US1152326A

US1152326A - Method of and apparatus for laying submarine pipe.

Info

Publication number: US1152326A
Application number: US3083815A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas A Lewis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1915-05-27
Filing date: 1915-05-27
Publication date: 1915-08-31
Anticipated expiration: 1932-08-31

Description

w T. A. LEWIS. msmon OF AND APPARATUS FOR LAYING'SUBMARINE PIPE.

APPLICATION HLE D' MAY 27.1915- "Patent-ed Aug.- 81, 19-15.

3 SHEETSSHEEI 1.

' T. ALEW1S.

METHOD 0F AND APPARATUS FOR LAYING SUBMARINE PIPE.

.- APPHCATION FILED MAYZI. 1915.

PatentedAug. 31,1915.

-3 SHEETS-SHEE12.

T. A. LEWIS. METHOD OF 'AND APPARATUS FOR LAYING SUBMARINE PIPE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 27. 1915.

1,152,326, A v Pmmmu 31,1915.

3 SHEETSSHEE13.

4 28 ll! I" UNITED STATES PATENT onnron.

axioms A. LEWIS, on NEW 3011K, 1v. 2'.

METHOD OF AND .AIElEARAEL'US FOR LAYING SUBMARINE PIPE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be" it known that I, THOMAS A. Lewis, a citizen of the -United States of America,

. residing at New York, in the county and trench under relatively deep Water, and to improved apparatus for carrying 'on the work efiiciently and expeditiously.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide pipe laying apparatus which minimizes strain on the pipe joints when the Work vessel is subjected to minor fluctuations by the water.

A further object is to provide an improved' pipe launchway having means to scrape the trench bottom in advance of the pipe and having buoyancy devices to lighten the launchway and vessel and to control the action of the scraping means.

Another object is to provide a strong and substantially rigid launchway withmeans for connecting the same to the floating support, either resiliently or rigidly as desired, and also for enabling ready detachment of the launchway.

Other objects and advantages will be in part noted hereinafter in connection with the description of the accon'ipanying drawings which illustrate a typical embodiment of the invention. i

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims. I

In .the'drawings, Figure l is a side elevational view of a vessel and apparatus for conveying a pipe from above water to the water bed; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus; Fig. 3 is a perspective view on an increased scale of a section of the pipe launchway; Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view on the line l--+"l of Fig. 1; Fig.5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the submerged Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. s1, iaia.

Application filed May 27, 1915. Serial No. 30,838.

end of the launchway; Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line T- -T of Fig. 5; and Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively top and side views of a connection between the launchway and vessel.

The apparatus illustrated is particularly designed for layihg a submarine line of water pipe at a depth below the range of convenient diving operations and in a manner to insure perman ntly water-tight pipe joints and thorough reliability of the line.

In general, it may be stated that the pipe sections are successively coupled together above water end conveyed on a curvilinear launchway to the bottom of a previously dredged receiving trench in the water bed.

.This operation is expeditiously efiected by advancing the launchway in predetermined steps so that the pipe, held at one end by its already laid length, slides down the launchway and straightens on the trench bottom. An additional section is then-coupled above water and the operation successively repeated.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a barge or other suitable fioating support 10 provided with requisite accessories such. as derrichs, etc, and preferably having a central longitudinal end opening or well 11 for receiving the upper end of a reinforced launchway or cradle 12. The deck space on opposite sides of the well 11 may be conveniently utilized for storing pipe sections to be coupled together on the launchway, adjacent the upper end of which is located a melting pot 13 for material to pack the joints. The pipe sections are conplcd together by bell joints which permit limited swiveled movement and the launchway is curved gradually so that the pipe will assume a straightened condition when laid without undergoing excessive angular displacement during the lowering thereof. In

practice, the pipe supported by the launch-' lOO I it

permanent bed for the line. To this end,

the scraper is rigidly-attacl1cd to the launchwon for dra ing b the latter and is refcrably provided with a longitudinally straight and transversely convex under surface Also when the scraper is a separate device rigidly attached to the launchway as shown, it is provided with a concave upper surface 26 forming a continua tion oi. the guideway 18. The forward end of tho scraper may also be sharpened as at 2? and dished thereabove at 28 and 28 to receive one or

more jet nozzles

29, 29 from which air or water may be discharged under pressure to assist the clearing action of the men A compressor or pump 30 is provided on the vessel for this purpose, to supply fluid to the jet nozzles through conduits 31. v

As above mentioned, the weight of the connected pipe sections carried on the launchway may be very great. For example, with a 36 inch pipe line, the weight of such sections approximates seventy-five tens. It will thus be seen that the load on the vessel, even after allowing for the pan tial buoyancy of the line, is frequently extrcme. Accordingly there is provided additionai buoyant means to relieve the medial strain on the launchway and to substantially decrease the load on the vessel. As

illustrated, one or more buoyancy tanks 33, i i and are secured to the launchway at a submerged point intermediate its ends.

