Platform buoyant understructure

Claim 1

In a marine platform for use in an offshore body of water, comprising a pluraliTy of elongated, controlled buoyancy legs having engaging ends thereof, said platform being adapted to position said buoyant legs in horizontal or vertical disposition within said body of water, and anchor means removably connected to the engaging ends of said respective legs whereby to be supported in the water by said buoyant legs, or to position said platform when said anchor is lowered to a fixed location at the ocean floor with said legs in a substantially vertical disposition, said anchor means including a plurality of upstanding anchor posts positioned in alignment with said elongated legs when the latter are disposed in said vertical disposition, and cable means extending longitudinally of said legs and being connected to an anchor post whereby to operably connect said legs and said anchor means, the improvement therein of; a bearing ring including a body having a flange at one end thereof connected to said leg, guide passage means extending longitudinally of said body and terminating at an enlarged inlet aperture at said body end opposite to said flange, said guide passage means being progressively narrowed from said enlarged inlet aperture to a constricted portion of sufficient opening, to slidably resister about said anchor post whereby to permit restricted vertical oscillatory movement of said platform, said guide passage means intermediate said inlet aperture and said constricted portion, being further defined by a gradually curved configuration to permit smooth passage of said cable through said passage means during movement of said anchor with respect to said legs when the latter is separated from said anchor posts.