Offshore marine station

Claim 2

An offshore marine station, comprising a floating mooring unit for marine vessels; an ocean-bottom anchor for said mooring unit; rigid elongated coupling means having one end jointed to said ocean-bottom anchor with freedom of movement in a plurality of directions, and a free end spaced from said one end, and extending from said ocean-bottom anchor upwardly toward said mooring unit at an acute angle to the horizontal; and buoyant damping means including a body of displacement floating partially immersed in water, first pivot means connecting said body with said coupling means for pivotal displacement about one horizontal axis, and second pivot means connecting said body with said mooring unit for pivotal displacement about another horizontal axis which is located at a vertically spaced level from but parallels said one axis, so that a horizontal displacement of said mooring unit with respect to said coupling means results in pivoting of said buoyant damping means about said axes against a force tending to establish the equilibrium of said buoyant damping means, whereby forces transmitted between said mooring unit and said coupling means arE damped.

Claim 3

An offshore marine station as defined in claim 1, wherein said second pivot means comprises pivot arms pivoted to said body and connecting with said mooring unit.

Claim 4

An offshore marine station as defined in claim 1, wherein said damping means comprises a plurality of additional buoyant bodies of displacement which are arranged laterally adjacent one another and said body, said coupling means being pivotally coupled with all of said bodies.

Claim 5

An offshore marine station, comprising a floating mooring unit for tankers and supporting the terminals of a pipeline leading to the shore; an ocean-bottom anchor for said mooring unit; rigid elongated coupling means having one end jointed to said ocean-bottom anchor with freedom of movement in a plurality of directions, and a free end spaced from said one end, and extending from said ocean-bottom anchor upwardly toward said mooring unit at an acute angle to the horizontal; buoyant damping means interposed between and pivoted to said free end of said coupling means and said mooring unit, respectively, for angular displacement about two horizontal axes located at vertically spaced levels, so that a horizontal displacement of said mooring unit with respect to said coupling means results in pivoting of said buoyant damping means about said axes against a force tending to establish the equilibrium of said buoyant damping means, whereby forces transmitted between said mooring unit and said coupling means are damped; and connecting elements on said mooring unit for tying the tankers thereto so as to substantially eliminate relative displacement of said tankers with respect to said mooring unit, whereby conduits may be connected to said terminals to establish communication of the latter with the holds of the tankers.

Claim 6

An offshore marine station, comprising a floating mooring unit for tankers and supporting the terminals of a pipeline leading to the shore; an ocean-bottom anchor for said mooring unit; rigid elongated coupling means having one end jointed to said ocean-bottom anchor with freedom of movement in a plurality of directions, and a free end spaced from said one end, and extending from said ocean-bottom anchor upwardly toward said mooring unit at an acute angle to the horizontal; buoyant damping means interposed between and pivoted to said free end of said coupling means and said mooring unit, respectively, for angular displacement about two horizontal axes located at vertically spaced levels, so that a horizontal displacement of said mooring unit with respect to said coupling means results in pivoting of said buoyant damping means about said axes against a force tending to establish the equilibrium of said buoyant damping means, whereby forces transmitted between said mooring unit and said coupling means are damped; and connecting elements on said mooring unit for tying the tankers thereto so as to substantially eliminate relative displacement of said tankers with respect to said mooring unit, whereby conduits may be connected to said terminals to establish communication of the latter with the holds of the tankers.