The buoyancy of tanks 33 to 35 is designed to be such that the pressure of the lower or scraper end of the launchway on the trench bottom is suflicient to properly clear awa silt without actin as a olow and 1'11 l 7 without imposing a severe drag on the vessel when the latter is snubbed ahead to lower the pipe. desired, the buoyancy of the tanks may be varied at will by supplying thereto or expelling therefrom water ballast.

A convenient manner of efi'ecting such buoyancy control is by the compressor on the vessel and valved connections with the tanks. it will be understood, however, that other means may be employed.

The connection between the cradle launchway and vessel is such that fluctuations of the former due to surface Water variations are transmitted in a reduced. degree to the latter. strain on the pipe couplings is thus minimized. As illustrated, the launchway is at- Bc-th longitudinal and transverse j tached aboye Water to the vessel by a PlV otal, resilient connection including bearing frames or brackets 36 fixed to the vessel on opposite sides of well 11 for supporting a I pivoted bolt 37 which passes through registering slots 39 in extension plates 38' rigidly fixed to the upper end of the launch: way. Cushioning means in the form of strong springs l0, ll, arranged in pairs, are provided to resiliently hold the launchway plates 38 so that the bolt 37 is disposed medially in the slots 39. Said springs are hooked or otherwise secured to the plates 38 and are secured at their opposite ends to fixed brackets M by nuts 43 on the threaded bolt ends 42. The normal tension of the spring is thus capable of adjustment and the vessel and launchway are permitted limited relative movements; There are further provided threaded set bolts 50m the plate 38 and adjustable to abut shoulders 46 on pivot shaft 37 or its supporting frame-for thereby positively holding the launchway against relative downward movement. Similarly, wedges or chock blocks 47 are provided for insertion in the slots 39 below thethe pipe may be sealed by a bulkhead and the launchway further buoyed and anchored, whereupon the vessel may be removed 'to be returned when desired for resuming the work. A second connection is also preferably provided between the vessel and the submerged part of the launchway. As illustrated, this connection comprises a chain 21 and aheavy spring 21 connected by a sling '22 with a medial portion of the launchway and having itsupper end received on a Windlass 23 or otherwise attached to the vessel. The angle of the launchway may thus be positively controlled to compensate for different water depths and the strain. on the launchw ay further reduced. It; is to be noted, also, that the interposition of spring 21 renders this reinforcing conneection re silient and thus tends to further minimize relative movement of the launchway above described.

Assuming the pipe line to be partially laid as illustrated, the continuing operation with the apparatus is substantially as folfor by the scraper 2a which is dragged with the v launchway. Since the load of the launchvvay is particularly heavy during such advancement of the vessel, it will be seen that the provision of the rigid connection described is very desirable to temporarily relieve the cushioning springs t0, &l. The steps of the operation described are then progressively repeated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus for the purpose set forth, in combination, a floating support, a launch way and spring means between said support and said launchway for permitting the former to rise and fall to a greater degree than the latter.

2 In apparatus for the purpose set forth, in combination, a floating support, a launch- Way, a yieldable connection between said support and launchway for permitting the former to rise and fall to a greater degree than the latter, and means for rendering said connection substantially unyielding to insure equal advancement of said support and launchway. I

3. In apparatus for the purpose setforth, in combination, a floating vessel, a trussed metal launchway, a resilient pivotal connection between said elements including a plu rality of cushioning springs I interposed therebctween, and means to render said connection unyielding while permitting relative pivotal movement. 1

I. In apparatus for the purpose set forth, in combination, a floating vessel, a trussed metal launchway, spring means connecting said support and'said launehway for per- 'mau g the former a) rise and an to a degree greater than the latter and a buoyancy tank securedto said launchway.

5. In apparatus for the purpose set forth, in combination, a floating vessel, a launchway, spring 'means for, attaching said launchway to said vessel, a submerged buoyancy tank secured to said launchway and means to control the buoyancy ofsaid tank.

6. In apparatus for the purpose set forth, in combination, a floating vessel, a launchway pivotally connected at one end to said vessel, and a supporting connection including resilient means between said vessel and a medial submerged portion of said launch- Way.

7. In apparatus for the purpose set forth,

in combination, a floating vessel, a trussed metal launchivay pivotally attached thereto,

a sling for supporting said launchway remote from the attachment of the latter to said vessel, said sling including spring means and a buoyancy tank carried by said launchvvay to relieve said sling.

' 8. In apparatus for the purpose set forth, in combinatioma floating vessel, a curvilinear launchway suspended therefrom and provided adjacent its submerged end with a scraper, and a buoyancy tank secured-to said lannchway and tending to regulate the action of said scrapen.

9. In apparatus for the purpose set forth,

in combination, a floating support, a reinforced launehvvay having its major length submerged to guide a pipe line from said support, and a plurality of spaced cushioning connections between said support and said launchway to substantially free the latter from vibrations of the former caused by Water fluctuations.

THOMASA. LEWIS. Witnesses:

WM. H. GEE,

H. L. VAN ZIB.