Swivel unit for mooring and cargo transfer system

Claim 2

In a mooring and cargo handling system which includes a floating buoy to which ships can be tied, a mooring foundation on the sea floor to which the buoy can be secured, and a cargo conduit extending along the sea floor for carrying cargo between the ship and a shore installation or the like, the improvement comprising: a cargo swivel unit having first and second swivel sections rotatably connected to each other to rotate about a vertical axis, said swivel sections being hollow along said axis; first conduit means for coupling the first swivel section to the conduit that extends along the sea floor; second conduit means for coupling the second swivel section to the ship; and tension means connecting the buoy to the base and including a tension bypassing portion extending along the hollow region at said vertical axis between positions below and above the swivel unit to carry substantially the entire tension force applied by the buoy to the base, so that none of the tension force is transmitted through an appreciable length of either swivel section, said first swivel section being fixed to said tension bypassing portion to prevent relative sliding and relative rotation between them.

Claim 3

A mooring and cargo handling system comprising: a base constructed to lie on a sea floor; a mooring buoy constructed to float near the surface of the sea; tension means extending between said base and said mooring buoy for anchoring the buoy to the base, said tension means including means for allowing rotation of the buoy with respect to the base; a cargo swivel unit positioned along said tension means and coaxial therewith, said swivel unit having first and second swivel sections rotatably joined to each other about a substantially vertical axis of rotation to permit the transfer of cargo therebetween when the sections rotate with respect to each other, each of said sections being hollow along said axis of rotation to form a passageway therealong; a first conduit extending downwardly from the first swivel section for carrying cargo that is flowing between the swivel unit and a conduit at the sea floor; and a second conduit extending upwardly from the second swivel section for carrying cargo between the swivel unit and a ship that is moored to the buoy; said tension means including a tension bypassing portion extending along said passageway between positions above and below the swivel unit to carry substantially the entire tension force applied by said buoy to the base so that substantially none of the tension force is transmitted through the rotatably joined swivel sections of the swivel unit.

Claim 4

A mooring and cargo handling system comprising: a base constructed to lie on a sea floor; a mooring buoy constructed to float near the surface of the sea; tension means extending between said base and said mooring buoy for anchoring the buoy to the base, said tension means including means for allowing rotation of the buoy with respect to the base; a cargo swivel unit positioned along said tension means and coaxial therewith, said swivel unit having first and second swivel sections rotatably joined to each other about a substantially vertical axis of rotation to permit the transfer of cargo therebetween when the sections rotate with respect to each other, each of said sections being hollow along said axis of rotation to form a passageway therealong; a first conduit extending downwardly from the first swivel section for carrying cargo that is flowing between the swivel unit and a conduit at the sea floor; and a second conduit extending upwardly from the second swivel section for carrying cargo between the swivel unit and a ship that is moored to the buoy; said tension means including a tension bypassing portion extending along said passageway between positions above and below the swivel unit to carry substantially the entire tension force applied by said buoy to the base so that substantially none of the tension force is transmitted through the rotatably joined swivel sections of the swivel unit.

Claim 5

The system described in claim 2 wherein: said first swivel section is rotatably and slideably fixed at only its lower end to said tension bypassing portion; said tension means includes a flexible chain means extending most of the distance between the buoy and base and having an upper end connected to the buoy; and said tension bypassing portion includes a rigid member with an upper end connected to the lower end of the flexible chain means and a lower end connected to the base.

Claim 6

In A single point ship mooring and cargo transfer system, the improvement comprising: a lower swivel section having an annular lower portion with first and second pipe couplings on opposite sides thereof, a lower wall sealing the bottom of the annular portion, a vertical dividing wall extending across the annular portion to divide it into first and second cargo regions respectively coupled to said first and second pipe couplings, a duct coupled to the top of said first cargo region and extending upwardly therefrom, and an upper wall at the upper end of said duct and having an opening in communication with the duct; and an upper swivel section having an enclosed upper part above said upper wall and rotatably sealed thereto, said upper part having a third pipe coupling for carrying cargo that flows through the duct and first pipe coupling, and having a lower part surrounding and spaced outwardly from said duct and rotatably sealed to said annular lower portion, said lower part having a fourth pipe coupling for carrying cargo that flows through the second cargo region and the second pipe coupling.

