Patent US2603153A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3842776A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3842776A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Anchoring system
Assignee: Skagit Corp
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Filing: 1973-11-28
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Granted: 1974-10-22
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Expires: 1993-11-28
Abstract
Abstract An anchoring system suitable for an offshore drilling platform is shown in which both wire rope and a length of anchor chain are used. Chain alone becomes too heavy in the lengths needed, and the wire rope used retains substantial residual forces which interfere with proper operation of the anchor unless a substantial weight of chain is interposed between the wire rope and the anchor. An end connector member which joins the chain and wire rope cooperates with a special fairlead sheave having three concentric grooves-one for wire rope, one for chain, and an outside groove designed to mate with a curved surface on the end connector to assure that the wire rope, end connector and chain may all pass smoothly over the failead sheave without imposing kinking forces on the wire rope or excessive bending forces on the chain links. The wire rope is stored on a drum driven by a winch. When the wire rope is essentially all on the drum and the chain is adjacent the drum, the load is transferred to a devil''s claw or similar device, the chain is disconnected from the wire rope and end connector and is then connected to a lead chain extending from a windlass which transfers chain in and out of a chain locker. In this manner, both the wire rope and the chain are stored on the platform and are easily connected and separated for storage in separate facilities.
Inventors
- 👤 D Wudtke
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 21:29
CPC Classifications
B; B63; B63B; B63B21/00; B63B21/22; B63B21/04; B63B21/10; B63B21/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
112 words
An anchoring system for anchoring a structure comprising an anchor, a chain attached to said anchor, an end connector attached to said chain of generally frustoconical configuration with a convex curvilinear surface at its larger end and means in said larger end for receiving and retaining a link of said chain, a wire rope having one end secured within the smaller diameter end of said end connector, and a fairlead shave supported on said structure, said sheave including an inner groove for receiving said wire rope, an intermediate groove, and an outer groove having inner surfaces substantially mating with said convex curvilinear surface, said grooves being concentric along radii of said sheave.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
112 words
An anchoring system for anchoring a structure comprising an anchor, a chain attached to said anchor, an end connector attached to said chain of generally frustoconical configuration with a convex curvilinear surface at its larger end and means in said larger end for receiving and retaining a link of said chain, a wire rope having one end secured within the smaller diameter end of said end connector, and a fairlead shave supported on said structure, said sheave including an inner groove for receiving said wire rope, an intermediate groove, and an outer groove having inner surfaces substantially mating with said convex curvilinear surface, said grooves being concentric along radii of said sheave.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
attaching a link of said anchor chain to a load-retaining member fastened to said structure,
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
attaching a link of said anchor chain to a load-retaining member fastened to said structure,
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
81 words
An anchoring system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said structure includes a drum and drum means for storing said wire rope, a chain locker for storing said chain and a chain hoist with a length of lead chain, means for transferring the anchor load from said wire rope to a chain link, and means including a detachable link for enabling said anchor chain to be detached from a link near said end connector and attached to said lead chain.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
An anchoring system as set forth in claim 1 including a detachable link in said lead chain and a detachable link in said anchor chain, and wherein alternate links of said chain are at least partially supported in said inner groove.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
unwinding said wire rope slightly to remove the load from a few links adjacent said end connector, one of said links being detachable,
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
unwinding said wire rope slightly to remove the load from a few links adjacent said end connector, one of said links being detachable,
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
detaching said anchor chain from said end connector and attaching it to said lead chain,
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
detaching said anchor chain from said end connector and attaching it to said lead chain,
Claim 11
Independent Claim
175 words
A system for anchoring a structure in the sea including an anchor, an anchor chain, a wire rope and means connecting said wire rope to said anchor chain, drum and winch means for storing, retrieving and paying out said wire rope, a chain locker and a windlass for retrieving and paying out chain from said chain locker including a length of lead chain, and a fairlead sheave for guiding said wire rope and said chain toward said drum, characterized in that said connecting means comprises an end connector of generally frusto-conical configuration with a convex curvilinear surface at its larger end and means in said larger end for receiving and retaining a link of said chain and with one end of said wire rope fastened to its smaller end, said sheave including an inner groove for receiving said wire rope, an intermediate groove to at least partially support links of said chain, and an outer groove having inner surfaces substantially mating with said convex curvilinear surface, said grooves being concentric along radii of said sheave.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
175 words
