement of said rigid fluid conduit relative to said foundation.

Claim 7

A single point mooring and cargo-handling system for tanker vessels which comprises, in combination: a. a mooring foundation anchored to the sea bottom; b. a mooring buoy located at or near the surface of the sea including means adapted for mooring the vessel directly thereto; c. anchor leg means for interconnecting said buoy and said foundation about a common main axis and capable of carrying a mooring load, said anchor leg means comprising a lower portion and an upper portion, i. said lower portion including a nonrotating rigid fluid conduit flexibly connected to said foundation and a shaft rigidly attached to the top of said rigid fluid conduit, ii. said upper portion including flexible means for connecting said lower portion to said buoy, means for allowing said buoy to rotate with respect to said lower portion and swivel means surrounding said shaft and rotatably mounted thereon and having first conduit means communicating with said rigid fluid conduit, said shaft extending through said swivel means and secured to said flexible means; and d. means in operable communication with said rigid fluid conduit for transferring cargo to and from said rigid fluid conduit.

Claim 8

A single point mooring and cargo-handling system for tanker vessels which comprises, in combination: a. a mooring foundation anchored to the sea bottom; b. a mooring buoy located at or near the surface of the sea including means adapted for mooring the vessel directly thereto; c. anchor leg means for interconnecting said buoy and said foundation about a common main axis and capable of carrying a mooring load, said anchor leg means comprising a lower portion and an upper portion, i. said lower portion including a nonrotating rigid fluid conduit flexibly connected to said foundation and a shaft rigidly attached to the top of said rigid fluid conduit, ii. said upper portion including flexible means for connecting said lower portion to said buoy, means for allowing said buoy to rotate with respect to said lower portion and swivel means surrounding said shaft and rotatably mounted thereon and having first conduit means communicating with said rigid fluid conduit, said shaft extending through said swivel means and secured to said flexible means; and d. means in operable communication with said rigid fluid conduit for transferring cargo to and from said rigid fluid conduit.

Claim 9

The system of claim 6 wherein said rigid fluid conduit is connected to said foundation by flexible restraint means for preventing said lower portion from rotating about a vertical axis with respect to said foundation, said flexible restraint means comprising at least one spreader arm pivotally mounted to said rigid fluid conduit, and extending outwardly therefrom, and flexible tension means connecting said foundation with the outer ends of said spreader arm.

Claim 10

The system of claim 6 wherein said first conduit means communicates with second conduit means for transferring cargo to and from the moored vessel.

Claim 11

The system of claim 6 wherein said first conduit means communicates with flexible conduit means for transferring cargo to and from said buoy, and second conduit means are provided for transferring the cargo between said buoy and the moored vessel.

Claim 12

A single point mooring and cargo-handling system for tanker vessels which comprises, in combination: a. a mooring foundation anchored to the sea bottom; b. a mooring buoy located at or near the surface of the sea including means adapted for mooring the vessel directly thereto; c. anchor leg means for interconnecting said buoy and said foundation about a common main axis and capable of carrying a mooring load, said anchor leg means comprising a lower portion and an upper portion, i. said lower portion including a nonrotating rigid fluid conduit flexibly connected to said foundation and to said buoy, ii. said upper portion including flexible means for connecting said lower portion to said buoy, swivel means for allowing said buoy to rotate with respect to said lower portion, and restraint means directly connected between said swivel means and said buoy, said restraint means comprising at least one spreader arm pivotably attached to said swivel means and extending outwardly therefrom, and flexible tension means connecting the outer ends of said spreader arm with said buoy, said flexible tension means being of predetermined length so as to remain slack while said flexible means is tensioned by a mooring load, whereby said swivel means rotates in unison with said buoy, and d. means in operable communication with said rigid fluid conduit for transferring cargo to and from said rigid fluid conduit.

Claim 13

A single point mooring and cargo-handling system for tanker vessels which comprises, in combination: a. a mooring foundation anchored to the sea bottom; b. a mooring buoy located at or near the surface of the sea including means adapted for mooring the vessel directly thereto; c. anchor leg means for interconnecting said buoy and said foundation about a common main axis and capable of carrying a mooring load, said anchor leg means comprising a lower portion and an upper portion, i. said lower portion including a nonrotating rigid fluid conduit flexibly connected to said foundation and to said buoy, ii. said upper portion including flexible means for connecting said lower portion to said buoy, swivel means for allowing said buoy to rotate with respect to said lower portion, and restraint means directly connected between said swivel means and said buoy, said restraint means comprising at least one spreader arm pivotably attached to said swivel means and extending outwardly therefrom, and flexible tension means connecting the outer ends of said spreader arm with said buoy, said flexible tension means being of predetermined length so as to remain slack while said flexible means is tensioned by a mooring load, whereby said swivel means rotates in unison with said buoy, and d. means in operable communication with said rigid fluid conduit for transferring cargo to and from said rigid fluid conduit.

Claim 14

The system of claim 10 whereIn the connection between said rigid fluid conduit and said foundation includes restraint means comprising at least one spreader arm pivotally mounted with said rigid fluid conduit and extending outwardly therefrom, and flexible tension means connecting the outer ends of said restraint means to said foundation to prevent relative rotation between said rigid fluid conduit and said foundation.