Claim 7

In A single point ship mooring and cargo transfer system, the improvement comprising: a lower swivel section having an annular lower portion with first and second pipe couplings on opposite sides thereof, a lower wall sealing the bottom of the annular portion, a vertical dividing wall extending across the annular portion to divide it into first and second cargo regions respectively coupled to said first and second pipe couplings, a duct coupled to the top of said first cargo region and extending upwardly therefrom, and an upper wall at the upper end of said duct and having an opening in communication with the duct; and an upper swivel section having an enclosed upper part above said upper wall and rotatably sealed thereto, said upper part having a third pipe coupling for carrying cargo that flows through the duct and first pipe coupling, and having a lower part surrounding and spaced outwardly from said duct and rotatably sealed to said annular lower portion, said lower part having a fourth pipe coupling for carrying cargo that flows through the second cargo region and the second pipe coupling.

Claim 8

The improvement described in claim 4 wherein: said lower and upper swivel sections are hollow along their axis of rotation; and including a buoy and base respectively above and below said swivel sections; and a tension means extending through the hollow axial region of the swivel sections and connecting the buoy to the base.

Claim 9

In a mooring and cargo handling system which includes a floating buoy to which ships can be tied, a mooring foundation on the sea floor to which the buoy can be secured, and a cargo conduit extending along the sea floor for carrying cargo between the ship and a shore installation or the like, the improvement comprising: a cargo swivel unit having first and second swivel sections rotatably connected to each other; first conduit means for coupling the first swivel section to the conduit that extends along the sea floor; second conduit means for coupling the second swivel section to the ship; and tension means connecting the buoy to the base and including a tension bypassing portion extending between positions below and above the swivel unit to carry substantially the entire tension force applied by the buoy to the base, so that none of the tension force is transmitted through an appreciable length of either swivel section, said swivel unit being supported on said tension bypassing portion to fix the position of the unit along the tension means; said first swivel section including a central pipe extending about the axis of the unit, walls defining first and second cargo receiving regions lying outside the lower end of the central pipe, an upper end wall extending around the central pipe and having an opening therein in communication with the first cargo region, a first pipe coupling connected to the first cargo region, the upper end of the second cargo region extending about the walls of the first cargo region at a location above the first pipe coupling; said second swivel section including s shroud with a middle portion rotatably sealed to said end wall so that a lower end of the shroud surrounds the second cargo region and an upper end of the shroud encloses a region in communication with the first cargo region through the opening in the end wall, said shroud having a third pipe coupling in said lower end thereof communicating with said second cargo region and a fourth pipe coupling in said upper end thereof communicating with said first cargo region through the opening in the end wall.

Claim 10

In a mooring and cargo handling system which includes a floating buoy to which ships can be tied, a mooring foundation on the sea floor to which the buoy can be secured, and a cargo conduit extending along the sea floor for carrying cargo between the ship and a shore installation or the like, the improvement comprising: a cargo swivel unit having first and second swivel sections rotatably connected to each other; first conduit means for coupling the first swivel section to the conduit that extends along the sea floor; second conduit means for coupling the second swivel section to the ship; and tension means connecting the buoy to the base and including a tension bypassing portion extending between positions below and above the swivel unit to carry substantially the entire tension force applied by the buoy to the base, so that none of the tension force is transmitted through an appreciable length of either swivel section, said swivel unit being supported on said tension bypassing portion to fix the position of the unit along the tension means; said first swivel section including a central pipe extending about the axis of the unit, walls defining first and second cargo receiving regions lying outside the lower end of the central pipe, an upper end wall extending around the central pipe and having an opening therein in communication with the first cargo region, a first pipe coupling connected to the first cargo region, the upper end of the second cargo region extending about the walls of the first cargo region at a location above the first pipe coupling; said second swivel section including s shroud with a middle portion rotatably sealed to said end wall so that a lower end of the shroud surrounds the second cargo region and an upper end of the shroud encloses a region in communication with the first cargo region through the opening in the end wall, said shroud having a third pipe coupling in said lower end thereof communicating with said second cargo region and a fourth pipe coupling in said upper end thereof communicating with said first cargo region through the opening in the end wall.