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Patent US3903705A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3903705A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Apparatus for anchoring marine structures
Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Co
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Filing: 1974-01-24
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Granted: 1975-09-09
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Expires: 1994-01-24
Abstract
Abstract A marine structure, e.g., a drilling and production platform and apparatus for guying such marine structure in a body of water so as to withstand extreme environmental forces, the marine structure being anchored by means of a plurality of anchored guy wires, each guy wire having associated therewith a clump weight adapted to be at least partially supported above the floor of a body of water under normal operating conditions but lift off the sea floor under extreme environmental forces, thereby allowing the marine structure to withstand conditions which, absent the clump weight, would cause failure of the marine structure and guying apparatus. The clump weight is positioned along the guy wire a sufficient distance from an anchor to maintain the forces on the anchor substantially horizontal even when the clump weight is lifted off the sea floor by extreme environmental forces. A longitudinally articulated clump weight is preferred for guyed marine structures. Such a clump weight can comprise a plurality of chain segments arranged in parallel or other suitable longitudinally articulated weight segments.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert W Beck
- 👤 Lyle D Finn
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 23:04
CPC Classifications
B; B63; B63B; B63B21/00; B63B21/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
253 words
A marine structure guyed against substantial movement in response to extreme environmental forces comprising: a marine structure positioned in a body of water, a portion of said structure being above the surface of said body of water and a portion of said structure extending from the surface of said body of water to its floor; a plurality of guy means attached at a first end to said marine structure below the surface of said body of water and at a point between the longitudinal midpoint of said structure and the top of said structure, said guy means being radially arranged around the periphery of said marine structure; anchor means associated with each of said guy means, attached to a second end of each of said guy means to anchor each of said guy means to the floor of said body of water; and clump weight means attached to each of said guy means between said first and second ends of said guy means, said clump weight means being adapted to be at least partially supported on the floor of said body of water under conditions of stress on said guy means less than that which would effect substantial movement of said marine structure absent said clump weight means and adapted to be raised off the floor of said body of water under conditions of greater stress and wherein the weight of each of said clump weight means is 30 to 60 percent of the maximum allowable tension of each of said guy means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
253 words
A marine structure guyed against substantial movement in response to extreme environmental forces comprising: a marine structure positioned in a body of water, a portion of said structure being above the surface of said body of water and a portion of said structure extending from the surface of said body of water to its floor; a plurality of guy means attached at a first end to said marine structure below the surface of said body of water and at a point between the longitudinal midpoint of said structure and the top of said structure, said guy means being radially arranged around the periphery of said marine structure; anchor means associated with each of said guy means, attached to a second end of each of said guy means to anchor each of said guy means to the floor of said body of water; and clump weight means attached to each of said guy means between said first and second ends of said guy means, said clump weight means being adapted to be at least partially supported on the floor of said body of water under conditions of stress on said guy means less than that which would effect substantial movement of said marine structure absent said clump weight means and adapted to be raised off the floor of said body of water under conditions of greater stress and wherein the weight of each of said clump weight means is 30 to 60 percent of the maximum allowable tension of each of said guy means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
53 words
The marine structure of claim 1 wherein said clump weight attached to each of said guy means is located between said first and second ends at a point such that when said clump weight is lifted off the floor of said body of water, the forces on said anchor means remain substantially horizontal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The marine structure of claim 1 wherein the weight of each of said clump weight is 35 to 40% of the maximum allowable tension of each of said guy means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
The marine structure of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the distance from each clump weight to the second end of each guy means to the distance from each clump weight to the first end of each guy means is at least 1/2 .
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
The marine structure of claim 1 wherein said clump weight means are longitudinally flexible.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
The marine structure of claim 5 wherein said clump weight means comprise a plurality of chains.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The marine structure of claim 6 wherein said plurality of chains are arranged in parallel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The marine structure of claim 5 wherein said clump weight means comprise a plurality of segments hinged together to form a longitudinally flexible unit.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-09-08 | 1979-03-10 | 1979-09-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-09-08 | 1983-03-10 | 1983-09-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-09-08 | 1987-03-10 | 1987-09-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |