Articulated structural support linkage

Claim 2

Offshore apparatus comprising a tower structure including a base affixed to a marine bottom and a tower pivotally connected to said base; a conductor pipe anchored at least adjacent said bottom, situated adjacent and substantially parallel to said tower, and supported laterally and slidably by at least one conductor pipe support attached to said tower near the lower end thereof; and a means articulately connecting said tower structure to a point proximate the midpoint of a span of conductor pipe defined between said anchored point and said lower conductor pipe support, said means providing sufficient lateral support to said pipe span to prevent buckling and controlling the configuration of said pipe span as the tower sways to prevent bending stress within said pipe span from attaining a level that will cause the pipe to fail.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined by claim 1 in which said articulatable means forces said pipe span to bend in a configuration approaching that of an arc having a constant radius of curvature over any segment between the ends of said span, said radius of curvature being smaller than that of any other segment along said conductor pipE.

Claim 4

Offshore apparatus comprising a tower structure including a base affixed to a marine bottom and a tower pivotally connected to said base; at least one conductor pipe support attached to the tower and adapted to slidably support a conductor pipe, at least one conductor pipe adjacent and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tower and laterally supported by at least one said conductor pipe support, and a means articulately connecting said tower structure to a span of conductor pipe situated in close proximity to said pivotal connection, said means providing sufficient lateral support to said pipe span to prevent buckling and controlling the configuration of said pipe span as the tower sways to prevent bending stress within the pipe span from attaining a level that will cause the pipe to fail, said means including, a. a support frame situated in proximity to said pivotal connection and having at least one conductor pipe support member attached thereto; b. a first plurality of rigid members spaced about said frame, each said member having one end articulately connected to said frame and the opposite end articulately connected to said base; and c. a second plurality of rigid members spaced about said frame, each said member having one end articulately connected to said frame and the opposite end articulately connected to said tower.

Claim 5

Offshore apparatus comprising a tower structure including a base affixed to a marine bottom and a tower pivotally connected to said base; at least one conductor pipe support attached to the tower and adapted to slidably support a conductor pipe, at least one conductor pipe adjacent and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tower and laterally supported by at least one said conductor pipe support, and a means articulately connecting said tower structure to a span of conductor pipe situated in close proximity to said pivotal connection, said means providing sufficient lateral support to said pipe span to prevent buckling and controlling the configuration of said pipe span as the tower sways to prevent bending stress within the pipe span from attaining a level that will cause the pipe to fail, said means including, a. a support frame situated in proximity to said pivotal connection and having at least one conductor pipe support member attached thereto; b. a first plurality of rigid members spaced about said frame, each said member having one end articulately connected to said frame and the opposite end articulately connected to said base; and c. a second plurality of rigid members spaced about said frame, each said member having one end articulately connected to said frame and the opposite end articulately connected to said tower.

Claim 6

In an offshore structure of the type which includes a base anchored to a submerged bottom, a first vertical member pivotally connected to the base, a second vertical member affixed to and extending upwardly from said bottom that is both adjacent and substantially parallel to said first vertical member and is laterally supported by at least one support member attached to said first vertical member, the improvement comprising an articulatable means adapted to connect a span of said second vertical member proximate said pivotal connection to said structure, said means providing sufficient lateral support to prevent said span from buckling and forcing said span to bend with a radius of curvature such that bending stress within the span will not attain a level that will cause said second vertical member to fail when said first member pivots, and said means including, a. a frame having at least one support sleeve attached thereto; b. a first plurality of rigid members spaced about said frame, each said rigid member having one end articulately connected to said frame and the other articulately connected to said base; and c. a second plurality of rigid members spaced about said frame, each said member having one end connected to said frame and the other articulately connected to said first vertical member.

Claim 7

In an offshore structure of the type which includes a base anchored to a submerged bottom, a first vertical member pivotally connected to the base, a second vertical member affixed to and extending upwardly from said bottom that is both adjacent and substantially parallel to said first vertical member and is laterally supported by at least one support member attached to said first vertical member, the improvement comprising an articulatable means adapted to connect a span of said second vertical member proximate said pivotal connection to said structure, said means providing sufficient lateral support to prevent said span from buckling and forcing said span to bend with a radius of curvature such that bending stress within the span will not attain a level that will cause said second vertical member to fail when said first member pivots, and said means including, a. a frame having at least one support sleeve attached thereto; b. a first plurality of rigid members spaced about said frame, each said rigid member having one end articulately connected to said frame and the other articulately connected to said base; and c. a second plurality of rigid members spaced about said frame, each said member having one end connected to said frame and the other articulately connected to said first vertical member.