A system for anchoring a structure in the sea including an anchor, an anchor chain, a wire rope and means connecting said wire rope to said anchor chain, drum and winch means for storing, retrieving and paying out said wire rope, a chain locker and a windlass for retrieving and paying out chain from said chain locker including a length of lead chain, and a fairlead sheave for guiding said wire rope and said chain toward said drum, characterized in that said connecting means comprises an end connector of generally frusto-conical configuration with a convex curvilinear surface at its larger end and means in said larger end for receiving and retaining a link of said chain and with one end of said wire rope fastened to its smaller end, said sheave including an inner groove for receiving said wire rope, an intermediate groove to at least partially support links of said chain, and an outer groove having inner surfaces substantially mating with said convex curvilinear surface, said grooves being concentric along radii of said sheave.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
95 words
A system for anchoring a structure as set forth in claim 4 wherein a load-engaging member is suspended from said structure, and at least one detachable link is incorparated into saiD chain near said end connector whereby said anchor load may be transferred from said wire rope to said load-engaging member, said detachable link may be transferred to said lead chain, said windless may be actuated to take up the load from said load-engaging member allowing said member to be disconnected from said chain, and said chain may then be drawn into said chain locker.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
10 words
operating said chain hoist means to unload said retaining member,
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
10 words
operating said chain hoist means to unload said retaining member,
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
5 words
detaching said retaining member, and
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
5 words
detaching said retaining member, and
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
A system for anchoring a structure as set forth in claim 4 wherein said curvilinear surface is substantially spherical.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
78 words
A system for anchoring a structure as set forth in claim 4 wherein a load-retaining member is fastened to said structure for attachment to said anchor chain and a detachable link is placed is said anchor chain near said end connector such that the load of said anchor chain may be transferred to said load-retaining member and said detachable link may thereby be unloaded and opened to permit said anchor chain to be connected to said lead chain.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
13 words
operating said chain hoist means to load said chain into said chain locker.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
13 words
operating said chain hoist means to load said chain into said chain locker.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
191 words
An anchoring system for anchoring a structure in deep water comprising an anchor; a substantial length of chain attached to said anchor; an end connector member having a generally frusto-conical configuration with a convex curvilinear surface at its larger end and a socket in said larger end, said socket including means for retaining a link of said chain; a substantial length of wire rope fastened at one end of the smaller diameter end of said end connector, and a fairlead sheave supported on said structure, said sheave including a large diameter groove having inner surfaces of configuration substantially mating with said convex curvilinear surface of said end connector member, an inner diameter groove of cross-section sufficient to support said wire rope and to provide at least partial support for alternate links of said chain and of diameter at least sufficient to avoid excessive bending stress in said wire rope, and an intermediate diameter groove at least partially supporting other alternate links of said chain, said groove being concentric such that said chain, end connector and wire rope are retained in alignment in a single plane as they pass over said sheave.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
191 words
An anchoring system for anchoring a structure in deep water comprising an anchor; a substantial length of chain attached to said anchor; an end connector member having a generally frusto-conical configuration with a convex curvilinear surface at its larger end and a socket in said larger end, said socket including means for retaining a link of said chain; a substantial length of wire rope fastened at one end of the smaller diameter end of said end connector, and a fairlead sheave supported on said structure, said sheave including a large diameter groove having inner surfaces of configuration substantially mating with said convex curvilinear surface of said end connector member, an inner diameter groove of cross-section sufficient to support said wire rope and to provide at least partial support for alternate links of said chain and of diameter at least sufficient to avoid excessive bending stress in said wire rope, and an intermediate diameter groove at least partially supporting other alternate links of said chain, said groove being concentric such that said chain, end connector and wire rope are retained in alignment in a single plane as they pass over said sheave.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
18 words
An anchoring system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said cirvilinear surface is essentially a spherical segment.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
73 words
In an anchoring system for anchoring a structure including an anchor, an anchor chain, a wire rope, an end connector connecting said wire rope to said anchor chain, a drum and drum drive means for storing said wire rope, a chain locker and chain hoist means including a length of lead chain for storing said anchor chain, a method for retrieving and storing said anchoring system on said structure comprising the steps of
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
73 words
In an anchoring system for anchoring a structure including an anchor, an anchor chain, a wire rope, an end connector connecting said wire rope to said anchor chain, a drum and drum drive means for storing said wire rope, a chain locker and chain hoist means including a length of lead chain for storing said anchor chain, a method for retrieving and storing said anchoring system on said structure comprising the steps of
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
71 words
A method of retrieving and storing an anchoring system as set forth in claim 9 wherein first and second detachable links are used on said anchor chain near said end connector and on said lead chain, respectively, so that said anchor chain is removed from said first detachable link leaving said link with said end connector and said anchor chain is connected to said second detachable link on said lead chain.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-10-21 | 1978-04-22 | 1978-10-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-10-21 | 1982-04-22 | 1982-10-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-10-21 | 1986-04-22 | 1986-10-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |