Method and apparatus for laying pipelines

Claim 1

An apparatus for fabricating a continuous elongate tubular member and for laying said member upon a ground surface comprising: a plurality of longitudinally extending chambers; means connected to each of said chambers to thermally insulate said chambers; means for connecting said plurality of insulated chambers together end-to-end to form an articulated train of thermally insulated chambers; means for providing enclosed thermally insulated longitudinal communication between adjacent ones of said insulated chambers while simultaneously permitting articulated movement between adjacent ones of said insulated chambers; means positioned within said articulated train of chambers for forming tubular sections end-to-end into a continuous elongate tubular member; means For supporting the tubular sections and at least a portion of the continuous elongate member fabricated therefrom for longitudinal movement with respect to said articulated train, said supporting means comprising a plurality of laterally traveling hoists mounted within at least some of said longitudinally extending insulated chambers, and normally extending cradle rollers connected with each of said means for connecting said plurality of insulated chambers; means for propelling said articulated train of thermally insulated chambers along a desired underlying ground surface for advancing said articulated train from longitudinal support beneath the continuous elongate member and thus laying the continuous elongate member upon the ground surface; and means for controlling the temperature within the interior of said articulated train of thermally insulated chambers.

Claim 2

An apparatus for fabricating a continuous elongate tubular member and for laying said member upon a ground surface comprising: a plurality of longitudinally extending chambers; means connected to each of said chambers to thermally insulate said chambers; means for connecting said plurality of insulated chambers together end-to-end to form an articulated train of thermally insulated chambers; means for providing enclosed thermally insulated longitudinal communication between adjacent ones of said insulated chambers while simultaneously permitting articulated movement between adjacent ones of said insulated chambers; means positioned within said articulated train of chambers for forming tubular sections end-to-end into a continuous elongate tubular member; means For supporting the tubular sections and at least a portion of the continuous elongate member fabricated therefrom for longitudinal movement with respect to said articulated train, said supporting means comprising a plurality of laterally traveling hoists mounted within at least some of said longitudinally extending insulated chambers, and normally extending cradle rollers connected with each of said means for connecting said plurality of insulated chambers; means for propelling said articulated train of thermally insulated chambers along a desired underlying ground surface for advancing said articulated train from longitudinal support beneath the continuous elongate member and thus laying the continuous elongate member upon the ground surface; and means for controlling the temperature within the interior of said articulated train of thermally insulated chambers.

Claim 11

A method for fabricating a continuous elongate tubular member and laying the tubular member upon a ground surface comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of longitudinally extending thermally insulated longitudinal chambers connected end-to-end to form an enclosed articulated train with free axial communication between the thermally insulated chambers of the train, the train being suitable to extend along a ground surface and generally conform to the topography thereof; supplying tubular sections to the articulated train in a preheated condition relative to the ambient environment surrounding the exterior of the articulated train; maintaining a preselected temperature range within the interior of the articulated train; connecting the tubular sections to the free end of said elongate tubular member extending within the articulated train of insulated chambers; and advancing said articulated train from beneath the elongate tubular member to position said elongate tubular member upon the ground surface with a configuration of the elongate tubular member compatible with that of the topography of the underlying ground surface.

Claim 12

A method for fabricating a continuous elongate tubular member and laying the tubular member upon a ground surface comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of longitudinally extending thermally insulated longitudinal chambers connected end-to-end to form an enclosed articulated train with free axial communication between the thermally insulated chambers of the train, the train being suitable to extend along a ground surface and generally conform to the topography thereof; supplying tubular sections to the articulated train in a preheated condition relative to the ambient environment surrounding the exterior of the articulated train; maintaining a preselected temperature range within the interior of the articulated train; connecting the tubular sections to the free end of said elongate tubular member extending within the articulated train of insulated chambers; and advancing said articulated train from beneath the elongate tubular member to position said elongate tubular member upon the ground surface with a configuration of the elongate tubular member compatible with that of the topography of the underlying ground surface.

Claim 17

A method for fabricating a pipeline and laying said pipeline onto an undulating ground surface comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of longitudinally extending thermally insulated chambers pivotally connected end-to-end for generally universal pivotal movement to form an enclosed articulated train with free axial communication between said chambers, the train being suitable to extend along and substantially conform to, the underlying undulating ground surface; maintaining a preselected temperatUre range within said articulated train; providing, in one of said chambers, pipe sections shaped in accordance with the undulating shape of the underlying ground surface on which said pipe sections are to be laid; passing said pipe sections sequentially rearwardly between said chambers; welding said pipe sections together in at least one of said chambers to form a pipeline; supporting said shaped pipe sections of said pipeline on vertically and laterally movable supports in said pipeline-carrying chambers so that said pipeline conforms substantially to the undulating shape of said ground surface and said articulated train; advancing said articulated train along said undulating ground surface so that said plurality of articulated chambers of said train pivot vertically relative to one another causing the train to continually assume a shape corresponding substantially to that of the undulating ground surface; during said advancement, causing said articulated train to advance along said ground surface relative to said pipeline so that one portion of said pipeline is discharged from a rear end of said train onto the ground surface, while another portion of said pipeline continues to be supported by pipeline-carrying chambers forming an undulating shape which conforms substantially to that of the pipeline and the ground surface; and adjusting said movable supports to maintain said pipeline oriented in a shape conforming substantially to the shape of the undulating ground surface on which it is to be laid.

Claim 18

A method for fabricating a pipeline and laying said pipeline onto an undulating ground surface comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of longitudinally extending thermally insulated chambers pivotally connected end-to-end for generally universal pivotal movement to form an enclosed articulated train with free axial communication between said chambers, the train being suitable to extend along and substantially conform to, the underlying undulating ground surface; maintaining a preselected temperatUre range within said articulated train; providing, in one of said chambers, pipe sections shaped in accordance with the undulating shape of the underlying ground surface on which said pipe sections are to be laid; passing said pipe sections sequentially rearwardly between said chambers; welding said pipe sections together in at least one of said chambers to form a pipeline; supporting said shaped pipe sections of said pipeline on vertically and laterally movable supports in said pipeline-carrying chambers so that said pipeline conforms substantially to the undulating shape of said ground surface and said articulated train; advancing said articulated train along said undulating ground surface so that said plurality of articulated chambers of said train pivot vertically relative to one another causing the train to continually assume a shape corresponding substantially to that of the undulating ground surface; during said advancement, causing said articulated train to advance along said ground surface relative to said pipeline so that one portion of said pipeline is discharged from a rear end of said train onto the ground surface, while another portion of said pipeline continues to be supported by pipeline-carrying chambers forming an undulating shape which conforms substantially to that of the pipeline and the ground surface; and adjusting said movable supports to maintain said pipeline oriented in a shape conforming substantially to the shape of the undulating ground surface on which it is to be laid.