US3720066A — Installations for submarine work

Claim 1

Independent Claim 138 words

A structure of the offshore drilling platform type, having a column, coupling means at one end of said column to make it securable in articulated fashion to a base anchored to the seabed, the column being subdivided into a plurality of superimposed ballasting compartments, and air valve means arranged on said column to regulate air from a source of compressed air so as to control the flooding and emptying of at least one of said compartments and wherein proximate said coupling means at least one of said compartments comprises water valve means for flooding said at least one compartment with water during positioning of the structure so that said latter water compresses before itself the air contained therein thereby counteracting the external hydrostatic pressure on the compartment, and air valve means for allowing said air to escape thereafter.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 138 words

A structure of the offshore drilling platform type, having a column, coupling means at one end of said column to make it securable in articulated fashion to a base anchored to the seabed, the column being subdivided into a plurality of superimposed ballasting compartments, and air valve means arranged on said column to regulate air from a source of compressed air so as to control the flooding and emptying of at least one of said compartments and wherein proximate said coupling means at least one of said compartments comprises water valve means for flooding said at least one compartment with water during positioning of the structure so that said latter water compresses before itself the air contained therein thereby counteracting the external hydrostatic pressure on the compartment, and air valve means for allowing said air to escape thereafter.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 138 words

A structure of the offshore drilling platform type, having a column, coupling means at one end of said column to make it securable in articulated fashion to a base anchored to the seabed, the column being subdivided into a plurality of superimposed ballasting compartments, and air valve means arranged on said column to regulate air from a source of compressed air so as to control the flooding and emptying of at least one of said compartments and wherein proximate said coupling means at least one of said compartments comprises water valve means for flooding said at least one compartment with water during positioning of the structure so that said latter water compresses before itself the air contained therein thereby counteracting the external hydrostatic pressure on the compartment, and air valve means for allowing said air to escape thereafter.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 138 words

A structure of the offshore drilling platform type, having a column, coupling means at one end of said column to make it securable in articulated fashion to a base anchored to the seabed, the column being subdivided into a plurality of superimposed ballasting compartments, and air valve means arranged on said column to regulate air from a source of compressed air so as to control the flooding and emptying of at least one of said compartments and wherein proximate said coupling means at least one of said compartments comprises water valve means for flooding said at least one compartment with water during positioning of the structure so that said latter water compresses before itself the air contained therein thereby counteracting the external hydrostatic pressure on the compartment, and air valve means for allowing said air to escape thereafter.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 109 words

A structure according to claim 1 including, in combination with a system of external floats for providing hydrostatic compensation, three superimposed compartments within the column, of which one is adapted to be always flooded and located substantially level with said system of floats, another is located in the lower portion of the column adjacent to said base and has first water valve means permitting it to be filled with water in the course of positioning of the structure, and the third is located in the upper portion of the column and includes second water valve means enabling it to Be filled at the end of the column positioning operation.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 127 words

A method of positioning the column of a structure as claimed in claim 1, said column having at least one lower compartment and at least one upper compartment, comprising the steps of first allowing water to flood the lower compartment and compress the air before it so as to counteract external hydrostatic pressure on said compartment and thereby avoid distortion of the wall as the column is sunk, of then allowing the air to escape until a given height of compressed air remains in that compartment, of thereafter at least partly filling the upper compartment with liquid, and of finally reversibly effecting the escape of the compressed air remaining in the lower compartment at a rapid rate to avoid hammering effects during the final phase of positioning.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 71 words

A structure according to claim 1, comprising a buoyancy system formed by a plurality of floats arranged radially about the column, float valve means on one or more of said floats to enable it to be at least partly filled with water while the structure is towed to its ultimate location to provide stabilization about the axis of the column, and to be emptied during the phase of positioning the structure.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 37 words

A structure according to claim 4, comprising a pipe connected to said second water valve means and a pump connected to said pipe and adapted to fill the upper compartment with water drawn from the lower compartment.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 33 words

A structure according to claim 1, wherein said coupling means comprises a coupling block fixable to the base at three points at least, and a universal joint between the coupling-block and the column.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 25 words

A structure according to claim 6, wherein the coupling means includes remote-controlled radially disposed jack-actuated latching means for fixing the coupling block to the base.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 27 words

An offshore platform comprising a structure according to claim 6, and a said base including shock-absorbing means for damping impact shocks when the coupling-block contacts the base.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 16 words

A platform according to claim 8, wherein said shock-absorbing means are of the oil dashpot type.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-03-12	1976-09-11	1977-03-13	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-03-12	1980-09-11	1981-03-13	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-03-12	1984-09-11	1985-03-13	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Installations for submarine work

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