Modular offshore structure system

Claim 2

An offshore marine structure founded on a marine floor comprising: a platform at or above the surface of the water; a footing member extending below the surface of the water to a point above and noncontiguous to the marine floor; and containing a plurality of means for guiding and holding pilings in a pile cluster in downwardly divergent bipodal array; a piling, said piling being driven into the marine floor and; means rigidly connecting said platform and said footing member.

Claim 3

The offshore marine structure according to claim 1 wherein said array of bipods is peripheral.

Claim 4

The offshore marine structure according to claim 2 wherein said array of bipods is circular.

Claim 5

The offshore marine structure according to claim 3 wherein said array of downwardly divergent bipods lies on the rulings of an inner cone and an outer cone.

Claim 6

An offshore marine structure founded on a marine floor comprising: platform at or above the surface of the water; a footing member extending below the surface of the water to a point above and noncontiguous to the marine floor; and containing a plurality of means for guiding and holding piling in a pile cluster in downwardly divergent tripodal array; a piling, said piling being driven into the marine floor and; means rigidly connecting said platform and said footing member.

Claim 7

An offshore marine structure founded on a marine floor comprising: platform at or above the surface of the water; a footing member extending below the surface of the water to a point above and noncontiguous to the marine floor; and containing a plurality of means for guiding and holding piling in a pile cluster in downwardly divergent tripodal array; a piling, said piling being driven into the marine floor and; means rigidly connecting said platform and said footing member.

Claim 8

An offshore marine structure founded on a marine floor comprising: platform at or above the surface of the water; a footing member extending below the surface of the water to a point above and noncontiguous to the marine floor; and containing a plurality of means for guiding and holding piling in a pile cluster in downwardly divergent array, wherein said array is as the rulings on a hyperboloid of revolution of one sheet; a piling, said piling being driven into the marine floor and; means rigidly connecting said platform and said footing member.

Claim 9

An offshore marine structure founded on a marine floor comprising: platform at or above the surface of the water; a footing member extending below the surface of the water to a point above and noncontiguous to the marine floor; and containing a plurality of means for guiding and holding piling in a pile cluster in downwardly divergent array, wherein said array is as the rulings on a hyperboloid of revolution of one sheet; a piling, said piling being driven into the marine floor and; means rigidly connecting said platform and said footing member.

Claim 10

An offshore marine structure comprising: a platform founded below the surface of the water having a vertical axis; a vessel sharing said vertical axis of said founded platform; means releasable connecting said founded platform and said vessel for founding said vessel on said platform for operations from said vessel; means for changing the elevation of said vessel when releasable connected to said founded platform; means for floatational rotation of said vessel about said axis so as to change the relative horizontal location of said vessel to said founded platform.

Claim 11

An offshore marine structure comprising: a platform founded below the surface of the water having a vertical axis; a vessel sharing said vertical axis of said founded platform; means releasable connecting said founded platform and said vessel for founding said vessel on said platform for operations from said vessel; means for changing the elevation of said vessel when releasable connected to said founded platform; means for floatational rotation of said vessel about said axis so as to change the relative horizontal location of said vessel to said founded platform.

Claim 12

The offshore structure according to claim 7 wherein said founded platform is circular in horizontal cross section.

Claim 13

The offshore structure according to claim 8 wherein said founded platform is toroidal.

Claim 14

The offshore structure according to claim 7 wherein said means for releasably connecting said founded platform and said vessel comprises legs and said means for changing the elevation of said vessel comprises a jacking means.

Claim 15

The process of changing the relative horizontal location of a vessel elevated above the water on an offshore marine structure comprising a founded platform having a vertical axis, said vessel sharing said vertical axis of said founded platform, means releasable connecting said platform and said vessel, means for changing the elevation of said vessel when releasably connected to said founded platform comprising the steps of: lowering said vessel to a floating position on the water; releasing said means connecting said founded platform and said vessel; rotating said vessel about said axis to a different horizontal position, releasable connecting said founded platform and said vessel, and; elevating said vessel above the surface of the water.

Claim 16

The process of changing the relative horizontal location of a vessel elevated above the water on an offshore marine structure comprising a founded platform having a vertical axis, said vessel sharing said vertical axis of said founded platform, means releasable connecting said platform and said vessel, means for changing the elevation of said vessel when releasably connected to said founded platform comprising the steps of: lowering said vessel to a floating position on the water; releasing said means connecting said founded platform and said vessel; rotating said vessel about said axis to a different horizontal position, releasable connecting said founded platform and said vessel, and; elevating said vessel above the surface of the water.

Claim 17

An offshore marine structure comprising at least two consecutive vertical groupings of bipods, each successively higher grouping after the first being supported by the immediately succeeding grouping thereto, said groupings of bipods being formed by at least three members corresponding to three equally spaced clockwise rulings in downward progression on a hyperboloid of revolution of one sheet and at least three opposing members corresponding to three counterclockwise rulings in downward progression on a hyperboloid of revolution of one sheet.

Claim 18

An offshore marine structure comprising at least two consecutive vertical groupings of bipods, each successively higher grouping after the first being supported by the immediately succeeding grouping thereto, said groupings of bipods being formed by at least three members corresponding to three equally spaced clockwise rulings in downward progression on a hyperboloid of revolution of one sheet and at least three opposing members corresponding to three counterclockwise rulings in downward progression on a hyperboloid of revolution of one sheet.

Claim 19

The offshore marine structure according to claim 12 comprising four equally spaced members in clockwise relation and four opposed members in counterclockwise relation.

Claim 20

The offshore marine structure according to claim 12 comprising a plurality of clockwise and counterclockwise members.

Claim 21

The offshore marine structure according to claim 14 comprising sufficient members in the outer perimeter thereof to define a hyperboloid of revolution of one sheet.

Claim 22

The offshore marine structure according to claim 12 wherein said bipods are pilings driven into the marine floor.

Claim 23

The offshore marine structure according to claim 16 wherein said bipods support a toroidal ring.

Claim 24

An offshore marine structure comprising: a founded platform extending above the surface of the water; a vessel, releasably connected to said platform; two legs movable connected with said vessel and spaced from and outboard of said vessel; and means of moving said vessel vertically on only said two legs, said vessel being elevated above the surface of the water on said legs, said legs being on opposite ends of a horizontal axis of said vessel.

Claim 25

An offshore marine structure comprising: a founded platform extending above the surface of the water; a vessel, releasably connected to said platform; two legs movable connected with said vessel and spaced from and outboard of said vessel; and means of moving said vessel vertically on only said two legs, said vessel being elevated above the surface of the water on said legs, said legs being on opposite ends of a horizontal axis of said vessel.

Claim 26

The offshore marine structure according to claim 18 wherein the legs are at opposite ends of the longer axis of the vessel.

Claim 27

The offshore marine structure according to claim 18 wherein the legs are at opposite ends of the shorter axis of the vessel.