US4261671A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Corrugated pipe for deepwater applications
Assignee: Shell USA Inc
•
Filing: 1977-09-26
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Granted: 1981-04-14
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Expires: 1997-09-26
Abstract
Abstract In the laying of deepwater pipelines, corrugated pipe is substituted for standard pipe in order to take advantage of a substantially stronger structure of much lighter weight.
Inventors
- 👤 Carl G. Langner
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 12:38
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16L; F16L9/00; F16L9/02; F16L9/06; F16L1/00; F16L1/12; F16L1/20; F16L1/202; F16L1/203; F16L58/00; F16L58/02; F16L58/04; F16L58/10; F16L58/1009; F16L58/1036; F02; F02M; F02M35/00; F02M35/10; F02M35/10091; F02M35/10137
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
72 words
A method for using corrugated pipe, comprising providing the pipe with an inside liner having a laterally flat inside surface, forming a pipeline from corrugated pipe having a peak-to-valley measure of the corrugations of about one to about three pipe wall thicknesses, deploying the pipeline to a deepwater location at a depth of more than 2,000 feet of water and passing at least one of a pig and scraper through the pipeline.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
72 words
A method for using corrugated pipe, comprising providing the pipe with an inside liner having a laterally flat inside surface, forming a pipeline from corrugated pipe having a peak-to-valley measure of the corrugations of about one to about three pipe wall thicknesses, deploying the pipeline to a deepwater location at a depth of more than 2,000 feet of water and passing at least one of a pig and scraper through the pipeline.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the pipeline is at least 3,000 feet below the water's surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the corrugations run essentially circumferentially about the pipe.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the corrugations run spirally about the pipe.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the spiral has a pitch angle up to about 45°.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the corrugations are of uniform size.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the corrugations are of irregular size.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the corrugations are a patterned sequence of large and small corrugations.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the corrugations comprise large corrugations which are in turn made up of smaller corrugations.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the corrugated pipe has an inside liner which has a laterally flat inside surface and a corrugated outside surface which mates with the inside surface of the pipe.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the corrugated pipe has an inside liner which has a laterally flat inside surface and a laterally flat outside surface which contacts only the inside peaks of the corrugations.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
16 words
The method of claims 11 wherein the liner is formed in situ in the corrugated pipe.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the corrugated pipe is assembled from standard length joints on the deck of a laybarge and is disposed with a relatively short stinger of about 50 to 150 feet length.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the corrugated pipe is assembled from standard length joints in an essentially vertical mode on the deck of a vessel and is disposed with or without a stinger.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
53 words
A method for laying a deepwater pipeline from a vessel comprising, providing a pipeline having corrugations along the length thereof, gripping the pipeline with tensioners which grip the corrugations of the pipeline and tensioning the pipeline with the tensioners during the deployment of the pipeline from the vessel, whereby the corrugations facilitate tensioning.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
53 words
A method for laying a deepwater pipeline from a vessel comprising, providing a pipeline having corrugations along the length thereof, gripping the pipeline with tensioners which grip the corrugations of the pipeline and tensioning the pipeline with the tensioners during the deployment of the pipeline from the vessel, whereby the corrugations facilitate tensioning.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
57 words
A method for using corrugated pipe having a peak-to-valley measure of the corrugations of about one to about three pipe wall thicknesses, comprising forming a pipeline from the corrugated pipe, winding the corrugated pipeline on a reel, locating the reel onboard a vessel, and deploying the corrugated pipeline from the reel and vessel to an underwater location.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
57 words
A method for using corrugated pipe having a peak-to-valley measure of the corrugations of about one to about three pipe wall thicknesses, comprising forming a pipeline from the corrugated pipe, winding the corrugated pipeline on a reel, locating the reel onboard a vessel, and deploying the corrugated pipeline from the reel and vessel to an underwater location.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1984-04-13 | 1984-10-13 | 1985-04-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1988-04-13 | 1988-10-13 | 1989-04-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1992-04-13 | 1992-10-13 | 1993-04-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |