Patent US670584A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US4193368A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4193368A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Offshore mooring system for vessel or ship
Assignee: Chicago Bridge and Iron Co
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Filing: 1978-01-20
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Granted: 1980-03-18
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Expires: 1998-01-20
Abstract
Abstract A quick-release mooring apparatus for a floating vessel comprising a substantially stationary structure anchored to the sea floor and projecting above sea level, a vessel mooring member attached at a first end above sea level to the stationary structure in a manner which permits the mooring member to rotate about vertical and horizontal axes passing through the point of attachment to the stationary structure, the second end of the mooring member comprising a vessel mooring yoke having a pair of spaced arms, one end of each of which is adapted to be releasably attached, by lifting the vessel mooring yoke, to opposite sides of the bow of a vessel for rotation about a horizontal axis, and the mooring member having sufficient buoyancy for the second end to float on the sea when unconnected to a vessel. The stationary structure can be a buoy anchored to the sea floor by lines, or it can be a tower supported by the sea floor.
Inventors
- 👤 Douglas W. DeGraaf
- 👤 William A. Tam
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 07:41
CPC Classifications
B; B63; B63B; B63B22/00; B63B22/02; B63B22/021; B63B21/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
167 words
A quick-release mooring apparatus for a floating vessel comprising: a substantially stationary means anchored to the sea floor and projecting above sea level, a vessel mooring member attached at a first end above sea level to the stationary means in a manner which permits the mooring member to rotate about vertical and horizontal axes passing through the point of attachment to the stationary means, the second end of the mooring member comprising a vessel mooring yoke having a pair of spaced arms, one end of each of which is adapted to be releasably attached, by lifting the vessel mooring yoke, to opposite sides of the bow of a vessel for rotation about a horizontal axis, each arm containing a pocket open at the top in which a trunnion mounted on the vessel can mate when the vessel mooring yoke is lifted into releasable engageable contact therewith, and the mooring member having sufficient buoyancy for the second end to float on the sea when unconnected to a vessel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
167 words
A quick-release mooring apparatus for a floating vessel comprising: a substantially stationary means anchored to the sea floor and projecting above sea level, a vessel mooring member attached at a first end above sea level to the stationary means in a manner which permits the mooring member to rotate about vertical and horizontal axes passing through the point of attachment to the stationary means, the second end of the mooring member comprising a vessel mooring yoke having a pair of spaced arms, one end of each of which is adapted to be releasably attached, by lifting the vessel mooring yoke, to opposite sides of the bow of a vessel for rotation about a horizontal axis, each arm containing a pocket open at the top in which a trunnion mounted on the vessel can mate when the vessel mooring yoke is lifted into releasable engageable contact therewith, and the mooring member having sufficient buoyancy for the second end to float on the sea when unconnected to a vessel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
165 words
In combination: a substantially stationary means anchored to the sea floor and projecting above sea level, a vessel, a vessel mooring member attached at a first end above sea level to the stationary means in a manner which permits the mooring member to rotate about vertical and horizontal axes passing through the point of attachment to the stationary means, the second end of the mooring member comprising a vessel mooring yoke having a pair of spaced arms, one end of each of which is releasably attached, by lifting the vessel mooring yoke, to opposite sides of the bow of a vessel for rotation about a horizontal axis and for quick release from such attachment so that the second end can drop by gravity to the sea, each arm containing a pocket open at the top mated with a trunnion mounted on the vessel bow, and the mooring member having sufficient buoyancy for the second end to float on the sea when unconnected to a vessel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
165 words
In combination: a substantially stationary means anchored to the sea floor and projecting above sea level, a vessel, a vessel mooring member attached at a first end above sea level to the stationary means in a manner which permits the mooring member to rotate about vertical and horizontal axes passing through the point of attachment to the stationary means, the second end of the mooring member comprising a vessel mooring yoke having a pair of spaced arms, one end of each of which is releasably attached, by lifting the vessel mooring yoke, to opposite sides of the bow of a vessel for rotation about a horizontal axis and for quick release from such attachment so that the second end can drop by gravity to the sea, each arm containing a pocket open at the top mated with a trunnion mounted on the vessel bow, and the mooring member having sufficient buoyancy for the second end to float on the sea when unconnected to a vessel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
A combination according to claim 2 in which a locking means releasably secures each trunnion to each arm of the ship mooring yoke.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
A combination according to claim 3 in which the locking means has at least one finger or pin extending from each trunnion to the adjacent vessel mooring yoke arm.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
53 words
A combination according to claim 3 in which the locking means includes a pair of upper and lower parallel fingers joined together at one end so the upper finger is positioned above and in contact with the trunnion, and so the ends of the fingers nest in holes in the vessel yoke arm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
A combination according to claim 2 in which the trunnion is rotatable about a horizontal axis, and the pocket and trunnion contain complementary planar surfaces.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
67 words
A combination according to claim 2 in which the vessel yoke arms are supported, with the trunnions nesting in the pockets, by a retaining means removably positioned to restrain downward displacement of the arms from the trunnions and unmooring of the vessel, and which retaining means upon being removed frees the arms and permits the vessel mooring yoke end to drop by gravity to the sea surface.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
168 words
In combination: a substantially stationary means anchored to the sea floor and projecting above sea level, a vessel, a vessel mooring member attached at a first end above sea level to the stationary means in a manner which permits the mooring member to rotate about vertical and horizontal axes passing through the point of attachment to the stationary means, the second end of the mooring member comprising a vessel mooring yoke having a pair of spaced arms, one end of each of which is releasably attached, by lifting the vessel mooring yoke, to opposite sides of the bow of a vessel for rotation about a horizontal axis and for quick release from such attachment so that the second end can drop by gravity to the sea, each arm containing a male element at the top mated with a pocket in a trunnion mounted on the vessel bow, and the mooring member having sufficient buoyancy for the second end to float on the sea when unconnected to a vessel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
168 words
In combination: a substantially stationary means anchored to the sea floor and projecting above sea level, a vessel, a vessel mooring member attached at a first end above sea level to the stationary means in a manner which permits the mooring member to rotate about vertical and horizontal axes passing through the point of attachment to the stationary means, the second end of the mooring member comprising a vessel mooring yoke having a pair of spaced arms, one end of each of which is releasably attached, by lifting the vessel mooring yoke, to opposite sides of the bow of a vessel for rotation about a horizontal axis and for quick release from such attachment so that the second end can drop by gravity to the sea, each arm containing a male element at the top mated with a pocket in a trunnion mounted on the vessel bow, and the mooring member having sufficient buoyancy for the second end to float on the sea when unconnected to a vessel.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
A combination according to claim 8 in which the trunnion is rotatable about a horizontal axis, and the pocket and trunnion contain complementary planar surfaces.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
A combination according to claim 8 in which locking means releasably secures each trunnion to each arm of the ship mooring yoke.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
A combination according to claim 10 in which the locking means has at least one finger or pin extending from each trunnion to the adjacent vessel mooring yoke arm.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
53 words
A combination according to claim 10 in which the locking means includes a pair of upper and lower parallel fingers joined together at one end so the upper finger is positioned above and in contact with the trunnion, and so the ends of the fingers nest in holes in the vessel yoke arm.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
67 words
A combination according to claim 8 in which the vessel yoke arms are supportable, with the trunnions nesting in the pockets, by a retaining means removably positioned to restrain downward displacement of the arms from the trunnions and unmooring of the vessel, and which retaining means upon being removed frees the arms and permits the vessel mooring yoke end to drop by gravity to the sea surface.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
162 words
In combination: a substantially stationary means anchored to the sea floor and projecting above sea level, a vessel, a vessel mooring member attached at a first end above sea level to the stationary means in a manner which permits the mooring member to rotate about vertical and horizontal axes passing through the point of attachment to the stationary means, the second end of the mooring member comprising a vessel mooring yoke having a pair of spaced arms, one end of each of which is releasably attached, by lifting the vessel mooring yoke, to opposite sides of the bow of a vessel for rotation about a horizontal axis and for quick release from such attachment so that the second end can drop by gravity to the sea, the arm ends being attached to the ship bow by a quick release locking means, and the mooring member having sufficient buoyancy for the second end to float on the sea when unconnected to a vessel.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
162 words
In combination: a substantially stationary means anchored to the sea floor and projecting above sea level, a vessel, a vessel mooring member attached at a first end above sea level to the stationary means in a manner which permits the mooring member to rotate about vertical and horizontal axes passing through the point of attachment to the stationary means, the second end of the mooring member comprising a vessel mooring yoke having a pair of spaced arms, one end of each of which is releasably attached, by lifting the vessel mooring yoke, to opposite sides of the bow of a vessel for rotation about a horizontal axis and for quick release from such attachment so that the second end can drop by gravity to the sea, the arm ends being attached to the ship bow by a quick release locking means, and the mooring member having sufficient buoyancy for the second end to float on the sea when unconnected to a vessel.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
A mooring apparatus according to claim 14 in which the stationary means is a tower supported by the sea floor.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
A mooring apparatus accordng to claim 15 in which the tower has a universal joint near the bottom and the upper part of the tower has buoyancy means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
170 words
A quick-release mooring apparatus for a floating vessel comprising: a substantially stationary means anchored to the sea floor and projecting above sea level, a vessel mooring member attached at a first end above sea level to the stationary means in a manner which permits the mooring member to rotate about vertical and horizontal axes passing through the point of attachment to the stationary means, the second end of the mooring member comprising a vessel mooring yoke having a pair of spaced arms, one end of each of which is adapted to be releasably attached, by lifting the vessel mooring yoke, to opposite sides of the bow of a vessel for rotation about a horizontal axis, each arm containing a male element at the top in which a pocket in a trunnion mounted on the vessel can mate when the vessel mooring yoke is lifted into releasable engagable contact therewith, and the mooring member having sufficient buoyancy for the second end to float on the sea when unconnected to a vessel.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
170 words
A quick-release mooring apparatus for a floating vessel comprising: a substantially stationary means anchored to the sea floor and projecting above sea level, a vessel mooring member attached at a first end above sea level to the stationary means in a manner which permits the mooring member to rotate about vertical and horizontal axes passing through the point of attachment to the stationary means, the second end of the mooring member comprising a vessel mooring yoke having a pair of spaced arms, one end of each of which is adapted to be releasably attached, by lifting the vessel mooring yoke, to opposite sides of the bow of a vessel for rotation about a horizontal axis, each arm containing a male element at the top in which a pocket in a trunnion mounted on the vessel can mate when the vessel mooring yoke is lifted into releasable engagable contact therewith, and the mooring member having sufficient buoyancy for the second end to float on the sea when unconnected to a vessel.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
168 words
A quick release mooring apparatus for a floating vessel comprising: a substantially stationary means anchored to the sea floor and projecting above sea level, a vessel mooring member attached at a first end above sea level to the stationary means in a manner which permits the mooring member to rotate about vertical and horizontal axes passing through the point of attachment to the stationary means, the second end of the mooring member comprising a vessel mooring yoke having a pair of spaced arms, one end of each of which is releasably attachable, by lifting the vessel mooring yoke, to opposite sides of the bow of a vessel for rotation about a horizontal axis and for quick release from such attachment so that the second end can drop by gravity to the sea, the arm ends being attachable to the ship bow by a quick release locking means, and the mooring member having sufficient buoyancy for the second end to float on the sea when unconnected to a vessel.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
168 words
A quick release mooring apparatus for a floating vessel comprising: a substantially stationary means anchored to the sea floor and projecting above sea level, a vessel mooring member attached at a first end above sea level to the stationary means in a manner which permits the mooring member to rotate about vertical and horizontal axes passing through the point of attachment to the stationary means, the second end of the mooring member comprising a vessel mooring yoke having a pair of spaced arms, one end of each of which is releasably attachable, by lifting the vessel mooring yoke, to opposite sides of the bow of a vessel for rotation about a horizontal axis and for quick release from such attachment so that the second end can drop by gravity to the sea, the arm ends being attachable to the ship bow by a quick release locking means, and the mooring member having sufficient buoyancy for the second end to float on the sea when unconnected to a vessel.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
20 words
A mooring apparatus according to claim 18 in which the stationary means is a tower supported by the sea floor.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
28 words
A mooring apparatus according to claim 19 in which the tower has a universal joint near the bottom and the upper part of the tower has buoyancy means.
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) | 1983-03-18 | 1983-09-17 | 1984-03-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-03-18 | 1987-09-17 | 1988-03-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-03-18 | 1991-09-17 | 1992-03-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |