EP0030540B1 - A self-raising platform structure with a device for coupling together the platform and leg in any position with respect to each other - Google Patents

A self-raising platform structure with a device for coupling together the platform and leg in any position with respect to each other Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0030540B1
EP0030540B1 EP80901227A EP80901227A EP0030540B1 EP 0030540 B1 EP0030540 B1 EP 0030540B1 EP 80901227 A EP80901227 A EP 80901227A EP 80901227 A EP80901227 A EP 80901227A EP 0030540 B1 EP0030540 B1 EP 0030540B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
pawl means
platform
pair
pawl
towards
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
Application number
EP80901227A
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German (de)
French (fr)
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EP0030540A1 (en
Inventor
Bart Boon
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Gusto Engineering BV
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Gusto Engineering BV
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Gusto Engineering BV filed Critical Gusto Engineering BV
Publication of EP0030540A1 publication Critical patent/EP0030540A1/en
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Publication of EP0030540B1 publication Critical patent/EP0030540B1/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02B—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
    • E02B17/00—Artificial islands mounted on piles or like supports, e.g. platforms on raisable legs or offshore constructions; Construction methods therefor
    • E02B17/04—Equipment specially adapted for raising, lowering, or immobilising the working platform relative to the supporting construction
    • E02B17/06—Equipment specially adapted for raising, lowering, or immobilising the working platform relative to the supporting construction for immobilising, e.g. using wedges or clamping rings

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a device in a self-raising platform structure for coupling together a platform in any position with respect to a body, said platform being mounted for a linear displacement with respect to the body in two opposite directions, said device comprising a first pair of pawl means each pawl means being pivotally connected at a pivot point to the platform and provided with a part capable of contacting the body, said pawl means being arranged on both sides of the body and the pivot points being disposed in a plane extending transversely to the direction of displacement, said contact parts being shaped in such a manner that upon a pivotal movement of the pawl means towards each other said contact parts approach each other, so that the relative movement between the platform and body will be inhibited in one direction of said directions while being permitted in the other direction, means for pivoting said pair of pawl means towards and apart from each other, a second pair of pawl means mounted on the platform and having the same construction as said first pair of pawl means, each pawl means of the second pair having a part capable
  • US-A-4002038 does not disclose a self-raising platform of this kind but rather discloses an offshore tower construction comprising a template having legs and constructed to be anchored to the sea floor so that said legs extend up above the surface of the sea before the platform is floated into position.
  • a mounting member is connected to the upper ends of said legs and the platform is constructed to be positioned adjacent said legs and to be lifted upwardly clear of the water by means of jacking mechanisms secured to said mounting means.
  • Jacking legs extend from said jacking mechanisms down to said platform.
  • Each jacking mechanism comprises upper and lower holder assemblies arranged for movement toward and away from each other by means of a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly, one pair of pawl means being mounted for a pivotal movement on each of said holder assemblies.
  • the pawl means are controlled to grip and release the respective jacking leg in alternate sequence as the holder assemblies are moved toward and away from each other respectively, so that the relative movement of said jacking leg in the one direction will be inhibited while being admitted in the other direction by said pawl means which have contact parts at both their ends so that upon a pivotal movement of the pawls in the one direction of rotation, the contact parts at their one ends and upon a pivotal movement in the other direction of rotation the contact parts at their other ends approach each other.
  • On the platform clamping means formed by slips are mounted capable of engaging the jacking legs.
  • this known jacking mechanism forms in fact a stepwise operated displacement system for raising and lowering a platform with respect to legs already anchored to the sea floor so that in an expensive way is obtained that in passing from the floating condition to the supported condition of the platform the legs cannot come free from the sea floor and hit it again.
  • the object of the invention is to provide in a self-raising platform structure a device for coupling the platform in any position with respect to a supporting leg, the platform being mounted for a linear displacement with respect to the leg, so that it will be possible to lower the legs freely to the sea bottom and to engage the displacement system without the occurrence of impacts.
  • the device according to the invention in which a supporting leg of said structure forms the body and that said second pair of pawl means is mounted in a fixed position in a fixed spaced apart relation to said first pawl means, and that each pawl means of the two pairs is provided with only one part capable of contacting the leg so that upon a pivotal movement towards each other of the first pair of pawl means a relative movement between the platform and leg will be inhibited in the one direction and upon a pivotal movement of the second pair of pawl means towards each other said. movements will be inhibited in the other direction.
  • said second pair of pawl means is brought into engagement with said leg, the displacement system can be disengaged from this leg, whereupon by releasing said second pair of pawl means from engagement with the leg, this leg can be lowered freely to for instance the sea floor, whereas by bringing said first pair of pawl means into engagement, the platform is permitted to move freely upwardly but not downwardly along the leg resting on the bottom, due to the wave action.
  • each pawl means is formed by a circumferential part thereof varying with a change in the angular position of each pawl means, while upon a pivotal movement of each pawl means in the direction of the relative displacement to be inhibited, the distance between said circumferential part and the pivot point of said pawl means increases.
  • each pair of pawl means comprises a pawl means located at opposite sides of a strip-shaped element connected to said other body.
  • the means for pivoting the pawl means towards and apart from each other may be formed by a piston-cylinder assembly having a cylinder connected to the one and a piston connected to the other pawl means at locations near to said contact parts.
  • a first set of pawl means 4 and a second set of pawl means 3 are mounted for a pivotal movement to a yoke, said yoke 5 being mounted on the platform 6 of the structure.
  • the pawl means 3, 4 are in the shape of an ellipse of which a circumferential part close to the one focus is capable of engaging the strip 1 so that when the pawl means 3 pivot towards each other generally in the direction of the one direction of relative displacement and when the pawl means 4 pivot towards each other generally in the other direction of relative displacement corresponding points of the contact parts of said pawl means approach each other.
  • the pawl means 3 are connected to each other by means of a piston-cylinder assembly 7, while the pawl means 4 are connected to each other by means of a piston-cylinder-assembly 8.
  • the self-raising platform structure is moved to its destination in floating condition in which the legs 2 are kept in the retracted condition by means of the hydraulic displacement system (not shown).
  • the legs When arrived at its destination the legs may optionally first be lowered over a predetermined distance by means of the displacement system whereupon the pawl means 3 are brought into engagement with the strip 1 so that the displacement system can be disengaged from said leg.
  • the piston-cylinder-assembly 7 the pawl means 3 can be disengaged from the strip 1 whereupon the leg 2 drops freely to for instance the sea bottom so that the platform 6 remains in floating condition.
  • the pawl means 4 are brought into engagement with the strip 1 by means of the piston-cylinder-assembly 8 so that the platform 6 due to the action of the waves may move freely upward along the leg 2 while it is prevented from moving downwardly when the platform 6 has reached its highest level in due course, said level being dependent on the highest wave movement, the displacement piston may be re-engaged for raising the platform to a still higher level. In this way it is excluded that there will occur any impact between the legs of the platform structure and the bottom due to the wave-action.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Revetment (AREA)
  • Handcart (AREA)
  • Accommodation For Nursing Or Treatment Tables (AREA)

Abstract

A device for coupling together two bodies in any position with respect to each other, which bodies are mounted for a linear displacement with respect to each other, in particular in a self-raising platform structure for coupling together the platform and a leg of said structure, said device comprising at least one set of first pawl means (3), each pawl of which is connected to one of said bodies for a pivotal movement and the contact parts thereof are shaped so that upon a pivotal movement of the pawl means towards each other in the direction of the one direction of relative linear displacement corresponding points of the contact parts approach each other, so that the relative movement between the bodies will be inhibited in this direction while being admitted in the other direction, at least one set of second pawl means (4) having the same construction as said set of first pawl means, and spaced apart from said set of first pawl means being provided, which are mounted for a pivotal movement in such a manner that upon a pivotal movement thereof towards each other in the direction of the other direction of relative linear displacement corresponding points of the contact parts of the pawl means will approach each other.

Description

  • The invention relates to a device in a self-raising platform structure for coupling together a platform in any position with respect to a body, said platform being mounted for a linear displacement with respect to the body in two opposite directions, said device comprising a first pair of pawl means each pawl means being pivotally connected at a pivot point to the platform and provided with a part capable of contacting the body, said pawl means being arranged on both sides of the body and the pivot points being disposed in a plane extending transversely to the direction of displacement, said contact parts being shaped in such a manner that upon a pivotal movement of the pawl means towards each other said contact parts approach each other, so that the relative movement between the platform and body will be inhibited in one direction of said directions while being permitted in the other direction, means for pivoting said pair of pawl means towards and apart from each other, a second pair of pawl means mounted on the platform and having the same construction as said first pair of pawl means, each pawl means of the second pair having a part capable of contacting the body shaped in such a manner that upon a pivotal movement of the pawl means towards each other said contact parts approach each other so that the relative movement between the bodies will be inhibited in the other direction of said directions and means for pivoting the second pair of pawl means towards and apart from each other. Such an arrangement is known from US-A-4002038.
  • In general, in a self-raising platform structure the supporting legs are lowered from the floating platform by means of a displacement system operating stepwise, e.g. by means of a hydraulic system, so that upon disengaging the system followed by a relative movement of the bodies, re-engaging the system will only be possible at certain points of the path of movement. Consequently it will not be readily feasible to lower the legs of the platform freely into engagement with the sea bottom and then to re-engage the displacement system for raising the platform with respect to the legs. Moreover the problem arises that in passing from the floating condition to the supported condition of the platform the legs can come free from the bottom due to the action of the waves, whereupon the legs will again engage the bottom accompanied by an impact. US-A-3986 368, for example, discloses a shock absorbing system to overcome this impact problem.
  • US-A-4002038 does not disclose a self-raising platform of this kind but rather discloses an offshore tower construction comprising a template having legs and constructed to be anchored to the sea floor so that said legs extend up above the surface of the sea before the platform is floated into position. A mounting member is connected to the upper ends of said legs and the platform is constructed to be positioned adjacent said legs and to be lifted upwardly clear of the water by means of jacking mechanisms secured to said mounting means. Jacking legs extend from said jacking mechanisms down to said platform. Each jacking mechanism comprises upper and lower holder assemblies arranged for movement toward and away from each other by means of a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly, one pair of pawl means being mounted for a pivotal movement on each of said holder assemblies. The pawl means are controlled to grip and release the respective jacking leg in alternate sequence as the holder assemblies are moved toward and away from each other respectively, so that the relative movement of said jacking leg in the one direction will be inhibited while being admitted in the other direction by said pawl means which have contact parts at both their ends so that upon a pivotal movement of the pawls in the one direction of rotation, the contact parts at their one ends and upon a pivotal movement in the other direction of rotation the contact parts at their other ends approach each other. On the platform clamping means formed by slips are mounted capable of engaging the jacking legs.
  • Thus this known jacking mechanism forms in fact a stepwise operated displacement system for raising and lowering a platform with respect to legs already anchored to the sea floor so that in an expensive way is obtained that in passing from the floating condition to the supported condition of the platform the legs cannot come free from the sea floor and hit it again.
  • The object of the invention is to provide in a self-raising platform structure a device for coupling the platform in any position with respect to a supporting leg, the platform being mounted for a linear displacement with respect to the leg, so that it will be possible to lower the legs freely to the sea bottom and to engage the displacement system without the occurrence of impacts.
  • This object is attained by the device according to the invention, in which a supporting leg of said structure forms the body and that said second pair of pawl means is mounted in a fixed position in a fixed spaced apart relation to said first pawl means, and that each pawl means of the two pairs is provided with only one part capable of contacting the leg so that upon a pivotal movement towards each other of the first pair of pawl means a relative movement between the platform and leg will be inhibited in the one direction and upon a pivotal movement of the second pair of pawl means towards each other said. movements will be inhibited in the other direction.
  • Wh&n said second pair of pawl means is brought into engagement with said leg, the displacement system can be disengaged from this leg, whereupon by releasing said second pair of pawl means from engagement with the leg, this leg can be lowered freely to for instance the sea floor, whereas by bringing said first pair of pawl means into engagement, the platform is permitted to move freely upwardly but not downwardly along the leg resting on the bottom, due to the wave action.
  • Advantageously the contact part of each pawl means is formed by a circumferential part thereof varying with a change in the angular position of each pawl means, while upon a pivotal movement of each pawl means in the direction of the relative displacement to be inhibited, the distance between said circumferential part and the pivot point of said pawl means increases.
  • In a simple embodiment each pair of pawl means comprises a pawl means located at opposite sides of a strip-shaped element connected to said other body. In that case the means for pivoting the pawl means towards and apart from each other may be formed by a piston-cylinder assembly having a cylinder connected to the one and a piston connected to the other pawl means at locations near to said contact parts.
  • The invention will now be elucidated further with reference to the drawings in which:
    • Fig. 1 shows a front elevation of a device according to the invention as applied in a self-raising platform structure.
    • Fig. 2 shows the device according to Fig. 1 in side elevation, and
    • Fig. 3 shows said device in plan view.
  • As shown in the figures there is fastened a strip 1 to a leg 2 of a self-raising platform structure, said strip being parallel to the direction of relative displacement.
  • A first set of pawl means 4 and a second set of pawl means 3 are mounted for a pivotal movement to a yoke, said yoke 5 being mounted on the platform 6 of the structure. In the same embodiment the pawl means 3, 4 are in the shape of an ellipse of which a circumferential part close to the one focus is capable of engaging the strip 1 so that when the pawl means 3 pivot towards each other generally in the direction of the one direction of relative displacement and when the pawl means 4 pivot towards each other generally in the other direction of relative displacement corresponding points of the contact parts of said pawl means approach each other.
  • The pawl means 3 are connected to each other by means of a piston-cylinder assembly 7, while the pawl means 4 are connected to each other by means of a piston-cylinder-assembly 8.
  • The self-raising platform structure is moved to its destination in floating condition in which the legs 2 are kept in the retracted condition by means of the hydraulic displacement system (not shown). When arrived at its destination the legs may optionally first be lowered over a predetermined distance by means of the displacement system whereupon the pawl means 3 are brought into engagement with the strip 1 so that the displacement system can be disengaged from said leg. By means of the piston-cylinder-assembly 7 the pawl means 3 can be disengaged from the strip 1 whereupon the leg 2 drops freely to for instance the sea bottom so that the platform 6 remains in floating condition. Thereupon the pawl means 4 are brought into engagement with the strip 1 by means of the piston-cylinder-assembly 8 so that the platform 6 due to the action of the waves may move freely upward along the leg 2 while it is prevented from moving downwardly when the platform 6 has reached its highest level in due course, said level being dependent on the highest wave movement, the displacement piston may be re-engaged for raising the platform to a still higher level. In this way it is excluded that there will occur any impact between the legs of the platform structure and the bottom due to the wave-action.

Claims (4)

1. In a self-raising platform structure a device for coupling together a platform (6) in any position with respect to a body (2), said platform being mounted for a linear displacement with respect to the body in two opposite directions, said device comprising a first pair of pawl means (4), each pawl means being pivotally connected at a pivot point to the platform and provided with a part capable of contacting the body, said pawl means being arranged on both sides of the body (2) and the pivot points being disposed in a plane extending transversely to the direction of displacement, said contact parts being shaped in such a manner that upon a pivotal movement of the pawl means towards each other said contact parts approach each other, so that the relative movement between the platform and body will be inhibited in one direction of said directions while being permitted in the other direction, means (8) for pivoting said pair of pawl means towards and apart from each other, a second pair of pawl means (3) mounted on the platform and having the same construction as said first pair of pawl means (4), each pawl means of the second pair having a part capable of contacting the body shaped in such a manner that upon a pivotal movement of the pawl means towards each other said contact parts approach each other so that the relative movement between the bodies will be inhibited in the other direction of said directions; and means (7) for pivoting said second pair of pawl means (3) towards and apart from each other, characterized in that a supporting leg (2) of said structure forms the body and that said second pair of pawl means (3) is mounted in a fixed position in a fixed spaced apart relation to said first pair of pawl means (4), and that each pawl means of the two pairs is provided with only one part capable of contacting the leg (2) so that upon a pivotal movement towards each other of the first pair of pawl means (4) a relative movement between the platform and leg will be inhibited in the one direction and upon a pivotal movement of the second pair of pawl means (3) towards each other said movements will be inhibited in the other direction.
2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in, that the contact part of each pawl means (3, 4) is formed by a circumferential part thereof varying with a change in the angular position of each pawl means while upon a pivotal movement of said each pawl means in the direction of the relative displacement to be inhibited the distance between said circumferential part and the pivot point of said each pawl means increases.
3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in, that each pair of pawl means (3,4) comprises a pawl means located at opposite sides of a strip-shaped element (1) connected to said leg (2).
4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in, that said means for pivoting the pawl means (3,4) towards and apart from each other are formed by a piston-cylinder-assembly (7, 8) having a cylinder connected to the first pawl means and a piston connected to said other pawl means at locations near to said contact parts.
EP80901227A 1979-06-18 1980-12-30 A self-raising platform structure with a device for coupling together the platform and leg in any position with respect to each other Expired EP0030540B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL7904738A NL7904738A (en) 1979-06-18 1979-06-18 APPARATUS FOR COUPLING TWO LINEAR WITH EACH OTHER POSITION OF MOVABLE BODIES.
NL7904738 1979-06-18

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0030540A1 EP0030540A1 (en) 1981-06-24
EP0030540B1 true EP0030540B1 (en) 1984-05-30

Family

ID=19833371

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP80901227A Expired EP0030540B1 (en) 1979-06-18 1980-12-30 A self-raising platform structure with a device for coupling together the platform and leg in any position with respect to each other

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0030540B1 (en)
DE (1) DE3068014D1 (en)
NL (1) NL7904738A (en)
NO (1) NO151836C (en)
WO (1) WO1980002853A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2868805A1 (en) 2013-10-30 2015-05-06 Overdick GmbH & Co. KG Lifting device with form-stable clamping element

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2259962B1 (en) * 1974-01-31 1976-10-08 Demay Freres Ciment Arme
US3986368A (en) * 1975-05-27 1976-10-19 Levingston Shipbuilding Company Load equalizing and shock absorber system for off-shore drilling rigs
US4002038A (en) * 1975-10-06 1977-01-11 Raymond International Inc. Method and apparatus for rapid erection of offshore towers
SE394191B (en) * 1975-10-07 1977-06-13 Anderson Ind Ab Paul STORAGE DEVICE FOR TRANSFER OF LARGE POWER INTENDED DEVICES AND DEVICE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE KIT

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO1980002853A1 (en) 1980-12-24
EP0030540A1 (en) 1981-06-24
NO151836B (en) 1985-03-04
NO151836C (en) 1985-06-12
NO810536L (en) 1981-02-17
DE3068014D1 (en) 1984-07-05
NL7904738A (en) 1980-12-22

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