CA1086288A - Adjustable apparatus for supporting a pipeline laid on deep waters and for impressing thereto a preselected geometrical configuration - Google Patents
Adjustable apparatus for supporting a pipeline laid on deep waters and for impressing thereto a preselected geometrical configurationInfo
- Publication number
- CA1086288A CA1086288A CA295,141A CA295141A CA1086288A CA 1086288 A CA1086288 A CA 1086288A CA 295141 A CA295141 A CA 295141A CA 1086288 A CA1086288 A CA 1086288A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- pipeline
- suspended
- section
- supporting
- wedge
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L1/00—Laying or reclaiming pipes; Repairing or joining pipes on or under water
- F16L1/12—Laying or reclaiming pipes on or under water
- F16L1/20—Accessories therefor, e.g. floats, weights
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L1/00—Laying or reclaiming pipes; Repairing or joining pipes on or under water
- F16L1/12—Laying or reclaiming pipes on or under water
- F16L1/14—Laying or reclaiming pipes on or under water between the surface and the bottom
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Supports For Pipes And Cables (AREA)
- Earth Drilling (AREA)
- Laying Of Electric Cables Or Lines Outside (AREA)
- Cleaning In General (AREA)
- Pipeline Systems (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A compact structure is disclosed for supporting a pipeline suspended over a sea bottom vale. The structure has a triangular outline, the sloping side of the triangle being a guideway of a wedge slidable unidirectionally, that is only upwards, until contacting the pipe to be supported. Actuating mechanisms are provided for the movable members of the triangular structure. The entire structure is mounted on a base plate and can be towed by a subsea vehicle until reaching the correct position.
A compact structure is disclosed for supporting a pipeline suspended over a sea bottom vale. The structure has a triangular outline, the sloping side of the triangle being a guideway of a wedge slidable unidirectionally, that is only upwards, until contacting the pipe to be supported. Actuating mechanisms are provided for the movable members of the triangular structure. The entire structure is mounted on a base plate and can be towed by a subsea vehicle until reaching the correct position.
Description
~36;~88 This invention relates to a simple, reliable and cheap apparatus which permits a pipeline to be suspended on irregular spots of the sea bottom in deep waters which may be not only sup-ported by acting from beneath the pipeline, but also that may impress stress to said pipeline to impart thereto an optimum preselected geometrical outline.
It is known that the sea bottom, very oftenl is not thoroughly planar but includes obstacles of various nature, such as rocky spots or vales.
Inasmuch as heretofore the laying of pipelines has been restricted to shallow waters, it has been possible to pre-vent such shortcomings by properly varying the laying line.
On account of the present evergrowing demand for laying pipeli-nes in deep waters it is not always possible to circumvent such obstacles so that a pipeline could overhang deep and wide sub- ;
` marine vales.
It can thus be understood that, especially when laying pipelines on deep bottoms, there is a problem in supporting the pipeline on the sea bottom in correspondence with vales or rocky spots with supporting members adapted to prevent that the portion of suspended pipeline may become bent with consequential detri-mental kinks and bends and even breakages of thP pipe.
The state of the art has already disclosed an appara-tus adapted to support a pipeline supported on vales in deep sea bottoms. This apparatus, disclosed in Canadian patent applica-; tion No. 287,888, essentially comprises a servicing modulus which can be recovered and lowered from a servicing vessel onto the ; submerged pipeline to be suspended, such module being slid along two parallel guiding cables held taut between such a barge and said pipeline, and a supporting module proper which, releasablyconnected beneath such service module, is clamped above such ; pipeline, the supporting module being equipped with side legs ,:, ~t~
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for support which are to be driven into the sea bottom.
This apparatus is complex and requires a complex ins-tallation procedure.
, It is thus an object of the present invention to pro-,,- vide a simple, p,ractical and very cheap apparatus which permits, , in quite a quick and reliable way, to a pipeline suspended on a , submarine vale in deep waters and to modify at will the geome-' trical outline of the suspendéd pipe section.
:
This object is substantially achieved by the appara-'~ 10 tus which is reduced to a simple rigid structure which does not ~ need to be guided onto the pipeline laid in deep waters, but mere-," ly requires lowering onto the sea bottom from the servicing bar-'''~ ge and then pushed by a subsea instrument beneath the pipeline to ' be supported, where such apparatus is caused to act upon the pipe-",' line, from beneath the same, with supporting means which can be ~ displaces upwards with a force, the magnitude of which can be i - adjusted at leisure.
In accordance whith the above object, the invention ; herein claimed essentially lies in the provision of an apparatus , 20 for,supporting under the sea bottom and for causing a preselected geometrical configuration to be taken by a submerged pipeline , suspended over a subsea vale in deep waters, comprising a single , rigid structure adapted to be towed on the sea bottom to the sus-pended pipeline. This structure includes a wide base means for moving it along the sea bottom and for resting beneath the sus-pended section of the pipeline, the latter being contacted by ' positioning means on the structurewhen the said structure has moved below it. The suspended section of the pipeline is suppor-ted and moved upwardly to the preselected geometric configuration '' 30 by movable means on the structure when the latter has been posi-,',, tioned beneath it and when the positioning means is in contact with it. The movable means is raised by actuating means connected ,' to it. Operatively connected to the positioning means and to , ;l "~
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62~8 the movable means are rack means adapted to allow upward move-ment of the movable means on the structure and locking means, on the structure, cooperate with the rack means to automatically lock the movable means in position when the said movable means has moved the suspended pipeline to the preselected geometric configuration.
Preferably, the residual weight of the rigid structure in water should be reduced to near zero by floaters connected thereto which either can be recovered of flooded.
: 10 In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the single rigid structure includes the aforementioned wide base means and a rigid triangular frame affixed to this wide base means, which frame includes a sloping side for contacting the pipeline and two racks positioned along the inner lateral edges of the side. A wedge slidably connects the frame, partially within the sloping side, for supporting and moving upwardly along the slo-ping side the suspended pipeline section to the preselected geo-metric configuration thereof when the frame has been positioned beneath the suspended pipeline section. The aforesaid wedge is moved upwardly along the sloping side by a pulling mechanism having two idle pulleys hinged at the ends of the sloping side and a cable about the pulleys connected to the wedge. Finally, two non-return pawls are hinged to the wedge for cooperation with the racks to lock the wedge in position when it hasmoved the suspended pipeline section to the preselected geometric posi-tion.
In a variant, the wedge is slidebly guided along the sloping side through anadjustable spring mechanism. In an other variant, the wedge is slidebly guided through a hydraulic and pneumatic mechanism.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the in-vention, the single rlgid structure includes a wide base means A 3 _ , ~ .
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of the aforesaid type and the rigid box-like structure connected to this base means. Within this box-like structure, there is - mounted a vertically arranged hydrauiic and pneumatic ram having ; an actuating mechanism and a pistonextending therefrom with a resting block for supporting the section of suspended pipeline when the said structure has been moved therebelow. Two long ' limiting upwardly extending rods are hinged to two sides of the box-like structure and are connected, each, through calibrated ~; springs to the actuation mechanism for upward actuation of the ram piston and resting block only when the rods contact the section of the suspended pipeline as the structure is moved therebelow. Racks are provided on opposite sides of the piston . and non-return pawles, supported by the box-like, cooperate with the racks to automatically lock the upwardly extended piston and the resting block in position when the suspended pipeline section has been moved to its preselected geometric configuration.
In a variant,the wide base means have four legs which can be telescopically adjusted as to their height and which are hinged to the bottom wall of the boxlike structure, the free end of the legs being connected to each other, pairwise, by two adjustable clevises.
In an other variant, the side base has four telescopical-ly adjustable legs which are hinged, each, at one end to the bot-tom wall of the boxlike structure and, at the other end, to a base plate; the four base plates being, in return, hinged to one another along two sides thereof to thereby form the wide base means.
; Preferably, the foresaid piston is urged upwards for supporting and thrusting the suspended pipeline by an adjustable-spring mechanism.
Practicle embodiments of the invention will now be des-cribed with reference to the appended drawings wherein:
, ~ ~ - 4 -6~88 Figure 1 is a diagrammatical front view of an apparatus made according to the invention.
Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a diagrammatical front view of another appa-'!'- ratus according to the invention, and -Figure 4 is a side view of the apparatus of Figure 3.
Having now reference to figures 1 and 2, the numeral 1 indicates the rigid structure having the shape of a triangle for supporting and urging a pipeline 2 which is suspended above a vale of the sea bottom in deep waters. The structure is compo-sed substantially by two triangular frames, each of which is composed by a sloping beam or side, 3, by a base side or beam 4 by a supporting beam or side 5 and also by reinforcing struts 6 which are connected in parallel with each other by connection struts 7 (in figure 1 a simgle frame can be seen, the other being coplanar). On the confronting surfaces of the sloping sides 3 of the structure there is formed a longitudinal guide 8 for the ; two side wings 9 of a wedge 10 and there are two racks 11 which cooperate with two nonreturn pawls 12 hinged to said wedge 10 and biassed by springs 13, so that the wedge can only rise along the sloping sides 3 but it cannot slip backwards. The wedge is urged upwards, guided by the sloping sides 3, through a pulling mecha-nism not shown in the drawings, mounted in the same structure or on a subsea vehicle, acts upon a cable 14 which, fastened at one ,i . .
end to the wedge, is wrapped around a first idle pulley 15 moun- -; ted on an axle 16 supported by the top ends of the sloping sides 3 of the structure, and then around a second idle pulley 17 moun-~ ted on an axle 18 supported by the lower ends of the sloping si-', 30 des 3. Figure l also shows a ring 19 fastened to the other end ' ~ of the cable 14 to facilitate the connection to the pulling mecha-nism of the submarine vehicle. Finally, beneath the base side 4 ;., ~.P
~ ~ of the triangular structure there is affixed a wide base plate 20 ,, . . -which has edges 21 for facilitating the dragging of the structure beneath the suspended pipeline to be supported by the subsea vehicle.
The residual weight of the apparatus in water, can be reduced to zero by recoverable or floodable floaters, not shown.
` Once a subsea vehicle has mapped the configuration of the - pipeline suspended over the submarine vale, the calculations of the stresses are effected so as to determine the point of loca-tion of the supporting member and the magnitude of the upwards push to be impressed on the pipeline to have it take an optimal ; geometrical configuration . The triangular structure is then lowered by a servicing barge on the sea bottom in the vicinity of the suspended pipeline and is pushed by the subsea vehicle to-wards the pipeline until the sloping sides 3 of the structure comes into contact with the pipeline. At this stage, the pulling me-chanism is actuated, which, through the cable and pulley system, impresses an upward thrust on the wedge which is equal to the calculated stress.
Also, possible yielding of the sea bottom under the 20 weight of the pipeline, filled with water for testing, which can cause separation of the pipeline from the supporting member after ; testing, can now be readily allowed for by lifting the wedge "! farther up. In figures 2 and 4 there is shown another embodi-ment of the invention for supporting and urging a pipeline 2 sus-pended over a subsea vale in deep water when such a vale is com-paratively deep.
~ This apparatus has a rigid structure 22 having a boxlike ; shape within which is mounted a vertically arranged hydraulic and pneumatic ram 23. The piston 24 of the ram supports at its free 30 end, a resting block 25 which has, viewed from the front, a V-.:
like section while longitudinally it has an arcuate profile so as ;` to be adapted to rest beneath pipelines of different diameters.
;1 On opposite surfaces of the piston 24 there are provided racks 26 '' !
. i which cooperate with nonreturn pawls 27 biassed by springs andhinged to the structure 22, so that the piston can only go up with no reverse motion being allowed. Two long limiting rods 28, ~` arranged upwards, are hinged by pins 29 to stirrups 30 integral with the two front sides of the box-like structure 22 and are connected, through calibrated springs 31, to the actuating mecha- -nism of the ram 23. This mechanism diagrammatically shown in the drawings in dotted lines 32, acts substantially on two inlet val-ves for the ram 22 of the fluid under pressure contained in the reservoirs 33 mounted on the boxlike structure 22, said valves being opened by the same limiting rods 28 as the latter both resting on the suspended pipeline are rotated about their pintles 29 by a further dragging of the apparatus by the subsea vehicle.
; Figure 3 also shows the rings 34 for connecting the apparatus to the submarine vehicle which must drag it.
A wide base plate 35 ( in dotted lines in the drawing) is affixed to the bottom 36 of the boxlike structure 22. As an ; alternative, to the bottom wall 36 there can be fastened a plate 37 to which there are hinged, via the pins 38, four telescopically adjustable legs the height of which can thus be varied. Each leg (the drawings show only two legs, the other two being copla-nar) is formed by a rod 39 having bores 40 and hinged at 38 to the p.late 37, and is inserted into a hollow body 41 to which it is locked in position by a through-pin 42 inserted in one of the bores 40 of the rod. The free lower ends of the hollow bodies 41 are mutually connected pairwise by adjustable clevis 43 tdiagrammatically indicated in dotted lines in figure 3). As another alternative, the bodies 41 are hinged by the pins 44, to i stirrups 45 welded centrally to a base plate, such as 46, 47, 48 ., .
, 30 and 49 respectively. The four base plates 46-49 are hinged mu-'t'' ' tually along two of their sides so as substantially to form a i';
single articulated base plate. More particularly the base plate ; 47 is hinged to the adjoining plate 46 through a pin 50 (see ~ ~ 7 , . . . . . - . ~ -. . . - .
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fig. 3) directed along the axis of the pipeline 2 and is also hinged to the equally adjoining plate 49 (see fig. 4) through the pin 51 directed perpendicularly to said axis.
In the drawings there can also be seen at 52 a floater which has the task of nearly annuling the residual weight in water of the machine so as to facilitate the towing by the subsea vehicle. The floater is intended to be disposed of by recovery or waterlogging when the apparatus is in position beneath the pipeline to be supported.
The installation and the operation of the apparatus are substantially similar to those of the machine described here-inabove. In this latter machine, however, the actuation of the ram 23, which will impress with its piston a thrust against the pipeline which is suspended, said thrust being equal to the cal-;, .
~ culated stress, using the pressure which has been preselected in ::
the two reservoirs, will be made automatically as already explai-; ned, by the positioning means, that is by the limiting rods 28 without necessity of controls from outside.
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It is known that the sea bottom, very oftenl is not thoroughly planar but includes obstacles of various nature, such as rocky spots or vales.
Inasmuch as heretofore the laying of pipelines has been restricted to shallow waters, it has been possible to pre-vent such shortcomings by properly varying the laying line.
On account of the present evergrowing demand for laying pipeli-nes in deep waters it is not always possible to circumvent such obstacles so that a pipeline could overhang deep and wide sub- ;
` marine vales.
It can thus be understood that, especially when laying pipelines on deep bottoms, there is a problem in supporting the pipeline on the sea bottom in correspondence with vales or rocky spots with supporting members adapted to prevent that the portion of suspended pipeline may become bent with consequential detri-mental kinks and bends and even breakages of thP pipe.
The state of the art has already disclosed an appara-tus adapted to support a pipeline supported on vales in deep sea bottoms. This apparatus, disclosed in Canadian patent applica-; tion No. 287,888, essentially comprises a servicing modulus which can be recovered and lowered from a servicing vessel onto the ; submerged pipeline to be suspended, such module being slid along two parallel guiding cables held taut between such a barge and said pipeline, and a supporting module proper which, releasablyconnected beneath such service module, is clamped above such ; pipeline, the supporting module being equipped with side legs ,:, ~t~
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for support which are to be driven into the sea bottom.
This apparatus is complex and requires a complex ins-tallation procedure.
, It is thus an object of the present invention to pro-,,- vide a simple, p,ractical and very cheap apparatus which permits, , in quite a quick and reliable way, to a pipeline suspended on a , submarine vale in deep waters and to modify at will the geome-' trical outline of the suspendéd pipe section.
:
This object is substantially achieved by the appara-'~ 10 tus which is reduced to a simple rigid structure which does not ~ need to be guided onto the pipeline laid in deep waters, but mere-," ly requires lowering onto the sea bottom from the servicing bar-'''~ ge and then pushed by a subsea instrument beneath the pipeline to ' be supported, where such apparatus is caused to act upon the pipe-",' line, from beneath the same, with supporting means which can be ~ displaces upwards with a force, the magnitude of which can be i - adjusted at leisure.
In accordance whith the above object, the invention ; herein claimed essentially lies in the provision of an apparatus , 20 for,supporting under the sea bottom and for causing a preselected geometrical configuration to be taken by a submerged pipeline , suspended over a subsea vale in deep waters, comprising a single , rigid structure adapted to be towed on the sea bottom to the sus-pended pipeline. This structure includes a wide base means for moving it along the sea bottom and for resting beneath the sus-pended section of the pipeline, the latter being contacted by ' positioning means on the structurewhen the said structure has moved below it. The suspended section of the pipeline is suppor-ted and moved upwardly to the preselected geometric configuration '' 30 by movable means on the structure when the latter has been posi-,',, tioned beneath it and when the positioning means is in contact with it. The movable means is raised by actuating means connected ,' to it. Operatively connected to the positioning means and to , ;l "~
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62~8 the movable means are rack means adapted to allow upward move-ment of the movable means on the structure and locking means, on the structure, cooperate with the rack means to automatically lock the movable means in position when the said movable means has moved the suspended pipeline to the preselected geometric configuration.
Preferably, the residual weight of the rigid structure in water should be reduced to near zero by floaters connected thereto which either can be recovered of flooded.
: 10 In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the single rigid structure includes the aforementioned wide base means and a rigid triangular frame affixed to this wide base means, which frame includes a sloping side for contacting the pipeline and two racks positioned along the inner lateral edges of the side. A wedge slidably connects the frame, partially within the sloping side, for supporting and moving upwardly along the slo-ping side the suspended pipeline section to the preselected geo-metric configuration thereof when the frame has been positioned beneath the suspended pipeline section. The aforesaid wedge is moved upwardly along the sloping side by a pulling mechanism having two idle pulleys hinged at the ends of the sloping side and a cable about the pulleys connected to the wedge. Finally, two non-return pawls are hinged to the wedge for cooperation with the racks to lock the wedge in position when it hasmoved the suspended pipeline section to the preselected geometric posi-tion.
In a variant, the wedge is slidebly guided along the sloping side through anadjustable spring mechanism. In an other variant, the wedge is slidebly guided through a hydraulic and pneumatic mechanism.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the in-vention, the single rlgid structure includes a wide base means A 3 _ , ~ .
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of the aforesaid type and the rigid box-like structure connected to this base means. Within this box-like structure, there is - mounted a vertically arranged hydrauiic and pneumatic ram having ; an actuating mechanism and a pistonextending therefrom with a resting block for supporting the section of suspended pipeline when the said structure has been moved therebelow. Two long ' limiting upwardly extending rods are hinged to two sides of the box-like structure and are connected, each, through calibrated ~; springs to the actuation mechanism for upward actuation of the ram piston and resting block only when the rods contact the section of the suspended pipeline as the structure is moved therebelow. Racks are provided on opposite sides of the piston . and non-return pawles, supported by the box-like, cooperate with the racks to automatically lock the upwardly extended piston and the resting block in position when the suspended pipeline section has been moved to its preselected geometric configuration.
In a variant,the wide base means have four legs which can be telescopically adjusted as to their height and which are hinged to the bottom wall of the boxlike structure, the free end of the legs being connected to each other, pairwise, by two adjustable clevises.
In an other variant, the side base has four telescopical-ly adjustable legs which are hinged, each, at one end to the bot-tom wall of the boxlike structure and, at the other end, to a base plate; the four base plates being, in return, hinged to one another along two sides thereof to thereby form the wide base means.
; Preferably, the foresaid piston is urged upwards for supporting and thrusting the suspended pipeline by an adjustable-spring mechanism.
Practicle embodiments of the invention will now be des-cribed with reference to the appended drawings wherein:
, ~ ~ - 4 -6~88 Figure 1 is a diagrammatical front view of an apparatus made according to the invention.
Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a diagrammatical front view of another appa-'!'- ratus according to the invention, and -Figure 4 is a side view of the apparatus of Figure 3.
Having now reference to figures 1 and 2, the numeral 1 indicates the rigid structure having the shape of a triangle for supporting and urging a pipeline 2 which is suspended above a vale of the sea bottom in deep waters. The structure is compo-sed substantially by two triangular frames, each of which is composed by a sloping beam or side, 3, by a base side or beam 4 by a supporting beam or side 5 and also by reinforcing struts 6 which are connected in parallel with each other by connection struts 7 (in figure 1 a simgle frame can be seen, the other being coplanar). On the confronting surfaces of the sloping sides 3 of the structure there is formed a longitudinal guide 8 for the ; two side wings 9 of a wedge 10 and there are two racks 11 which cooperate with two nonreturn pawls 12 hinged to said wedge 10 and biassed by springs 13, so that the wedge can only rise along the sloping sides 3 but it cannot slip backwards. The wedge is urged upwards, guided by the sloping sides 3, through a pulling mecha-nism not shown in the drawings, mounted in the same structure or on a subsea vehicle, acts upon a cable 14 which, fastened at one ,i . .
end to the wedge, is wrapped around a first idle pulley 15 moun- -; ted on an axle 16 supported by the top ends of the sloping sides 3 of the structure, and then around a second idle pulley 17 moun-~ ted on an axle 18 supported by the lower ends of the sloping si-', 30 des 3. Figure l also shows a ring 19 fastened to the other end ' ~ of the cable 14 to facilitate the connection to the pulling mecha-nism of the submarine vehicle. Finally, beneath the base side 4 ;., ~.P
~ ~ of the triangular structure there is affixed a wide base plate 20 ,, . . -which has edges 21 for facilitating the dragging of the structure beneath the suspended pipeline to be supported by the subsea vehicle.
The residual weight of the apparatus in water, can be reduced to zero by recoverable or floodable floaters, not shown.
` Once a subsea vehicle has mapped the configuration of the - pipeline suspended over the submarine vale, the calculations of the stresses are effected so as to determine the point of loca-tion of the supporting member and the magnitude of the upwards push to be impressed on the pipeline to have it take an optimal ; geometrical configuration . The triangular structure is then lowered by a servicing barge on the sea bottom in the vicinity of the suspended pipeline and is pushed by the subsea vehicle to-wards the pipeline until the sloping sides 3 of the structure comes into contact with the pipeline. At this stage, the pulling me-chanism is actuated, which, through the cable and pulley system, impresses an upward thrust on the wedge which is equal to the calculated stress.
Also, possible yielding of the sea bottom under the 20 weight of the pipeline, filled with water for testing, which can cause separation of the pipeline from the supporting member after ; testing, can now be readily allowed for by lifting the wedge "! farther up. In figures 2 and 4 there is shown another embodi-ment of the invention for supporting and urging a pipeline 2 sus-pended over a subsea vale in deep water when such a vale is com-paratively deep.
~ This apparatus has a rigid structure 22 having a boxlike ; shape within which is mounted a vertically arranged hydraulic and pneumatic ram 23. The piston 24 of the ram supports at its free 30 end, a resting block 25 which has, viewed from the front, a V-.:
like section while longitudinally it has an arcuate profile so as ;` to be adapted to rest beneath pipelines of different diameters.
;1 On opposite surfaces of the piston 24 there are provided racks 26 '' !
. i which cooperate with nonreturn pawls 27 biassed by springs andhinged to the structure 22, so that the piston can only go up with no reverse motion being allowed. Two long limiting rods 28, ~` arranged upwards, are hinged by pins 29 to stirrups 30 integral with the two front sides of the box-like structure 22 and are connected, through calibrated springs 31, to the actuating mecha- -nism of the ram 23. This mechanism diagrammatically shown in the drawings in dotted lines 32, acts substantially on two inlet val-ves for the ram 22 of the fluid under pressure contained in the reservoirs 33 mounted on the boxlike structure 22, said valves being opened by the same limiting rods 28 as the latter both resting on the suspended pipeline are rotated about their pintles 29 by a further dragging of the apparatus by the subsea vehicle.
; Figure 3 also shows the rings 34 for connecting the apparatus to the submarine vehicle which must drag it.
A wide base plate 35 ( in dotted lines in the drawing) is affixed to the bottom 36 of the boxlike structure 22. As an ; alternative, to the bottom wall 36 there can be fastened a plate 37 to which there are hinged, via the pins 38, four telescopically adjustable legs the height of which can thus be varied. Each leg (the drawings show only two legs, the other two being copla-nar) is formed by a rod 39 having bores 40 and hinged at 38 to the p.late 37, and is inserted into a hollow body 41 to which it is locked in position by a through-pin 42 inserted in one of the bores 40 of the rod. The free lower ends of the hollow bodies 41 are mutually connected pairwise by adjustable clevis 43 tdiagrammatically indicated in dotted lines in figure 3). As another alternative, the bodies 41 are hinged by the pins 44, to i stirrups 45 welded centrally to a base plate, such as 46, 47, 48 ., .
, 30 and 49 respectively. The four base plates 46-49 are hinged mu-'t'' ' tually along two of their sides so as substantially to form a i';
single articulated base plate. More particularly the base plate ; 47 is hinged to the adjoining plate 46 through a pin 50 (see ~ ~ 7 , . . . . . - . ~ -. . . - .
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fig. 3) directed along the axis of the pipeline 2 and is also hinged to the equally adjoining plate 49 (see fig. 4) through the pin 51 directed perpendicularly to said axis.
In the drawings there can also be seen at 52 a floater which has the task of nearly annuling the residual weight in water of the machine so as to facilitate the towing by the subsea vehicle. The floater is intended to be disposed of by recovery or waterlogging when the apparatus is in position beneath the pipeline to be supported.
The installation and the operation of the apparatus are substantially similar to those of the machine described here-inabove. In this latter machine, however, the actuation of the ram 23, which will impress with its piston a thrust against the pipeline which is suspended, said thrust being equal to the cal-;, .
~ culated stress, using the pressure which has been preselected in ::
the two reservoirs, will be made automatically as already explai-; ned, by the positioning means, that is by the limiting rods 28 without necessity of controls from outside.
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Claims (9)
1. Apparatus for supporting on the sea bottom and for causing a preselected geometrical configuration to be taken by a submerged pipeline suspended over a subsea vale in deep wa-ters, comprising a single rigid structure adapted to be towed on the sea bottom to the suspended pipeline which includes:
a wide base means on the bottom of said structure for facilitating movement thereof along the sea bottom and for resting beneath the suspended section of the pipeline, positioning means on said structure for contacting the suspended section of the pipeline when said structure has been moved therebelow, movable means on said structure for supporting and moving upwardly the suspended section of pipeline to the pre-selected geometric configuration when said structure has been positioned beneath, and said positioning means is in contact with, the suspended pipeline section, actuating means connecting said movable means for moving said movable means upwardly, rack means operatively connected to said positio-ning means and to said movable means and adapted to allow upward movement of said movable means on said structure, and locking means on said structure which cooperates with said rack means to automatically lock said movable means in position when said movable means has moved the suspended pipeline to the preselected geometric configuration.
a wide base means on the bottom of said structure for facilitating movement thereof along the sea bottom and for resting beneath the suspended section of the pipeline, positioning means on said structure for contacting the suspended section of the pipeline when said structure has been moved therebelow, movable means on said structure for supporting and moving upwardly the suspended section of pipeline to the pre-selected geometric configuration when said structure has been positioned beneath, and said positioning means is in contact with, the suspended pipeline section, actuating means connecting said movable means for moving said movable means upwardly, rack means operatively connected to said positio-ning means and to said movable means and adapted to allow upward movement of said movable means on said structure, and locking means on said structure which cooperates with said rack means to automatically lock said movable means in position when said movable means has moved the suspended pipeline to the preselected geometric configuration.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the residual weight of said rigid structure in water is reduced to near zero by floaters connected thereto which either can be recovered of flooded.
3. Apparatus for supporting on the sea bottom and for causing a preselected geometrical configuration to be taken by a submerged pipeline suspended over a subsea vale in deep waters, comprising a single rigid structure adapted to be towed on the sea bottom to the suspended pipeline which includes:
a wide base means on the bottom of said structure for facilitating movement thereof along the sea bottom and for res-ting beneath the suspended section of the pipeline, a rigid triangular frame affixed to said wide base means which includes a sloping side for contacting the suspended section of the pipeline when said structure has been moved there-below, and wherein two racks are positioned along the inner lateral edges of said side, a wedge slidably connected to said frame partially within said sloping side for supporting and moving upwardly along said sloping side the suspended pipeline section to the preselected geometric configuration thereof when said frame has been positio-ned beneath the suspended pipeline section, a pulling mechanism having two idle pulleys hinged at the ends of said sloping side and a cable about said pulleys and connected to said wedge for upward movement thereof along said sloping side, and two non-return pawls hinged to said wedge which coope-rate with said racks for locking said wedge in position when said wedge has moved the suspended pipeline section to the preselected geometric position.
a wide base means on the bottom of said structure for facilitating movement thereof along the sea bottom and for res-ting beneath the suspended section of the pipeline, a rigid triangular frame affixed to said wide base means which includes a sloping side for contacting the suspended section of the pipeline when said structure has been moved there-below, and wherein two racks are positioned along the inner lateral edges of said side, a wedge slidably connected to said frame partially within said sloping side for supporting and moving upwardly along said sloping side the suspended pipeline section to the preselected geometric configuration thereof when said frame has been positio-ned beneath the suspended pipeline section, a pulling mechanism having two idle pulleys hinged at the ends of said sloping side and a cable about said pulleys and connected to said wedge for upward movement thereof along said sloping side, and two non-return pawls hinged to said wedge which coope-rate with said racks for locking said wedge in position when said wedge has moved the suspended pipeline section to the preselected geometric position.
4. An apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that said wedge is slidably guided along the sloping side equipped with racks of the triangular frame through an adjustable-spring mechanism.
5. An apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that said wedge is slidably guided along the inclined side equipped with racks of the triangular frame through a hydraulic and pneumatic mechanism.
6. Apparatus for supporting on the sea bottom and for causing a preselected geometrical configuration to be taken by a submerged pipeline suspended over a subsea vale in deep waters, comprising a single rigid structure adapted to be towed on the sea bottom to the suspended pipeline which includes:
a wide base means on the bottom of said structure for facilitating movement thereof along the sea bottom and for res-ting beneath the suspended section thereof, a rigid box-like structure connected to said wide base means, and within which is mounted a vertically arranged hydraulic and pneumatic ram having an actuation mechanism therein and a piston extending therefrom with a resting block thereon for supporting the section of suspended pipeline when said structure has been moved therebelow, two long limiting upwardly extending rods which are hin-ged to two sides of said box-like structure and which are connec-ted, each, through calibrated springs to said actuation mechanism for upward actuation of said ram piston and resting block only when said rods contact said section of the suspended pipeline as said structure is moved therebelow, racks on opposite sides of said piston, and non-return pawls supported by said box-like structure which cooperate with said racks to automatically lock said up-wardly extended piston and resting block in position when the suspended pipeline section has been moved to its preselected geometric configuration.
a wide base means on the bottom of said structure for facilitating movement thereof along the sea bottom and for res-ting beneath the suspended section thereof, a rigid box-like structure connected to said wide base means, and within which is mounted a vertically arranged hydraulic and pneumatic ram having an actuation mechanism therein and a piston extending therefrom with a resting block thereon for supporting the section of suspended pipeline when said structure has been moved therebelow, two long limiting upwardly extending rods which are hin-ged to two sides of said box-like structure and which are connec-ted, each, through calibrated springs to said actuation mechanism for upward actuation of said ram piston and resting block only when said rods contact said section of the suspended pipeline as said structure is moved therebelow, racks on opposite sides of said piston, and non-return pawls supported by said box-like structure which cooperate with said racks to automatically lock said up-wardly extended piston and resting block in position when the suspended pipeline section has been moved to its preselected geometric configuration.
7. An apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that said wide base means has four legs which can be telescopically adjusted as to their height and are hinged to the bottom wall of said boxlike structure, the free end of said legs being con-nected to each other, pairwise, by two adjustable clevises.
8. An apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that said wide base means has four telescopically adjustable legs which are hinged, each, at one end to the bottom wall of the boxlike structure and, at the other end, to a base plate, the four base plates being, in their turn, hinged to one another along two sides thereof, to thereby form said wide base means.
9. An apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that said piston is urged upwards for supporting and thrus-ting said suspended pipeline by an adjustable-spring mechanism.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| IT19386A/77 | 1977-01-18 | ||
| IT1938677A IT1078683B (en) | 1977-01-18 | 1977-01-18 | ADJUSTABLE EQUIPMENT TO SUPPORT AND ASSUME A PREDETERMINED GEOMETRIC CONFIGURATION TO A PIPE INSTALLED IN HIGH BOTTOMS CORRESPONDING TO THE ACCIDENTALITY OF THE SEA BOTTOM |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1086288A true CA1086288A (en) | 1980-09-23 |
Family
ID=11157242
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA295,141A Expired CA1086288A (en) | 1977-01-18 | 1978-01-17 | Adjustable apparatus for supporting a pipeline laid on deep waters and for impressing thereto a preselected geometrical configuration |
Country Status (13)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (1) | JPS5390017A (en) |
| AU (1) | AU511844B2 (en) |
| BE (1) | BE863039A (en) |
| BR (1) | BR7800345A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1086288A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE2802111C3 (en) |
| DK (1) | DK144665C (en) |
| FR (1) | FR2377567A1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB1564493A (en) |
| IE (1) | IE46029B1 (en) |
| IT (1) | IT1078683B (en) |
| LU (1) | LU78875A1 (en) |
| NL (1) | NL173093C (en) |
Families Citing this family (11)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IT1099960B (en) * | 1978-10-17 | 1985-09-28 | Snam Progetti | ADJUSTABLE EQUIPMENT FOR THE SUPPORT OF A PIPE INSTALLED IN HIGH BOTTOMS IN CORRESPONDENCE OF A SEA BOTTOM |
| IT1160284B (en) * | 1978-12-04 | 1987-03-11 | Saipem Spa | EQUIPMENT FOR THE SUPPORT OF SUSPENDED PIPES ON CORRUGATED SEA BOTTOMS EVEN AT LARGE DEPTHS |
| FR2451531A1 (en) * | 1979-03-15 | 1980-10-10 | Doris Dev Richesse Sous Marine | Submersible floating support for submarine pipeline - may use lattice girders spanning cylindrical floats of adjustable buoyancy |
| IT1121450B (en) * | 1979-06-20 | 1986-04-02 | Saipem Spa | PERFECTED METHOD FOR LAYING AN UNDERWATER CONDUCT IN THE OVERHEAD OF OTHER ALREADY CONDUCT AND RELATED DEVICES |
| IT1209307B (en) * | 1980-02-19 | 1989-07-16 | Rognoni Antonio | ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR UNDERWATER PIPES DISTANT FROM THE BOTTOM. |
| IT1209306B (en) * | 1980-02-19 | 1989-07-16 | Rognoni Antonio | ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR SUBMARINE PIPES AT SMALL DISTANCE FROM THE BOTTOM. |
| GB2214599A (en) * | 1988-01-13 | 1989-09-06 | Ind Acoustics Company Limited | Duct mounting |
| ITMI20141880A1 (en) * | 2014-11-03 | 2016-05-03 | Saipem Spa | SUPPORT FOR UNDERWATER PIPE, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ARRANGING THIS SUPPORT |
| CN105270734A (en) * | 2015-09-15 | 2016-01-27 | 天津正安无缝钢管有限公司 | Steel pipe supporting device |
| CN106931239B (en) * | 2017-03-29 | 2018-09-11 | 广东国利先进复合材料研发有限公司 | A kind of bottom pipeline suspended span method for supporting and device |
| CN117345952B (en) * | 2023-12-06 | 2024-02-13 | 卡耐夫集团(山西)管道***有限公司 | Supporting structure of municipal water supply pipeline |
Family Cites Families (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2405819A (en) * | 1943-11-09 | 1946-08-13 | Herman U Dustman | Support |
| US3288406A (en) * | 1965-11-22 | 1966-11-29 | George R Degen | Adjustable pipe support |
| GB1274886A (en) * | 1968-07-11 | 1972-05-17 | Shell Int Research | Apparatus for remotely joining underwater pipelines |
| FR2029207A5 (en) * | 1969-01-17 | 1970-10-16 | Petroles Cie Francaise | |
| US3741320A (en) * | 1971-07-12 | 1973-06-26 | Atlas Copco Ab | Subsea drilling assembly |
-
1977
- 1977-01-18 IT IT1938677A patent/IT1078683B/en active
-
1978
- 1978-01-10 AU AU32320/78A patent/AU511844B2/en not_active Expired
- 1978-01-12 DK DK15878A patent/DK144665C/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1978-01-16 FR FR7801120A patent/FR2377567A1/en active Granted
- 1978-01-16 LU LU78875A patent/LU78875A1/en unknown
- 1978-01-17 CA CA295,141A patent/CA1086288A/en not_active Expired
- 1978-01-18 BE BE184422A patent/BE863039A/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1978-01-18 NL NL7800626A patent/NL173093C/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1978-01-18 JP JP341978A patent/JPS5390017A/en active Pending
- 1978-01-18 DE DE19782802111 patent/DE2802111C3/en not_active Expired
- 1978-01-18 GB GB210978A patent/GB1564493A/en not_active Expired
- 1978-01-18 IE IE11478A patent/IE46029B1/en unknown
- 1978-01-18 BR BR7800345A patent/BR7800345A/en unknown
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| NL7800626A (en) | 1978-07-20 |
| IT1078683B (en) | 1985-05-08 |
| NL173093B (en) | 1983-07-01 |
| IE46029B1 (en) | 1983-01-26 |
| DK144665C (en) | 1982-10-04 |
| LU78875A1 (en) | 1978-06-09 |
| FR2377567B1 (en) | 1982-04-02 |
| AU511844B2 (en) | 1980-09-11 |
| IE780114L (en) | 1978-07-18 |
| FR2377567A1 (en) | 1978-08-11 |
| BR7800345A (en) | 1978-09-05 |
| NL173093C (en) | 1983-12-01 |
| DK144665B (en) | 1982-05-03 |
| AU3232078A (en) | 1979-07-19 |
| BE863039A (en) | 1978-07-18 |
| DE2802111C3 (en) | 1980-06-26 |
| JPS5390017A (en) | 1978-08-08 |
| DE2802111A1 (en) | 1978-07-20 |
| GB1564493A (en) | 1980-04-10 |
| DK15878A (en) | 1978-07-19 |
| DE2802111B2 (en) | 1979-10-18 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |