GB1565323A - Float for the support of oil duct gas duct and the like pipes immersed in water - Google Patents

Description

(54) FLOAT FOR THE SUPPORT OF OIL DUCT, GAS DUCT AND THE LIKE PIPES IMMERSED IN WATER (71) We, RESINEX S.p.A. of 20 Via per Rovato, lseo, Brescia, Italy; an Italian body corporate do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: - Oil ducts, gas ducts and the like, installed in docks, particularly for loading or unloading oil tankers, normally comprise a conduit resting on the bottom of the dock and connected by means of one or more pipes extending to the surface of the water to a floating buoy carrying the control devices.

The pipes, in order not to weigh heavily and directly on the floating buoy, are in turn supported by suitable floating members fixed to the pipes themselves.

Such floats are at present formed of two solid half-rings, made from expanded plastics material and suitably connected together and disposed around the pipe to be supported.

However, the connection of such floats to the pipes in water is a somewhat complicated and laborious operation and necessarily involves the expensive employment of auxiliary materials and special apparatus. In fact, in order to immerse the floats in water, it is at present necessary, when securing them to the pipe to be supported, to apply ballast weights to the floats themselves so that they sink in the water under the guidance of the diver carrying out the operation. It is, however, obvious that the float, complete with ballast, is difficult to manipulate, making the work of the diver arduous in attaching it and securing it about the associated pipe. On the other hand, however, once the float is connected to the pipe, in order to limit to some extent the already heavy costs of installation, it is necessary to recover the ballast weights, which operation is effected by means of cranes or the like, involving, in any case, the presence of a support vessel equipped for the purpose.

In addition, the support members of expanded material as obtained hitherto, may each have weights different from each other, depending on the density of the expanded material, and therefore the ballasting must be calculated by trial on each float. Further more, according to prior art, in order to pre vent axial escape of the support floats on and relative to the pipes to which they are applied, it is proposed that said pipes should have, in the pre-determined areas of application of the floats, circumferential projections or girdles, engaging in a corresponding recess or annular re-entrant portion, a so-called "key" formed on the inner surface of each float.

Such an embodiment involves limitations of a practical order, in view of the fact that the floats of a certain inner diameter, and hence with a pre-determined "key", may only be applied to pipes having a corresponding outer diameter and consequently an exactly fitting circumferential girdle.

However, in tunis respect it wouId be desir able and advantageous for the float to be also applicable to pipes of different diameters so that it would no longer be necessary to maintain a range of floats for the different types of pipes in use. Further, the pipes used at present have terminal portions, the diameter of which is greater than that of the central part and, as a result, there are, at present, two different types of floats mounted on the same pipe.

The present invention therefore concerns a float for supporting in water pipes of the said type and functions, and the object of this invention is to surmount the abovedescribed disadvantages, making the work of immersion and application of the floats to the pipes easier and more practical and, consequently, more economical, without the necessity of having recourse to ballasting weights or the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hollow floating body capable of being filled with water so as to reduce the buoyancy when applying it to the pipe to be supported.

Yet another object is to provide a Floating body having the said functions and provided with an interchangeable internal adaptor ring for the application of the float itself also to pipes of different diameters.

According to the present invention there is provided a float for supporting pipes for oil ducts, gas ducts, and the like immersed in water, comprising two semi-circular members moulded from suitable plastics material so as to be internally hollow and to provide each with a chamber, said members being hinged together, at one end and connectable at the other end, each of said members having at least one closable opening for the supply of water to said chamber and with at least one closable opening for the discharge of water from said chamber, and each member has, on its inner circular wall, a recess or reentrant portion for receiving a girdle or projection provided on the pipe to be supported.

An adaptor may be associated with the recess or re-entrant portion of each semi-circular member, said adaptor itself being semicircular and having the function of reducing the inner diameter of the float in order to apply it to various types of pipes, said adaptor itself, presenting a recess or reentrant portion for connecting it to the projection or "swelling" of the pipe or the means of connection to the surface of said pipe.

The present invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows schematically part of an oil duct with pipes immersed in the water and connected to a floating buoy: Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a floating body according to the invention; Fig. 3 shows a cross-section of the body of Fig. 2 in which part of a pipe to be supported is also shown in broken lines; Fig. 4 shows the body of Figs. 2 and 3 in plan and in partial section; Fig. 5 shows a perspecuve view of a semi circular adaptor which may be associated with the floating body; and Fig. 6, shows in section, part of a floating body complete with adaptor.

With reference to Fig. 1, a conduit 1 of an oil duct, for example, is shown on the bottom of a dock, from which conduit 1 one or more pipes 2 branch upwardly and are connected to a surface buoy 3 carrying appropriate devices (not shown) for controlling loading and unloading operations and to which a surface conduit 4 is connected. So that the pipe or pipes 2, extending to the surface of the water should not bear directly on the buoy 3, floating support bodies 5 are mounted on the pipes 2 themselves, each of said bodies 5 enclosing the associated pipe 2 near a girdle or projecting collar 2' formed for this purpose on the pipe 2 to prevent the floating body from sliding along the pipe 2. Each floating body 5 is formed of two semi-circular members 6 and 7 having their concave portions 6', 7' opposed to one another to form together a circular seat for receiving the pipe 2 to be supported. The two semi-circular members 6, 7 are moulded from suitable plastics mat erial by a known moulding process so as to be internally hollow to provide a chamber 8, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings.

In addition, said two members 6, 7 are connected together, on the one hand, by means of two hinge members 10' and, on the other hand, by means of hooks connected by threaded tie-bars 10 which also enable the body 5 to be removably attached to the pipe 2 to be supported in water.

In the outer part-circular wall of each semi-circular member 6, 7 at least one closable opening 11 is provided which permits the flow of water into the chamber 8 of the member itself, and on the bottom wall of each member 6, 7 at least one closable opening 12 is provided for the discharge of water from the chamber 8 for a purpose which will be explained hereinafter.

Finally, on the inner part-circular wall of the members 6, 7 as in the case of floating bodies of known type, a recess or re-entrant portion 13 is formed of suitable depth and width for receiving a girdle 2' of the pipe 2 to which the floating body 5 is attached.

In order to attach the support body 5 to the pipe 2 immersed in water, the chambers 8 of the two semi-circular hollow members 6, 7 are filled with water by means of the lateral openings 11 so that the total weight of the members 6 and 7 and the water causes the unit to sink when immersed and under the simple guidance of a diver carrying out the operation the body 5 can be easily manipulated under water. Thus, when sunk in the water to the depth at which it is to be applied to the pipe 2, the support body 5 is easy to handle and can therefore be easily located on the pipe 2 and secured around it.

As soon as the support body 5 is secured to the pipe, compressed air is fed by a suitable arrangement into the chambers 8 of the semicircular members 6, 7 in order to force the water from the chambers 8 through the lower openings 12 which have been opened for the purpose. Once emptied of water, the chambers 8 of the members 6, 7 are sealed so that the body exerts its supporting thrust on the pipe 2, thus ensuring that the latter cannot bear heavily on the surface buoy 3.

Substantially, therefore, the sinking and application of the support body 5 to the pipes 2 can be easily and rapidly effected without requiring ballast, but by utilising the water in which the operation is being performed and without the problems involved in recovering ballasting material. Further, the bodies 5 can be recovered easily by releasing the tiebars 10 and allowing the buoyancy of the body to spontaneously carry the body to the surface or under the control of a diver bv feeding a pre-determined quantity of water into the chambers 8 of the two members and bringing the body 5 to the surface.

As stated above, support bodies 5 of known type usually have an inner diameter corresponding to that of the pipes to which they have to be applied and they cannot be used with other pipes. However, a removable internal adaptor may be attached to the support bodies 5 in order to adapt the body 5 and to permit application thereof to pipes or parts of pipes having different diameters.

In Figs. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings, said internal adaptor is formed of two half-rings 50 moulded from suitable plastics material and capable of being located in the recesses 13 of the semi-circular members 6, 7 of the support body 5. Each half-ring 50 has a cross-section presenting, on the outside, a projecting fillet 51 of dimensions equal to those of the recess 13 of the associated semicircular body for location therein and, on the inside surface, a channel-like re-entrant portion 52 having suitable dimensions for receiving and being connected to the girdle or projection 2' of the pipe 2 to which the body has to be applied. The said channel-like reentrant portion 52 is defined by two flanges 53 extending at least partially over the inner surfaces of the semi-circular members 6, 7 on both sides of the associated recess 13.

Finally, at the base of the re-entrant portion 52, depressions for reducing weight may be formed, whilst two blades 54 are preferably formed on the ends of the half-ring 50 to secure the half-rings 50 in the recesses 13 upon the closing of the support body 5 around the pipe to be supported.

It is therefore apparent that, by using adaptors of suitable thickness, the application of the support body 5 having a pre-determined inner diameter is possible both to pipes of a corresponding diameter and to those of a smaller diameter without changing the structure and effectiveness of the body itself.

Finally, it should be noted that connecting means in the form of pointed pawls or the like may be provided both on the inner surfaces of the semi-circular members 6, 7 of the support body and to the inner surface of the adaptor, intended to engage in the outer surface of the pipe for the stability of the support body thereof. In this manner it is possible to eliminate the necessity of having projections or girdles on the pipes.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A float for supporting pipes for oil ducts, gas ducts, and the like immersed in water, comprising two semi-circular members moulded from suitable plastics material so as to be internally hollow and to provide each with a chamber, said members being hinged together, at one end and connectable at the other end, each of said members having at least one closable opening for the supply of water to said chamber and with at least one closable opening for the discharge of water from said chamber, and each member has on its inner circular wall, a recess or re-entrant portion for receiving a girdle or projection provided on the pipe to be supported.

2. A float as claimed in claim 1, wherein an adaptor for reducing the inner diameter of the total body can be located in the recess or re-entrant portion of each semi-circular member.

3. A float as claimed in claim 2, wherein said adaptor is formed by two half-ring members moulded from plastics material each having an outer projecting fillet corresponding to and received in the recess or re-entrant portion of the associated semi-circular member and an inner channel-like recess for receiving the girdle or projection of the pipe to be supported, said channel-like recess being defined by two projecting lateral flanges which are at least partially superimposed on the inner surfaces of said semi-circular member.

4. A float as claimed in claim 2 and 3, wherein each half-ring member has two terminal blades resting on the ends of the associated semi-circular member forming the body.

5. A supporting float as claimed in claims 2 and 3 wherein connecting means, engaging in the outer surface of the pipes to which said members are connected, are formed on the inner surfaces of the semi-circular members and/or adaptors.

6. A float for supporting pipes, substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. type usually have an inner diameter corresponding to that of the pipes to which they have to be applied and they cannot be used with other pipes. However, a removable internal adaptor may be attached to the support bodies 5 in order to adapt the body 5 and to permit application thereof to pipes or parts of pipes having different diameters. In Figs. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings, said internal adaptor is formed of two half-rings 50 moulded from suitable plastics material and capable of being located in the recesses 13 of the semi-circular members 6, 7 of the support body 5. Each half-ring 50 has a cross-section presenting, on the outside, a projecting fillet 51 of dimensions equal to those of the recess 13 of the associated semicircular body for location therein and, on the inside surface, a channel-like re-entrant portion 52 having suitable dimensions for receiving and being connected to the girdle or projection 2' of the pipe 2 to which the body has to be applied. The said channel-like reentrant portion 52 is defined by two flanges 53 extending at least partially over the inner surfaces of the semi-circular members 6, 7 on both sides of the associated recess 13. Finally, at the base of the re-entrant portion 52, depressions for reducing weight may be formed, whilst two blades 54 are preferably formed on the ends of the half-ring 50 to secure the half-rings 50 in the recesses 13 upon the closing of the support body 5 around the pipe to be supported. It is therefore apparent that, by using adaptors of suitable thickness, the application of the support body 5 having a pre-determined inner diameter is possible both to pipes of a corresponding diameter and to those of a smaller diameter without changing the structure and effectiveness of the body itself. Finally, it should be noted that connecting means in the form of pointed pawls or the like may be provided both on the inner surfaces of the semi-circular members 6, 7 of the support body and to the inner surface of the adaptor, intended to engage in the outer surface of the pipe for the stability of the support body thereof. In this manner it is possible to eliminate the necessity of having projections or girdles on the pipes. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A float for supporting pipes for oil ducts, gas ducts, and the like immersed in water, comprising two semi-circular members moulded from suitable plastics material so as to be internally hollow and to provide each with a chamber, said members being hinged together, at one end and connectable at the other end, each of said members having at least one closable opening for the supply of water to said chamber and with at least one closable opening for the discharge of water from said chamber, and each member has on its inner circular wall, a recess or re-entrant portion for receiving a girdle or projection provided on the pipe to be supported.

2. A float as claimed in claim 1, wherein an adaptor for reducing the inner diameter of the total body can be located in the recess or re-entrant portion of each semi-circular member.

3. A float as claimed in claim 2, wherein said adaptor is formed by two half-ring members moulded from plastics material each having an outer projecting fillet corresponding to and received in the recess or re-entrant portion of the associated semi-circular member and an inner channel-like recess for receiving the girdle or projection of the pipe to be supported, said channel-like recess being defined by two projecting lateral flanges which are at least partially superimposed on the inner surfaces of said semi-circular member.

4. A float as claimed in claim 2 and 3, wherein each half-ring member has two terminal blades resting on the ends of the associated semi-circular member forming the body.

5. A supporting float as claimed in claims 2 and 3 wherein connecting means, engaging in the outer surface of the pipes to which said members are connected, are formed on the inner surfaces of the semi-circular members and/or adaptors.

6. A float for supporting pipes, substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.