US3693729A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Air cushion drilling vehicle
Assignee: Global Marine Inc
•
Filing: 1970-02-19
•
Granted: 1972-09-26
•
Expires: 1990-02-19
Abstract
Abstract An air cushion vehicle particularly useful for a drilling rig for oil wells and the like employed in arctic environments having open water, muskeg, ice, snow, and tundra is described. The vehicle includes a watertight compartmented chassis or platform about which is provided a flexible skirt for cooperation with a surface for minimizing air leakage therebetween. Means are provided on the platform for supplying a volume of air under pressure to the region within the skirt for raising the pressure thereunder and thereby lifting the principal portion of the weight of the platform. Wheels are also provided for resiliently applying a force to the surface on which the vehicle rides to provide sufficient contact with the surface to provide control of the vehicle as it is towed. The means for supplying air comprises blowers selectively connected to prime movers, such as diesel engines, which are also selectively connectable to the draw works of the drill rig. The drill rig also includes a tower foldable between an erect drilling position and a lowered transporting position with the mode of folding such that the transverse center of gravity of the tower is not significantly shifted between these two positions. Means are also described for launching the air cushion vehicle from a ship and for preparing an arctic drilling site for the air cushion supported drilling rig.
Inventors
- 👤 Leon C Blurton
- 👤 Saverio J Cina
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 12:27
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B15/00; B; B60; B60V; B60V3/00; B60V3/02; B60V3/025; F; F02; F02B; F02B3/00; F02B3/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
129 words
A portable unitized drilling station comprising: a platform; a drill tower mounted on the platform for drilling oil wells and the like, said drill tower being foldable between an erect drilling position and a lowered transporting position, and wherein the center of gravity of the drill tower is substantially on a common vertical line in both the erect and lowered positions; a drill well aperture through the platform beneath the drill tower; means for temporarily sealing the drill well aperture; flexible skirt means around the periphery of the platform for cooperation with a surface for minimizing air flow therebetween; and means for supplying air under pressure within the skirt means for maintaining sufficient pressure therein to support a major portion of the weight of the platform and drilling tower.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
129 words
A portable unitized drilling station comprising: a platform; a drill tower mounted on the platform for drilling oil wells and the like, said drill tower being foldable between an erect drilling position and a lowered transporting position, and wherein the center of gravity of the drill tower is substantially on a common vertical line in both the erect and lowered positions; a drill well aperture through the platform beneath the drill tower; means for temporarily sealing the drill well aperture; flexible skirt means around the periphery of the platform for cooperation with a surface for minimizing air flow therebetween; and means for supplying air under pressure within the skirt means for maintaining sufficient pressure therein to support a major portion of the weight of the platform and drilling tower.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
53 words
A portable drilling station as defined in claim 1 further comprising: a plurality of wheels within the skirt means and beneath the vehicle; and means for resiliently biasing the wheels downwardly from the vehicle with a selected force equal to a uniform minor portion of the weight of the platform and drilling tower.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
77 words
A portable drilling station as defined in claim 2 wherein the plurality of wheels comprises: a first wheel; means for biasing the first wheel downwardly from the station; a secOnd wheel substantially coaxial with the first wheel, the center of gravity of the portable drilling station being approximately over a line between the first and second wheels; and means for biasing the second wheel downwardly from the station for motion independent of motion of the first wheel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
67 words
A portable drilling station as defined in claim 1 further comprising: a mounting frame movably connected to the platform and extending through the flexible skirt means; sealing means for preventing air leakage between the skirt means and the mounting frame; a fluid actuator for moving the mounting frame; and a wheel rotatably mounted on the outer end of the mounting frame for selectively contacting a supporting surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
160 words
A portable unitized drilling station comprising: a platform; drilling means mounted on the platform for drilling oil wells and the like; a drill well aperture through the platform beneath the drill means; means for temporarily sealing the drill well aperture; flexible skirt means around the periphery of the platform for cooperation with a surface for minimizing air flow therebetween; means for supplying air under pressure within the skirt means for maintaining sufficient pressure therein to support a major portion of the weight of the platform and drilling means; a plurality of wheels for contacting a supporting surface; and means for selectively moving the surface engaging means into and out of contact with the surface and for resiliently biasing the wheels downwardly with a selected force equal to a minor portion of the weight of the platform and drilling means comprising a hydraulic actuator connected to the wheels and a pneumatic accumulator for supplying a preselected pressure to the hydraulic actuator.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
160 words
A portable unitized drilling station comprising: a platform; drilling means mounted on the platform for drilling oil wells and the like; a drill well aperture through the platform beneath the drill means; means for temporarily sealing the drill well aperture; flexible skirt means around the periphery of the platform for cooperation with a surface for minimizing air flow therebetween; means for supplying air under pressure within the skirt means for maintaining sufficient pressure therein to support a major portion of the weight of the platform and drilling means; a plurality of wheels for contacting a supporting surface; and means for selectively moving the surface engaging means into and out of contact with the surface and for resiliently biasing the wheels downwardly with a selected force equal to a minor portion of the weight of the platform and drilling means comprising a hydraulic actuator connected to the wheels and a pneumatic accumulator for supplying a preselected pressure to the hydraulic actuator.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A portable drilling station as defined in claim 5 further comprising means for towing the drilling station from one location to another.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
A portable drilling station as defined in claim 6 comprising a plurality of watertight compartments having sufficient buoyancy for floating the platform in water.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
53 words
A portable drilling station as defined in claim 5 wherein the drilling means includes a motor and wherein the means for supplying air is selectably connectable to the motor whereby the same motor is used during drilling operations for powering the drill means and during transport for powering the means for supplying air.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
222 words
A portable unitized drilling station comprising: a platform; drilling means mounted on the platform for drilling oil wells and the like; the drilling means comprising: a drill tower mounted on the platform, said drill tower being foldable between an erect drilling position and a lowered transporting position, and wherein the center of gravity of the drill tower is substantially on a common vertical line in both the erect and lowered positions; a motor; a draw works; means for selectively connecting the motor to the draw works; and means for selectively connecting to the motor to the means for supplying air; flexible skirt means around the periphery of the platform for cooperation with a surface for minimizing air flow therebetween; means for supplying air under pressure within the skirt means for maintaining sufficient pressure therein to support a major portion of the weight of the platform and drilling means; a plurality of wheels for contacting a supporting surface; means for moving the wheels into contact with a surface comprising a hydraulic actuator connected to the wheels and a pneumatic accumulator for supplying pressure to the hydraulic actuator for resiliently biasing the wheels downwardly with a selected force equal to a minor portion of the weight of the platform and drilling means, and means for towing the drilling station from one location to another.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
222 words
A portable unitized drilling station comprising: a platform; drilling means mounted on the platform for drilling oil wells and the like; the drilling means comprising: a drill tower mounted on the platform, said drill tower being foldable between an erect drilling position and a lowered transporting position, and wherein the center of gravity of the drill tower is substantially on a common vertical line in both the erect and lowered positions; a motor; a draw works; means for selectively connecting the motor to the draw works; and means for selectively connecting to the motor to the means for supplying air; flexible skirt means around the periphery of the platform for cooperation with a surface for minimizing air flow therebetween; means for supplying air under pressure within the skirt means for maintaining sufficient pressure therein to support a major portion of the weight of the platform and drilling means; a plurality of wheels for contacting a supporting surface; means for moving the wheels into contact with a surface comprising a hydraulic actuator connected to the wheels and a pneumatic accumulator for supplying pressure to the hydraulic actuator for resiliently biasing the wheels downwardly with a selected force equal to a minor portion of the weight of the platform and drilling means, and means for towing the drilling station from one location to another.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
101 words
A portable unitized drilling station comprising: a platform; drilling means mounted on the platform for drIlling oil wells and the like; a drill well aperture through the platform beneath the drill means; means for temporarily sealing the drill well aperture; flexible skirt means around the periphery of the platform for cooperation with a surface for minimizing air flow therebetween; means for supplying air under pressure within the skirt means for maintaining sufficient pressure therein to support a major portion of the weight of the platform and drilling means; and means for cooling a surface beneath the station for providing ice thereunder.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
101 words
A portable unitized drilling station comprising: a platform; drilling means mounted on the platform for drIlling oil wells and the like; a drill well aperture through the platform beneath the drill means; means for temporarily sealing the drill well aperture; flexible skirt means around the periphery of the platform for cooperation with a surface for minimizing air flow therebetween; means for supplying air under pressure within the skirt means for maintaining sufficient pressure therein to support a major portion of the weight of the platform and drilling means; and means for cooling a surface beneath the station for providing ice thereunder.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
62 words
A portable drilling station as defined in claim 10 wherein the drilling means comprises a drill tower mounted on the platform, said drill tower being foldable between an erect drilling position and a lowered transporting position, and wherein the center of gravity of the drill tower is substantially on a common vertical line in both the erect and in the lowered positions.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
111 words
A portable unitized drilling station comprising: a platform; drilling means mounted on the platform for drilling oil wells and the like; a drill well aperture through the platform beneath the drill means; means for temporarily sealing the drill well aperture; flexible skirt means around the periphery of the platform for cooperation with a surface for minimizing air flow therebetween; means for supplying air under pressure within the skirt means for maintaining sufficient pressure therein to support a major portion of the weight of the platform and drilling means; surface engaging means for contacting a supporting surface; and means for providing a frozen base thereunder with sufficient strength to support the station.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
111 words
A portable unitized drilling station comprising: a platform; drilling means mounted on the platform for drilling oil wells and the like; a drill well aperture through the platform beneath the drill means; means for temporarily sealing the drill well aperture; flexible skirt means around the periphery of the platform for cooperation with a surface for minimizing air flow therebetween; means for supplying air under pressure within the skirt means for maintaining sufficient pressure therein to support a major portion of the weight of the platform and drilling means; surface engaging means for contacting a supporting surface; and means for providing a frozen base thereunder with sufficient strength to support the station.
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) | 1975-09-26 | 1976-03-27 | 1976-09-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-09-26 | 1980-03-27 | 1980-09-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-09-26 | 1984-03-27 | 1984-09-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |