US3121997A - Water based platform structure - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 25, 1964 R. H. SAMPSON 3,121,997

. WATER BASED PLATFORM STRUCTURE Filed April 17, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1 l4 //0 INVENTOR /9 PM? 64 S/Jnpsou BY (20%! M Arron Era;

R. H- SAMPSQN WATER BASED PLATFORM STRUCTURE Feb. 25, 1964 Filed April 17, 1961 F I E. d-

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6'0 INVENTOR R44? 4 SAMPSM/ lrramyers United States Patent Ufi ice 3,l2l,997 Fatented Feb. 25, 1964 3,121,997 WATER BASED PLATFGRM STRUCTURE Ralph H. Sampson, 3121 Zenith Ave. S., Minneapolis Jill, Minn. Filed Apr. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 103,421 4- Qlaims. (CI. 61-46) This invention relates to a water based platform or deck for supporting a superstructure, and which of itself is anchored by elongated members or piles having their lower end portions imbedded in the bottom or bed of the body of water. This type of structure is commonly referred to as a tower and is used for various purposes, such as off-shore oil and gas drilling operations, for radar stations and for other various purposes.

The members or piles used to support such structures are subjected to substantial butfeting and battering from turbulent waters as caused by high winds and storm conditions.

in the present construction of water based platforms nothing appears to have been done to insulate the piles from the shock and strain caused by the buifeting and battering of the action of the water as during severe storm conditions which has a cumulative effect in weakening and causing injury to the piles. It is desirable to have an enclosing structure about the piles to act as a buffer or cushion to save the piles relatively harmless from the action of the Water and to be constructed and arranged to form a yielding barrier about the individual piles.

Thus it is an object of this invention is connection with a water based pile supported platform to provide a butler or cushioning structure to keep the piles free from the buffeting and battering from the action of water to which they would normally be subjected.

it is a further object of this invention to provide a sleeve-like structure about each of the piles substantially the full height thereof and being spaced thereabout and being anchored in like manner as the piles and having an upper free end portion resiliently secured adjacent the upper portions of the piles to have a cushioning effect relative to the piles in absorbing the shock of the action of Water.

It is another object of this invention to provide enclosures for piles supporting a water based platform with said enclosures being respectively substantially the same height as the piles and being spaced about the piles and being so anchored in connection with said platform that the enclosure yieldingly absorbs the shock resulting from the action of water to hold the piles free from the effects of the action of said water.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation;

PEG. 2 is a top plan View with some portions thereof shown in dotted line;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in vertical section on an enlarged scale taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2 as indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in vertical section on an enlarged scale showing a modification of a portion of applicants device;

FIG. 5 is a view in horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4 as indicated by the arrows; and

'FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale in vertical section showing a further modification of a portion of applicants device.

Referring to the drawings, the applicants structure is indicated diagrammatically in FIG. 1 comprising a platform it which may be of any desirable form in plan, such as being triangular in form, as indicated in FIG. 2. Said platform may be variously constructed and said construction will be in keeping with the superstructure to be supported thereby. Said platform comprises sides 11, 1Q, 13, a top 14 and a bottom 15.

Supporting said platform 10 are a plurality of piles i8, i9 and 2csuitably secured to the bottom of said platform adjacent each corner thereof and extending doW-n- Wardly to have their lower end portions 18%;, 19a and 26a respectively imbedded in the bottom 22 of the body of water 23. Said piles are commonly in the form of tubular metal columns of suitable transverse dimension and are here indicated as being cylindrical in form.

Respectively disposed about each of said piles are openended enclosures 25, 26 and 27. Said enclosures may be variously formed and are here indicated as being in the form of cylindrical sleeves and sufiiciently greater in diameter than said piles to be suitably spaced thereabout. Said enclosures have their lower end portions anchored in said bed 22 and their upper end portions extend substantially the full height of said piles and are spaced somewhat from the bottom of said platform it Said enclosures will be formed of suitable materials to have sufficient rigidity to withstand the effect of the action of Water as stirred by stream conditions and yet have sufficient flexibility to yield longitudinally.

Said enclosures may be variously resiliently or flexibly anchored at their upper end portions. in the embodiment of the invention indicated in FIGS. 1-3, a plurality of pillow cushions 3t) are indicated arranged and constructed to be inflated through an air supply line 32 which will be connected to a supply of air under suitable pressure. Said cushions 36 will be formed of suitable resilient material to provide adequate cushioning effect and at the same time to resiliently Withstand a substantial degree of pressure. As here indicated, said cushions 30 are spaced about said piles at the upper end portions of said enclosures and are spaced apart from one another to an extent to provide a cushioning effect in whatever direction said enclosures may be deflected. Said cushions 3% may be suitably secured in operating position in various known Ways which form no part of the present invention and are not here specifically described.

In operation, normally a water based tower is supported by piles which are directly in contact with the surrounding body of water and are directly affected thereby when the Water is made turbulent as by storm conditions. The piles are substantially rigid in nature to adequately support the platform, and sulfer from the pounding which they receive from the action of water. The adverse efiect suifered from the action of water is cumulative. Said piles are therefore subject to substantial injury and would normally be replaced at intervals when located in bodies of water which are subject to frequent storm conditions.

Applicants enclosures extend substantially the full height with respect to each of the piles and are anchored in the like manner as are the piles. The enclosures are suitably spaced about said piles with said cushions 39 acting as resilient spacers between the upper end portions of the enclosures and the adjacent surfaces of the piles. Thus the enclosures insulate the piles their full height from the action of water with the enclosures presenting a yielding surface to the efiect of the water with said cushions permitting a certain degree of movement on the part of the enclosures in being deflected in whatever direction they are moved by the water. Said cushions are self restorative and normally urge the enclosures to positions concentric with their respective piles. In the present embodiment of the invention the piles act as core supporting members for the cushions, but the resilience of the cushions in connection with the enclosures absorbs a su stantial amount of the shock which would otherwise be directly received by the piles as a result of the pounding of the water. It is immaterial whether or not the enclosures become filled with water as they are open at the top and there is adequate space between the cushions for drainage of water.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, a modification of applicants device is shown as to a portion thereof. Each of the piles and enclosures will be identically treated though only pile 19 and enclosure 26 are here shown in connection with this modification in which circumferentially disposed about the pile 1% and suitably secured to and depending from the underside 15 of the platform 10 are a plurality of angled brackets 35. Disposed about the upper edge portion of said enclosure 26 and overlying either side thereof is an annular vertically split collar 37 having spaced sides 37a and 37b at either side of said upper end portion of said enclosure with said spaced sides having small inwardly angled flange portions gripping said enclosure therebetween. Said sides will be suitably secured together, as by bolts, to form a rigid support for the pneumatic cylinders 41?. Said cylinders may be variously formed and are here indicated as being of a common design of a compressed air type of cylinder having housings 40a respectively pivotally secured by U brackets 42 to the respective adjacent faces of the angled brackets 35 and having their respective pistons 40!) pivotally secured at their free ends to the respective adjacent sides of said collar by U brackets 45. Said pneumatic cylinders 40 are connected to a source of air under pressure by the air supply lines 32.

In operation, the effect of using compressed air cylinders is similar to the effect received from the use of the pneumatic cushions above indicated.

However with the use of said cylinders and with the cylinders anchoring the upper ends of the enclosures to surrounding depending brackets from the platform, the piles within the enclosures will be relatively free from any effect of the pounding of water to the extent of the resilience or degree of air pressure present in the cylinders. Said air pressure may be regulated as desired. Said cylinders are spaced about said enclosures to absorb the effect of the pounding of water against the enclosures in whatever direction the enclosures may be deflected and have a rapid restorative action in normally urging their respective enclosures to a position concentric With their respective piles.

With respect to FIG. 6, a further modification is shown of a portion of applicants device in which an annular pneumatic endless tubular member is shown formed of suitably flexible and resilient material to provide an adequate cushion to absorb the shock of the pounding of the water as it deflects said enclosure Said tubular member 58 is illustrated disposed about the outer side of said enclosure 26 and is supported between said enclosure and said brackets 35 spaced about said enclosure. Said tubular member will be suitably secured in operating position in a manner known in the art between said enclosure and said brackets and will be connected to a suitable source of air under pressure by means of the air supply line 32.

Said annular tubular member operates to provide substantially the same effect as the pillow cushions and pneumatic cylinders above described. However it is seen that in the use of an annular tubular member, a deflection in any one direction will divert a portion of air from a given point in said member to other points thereabout and will thus increase the pressure in the other points about said tubular member which provides a substantial amount of pressure for a restorative effect in urging the enclosure against the pressure of the water to its normal position of concentric alignment with the pile therein.

Thus it is seen that we have provided a very simple construction for the substantial protection of piles used in supporting water based platforms to save said piles relativeh, free from the damaging effects of the pounding of water when the body of surrounding water is agitated by storm conditions.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention which, generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A water based structure having in combination, a platform, a plurality of piles supporting said platform above vater level and having their lower end portions anchored in the bottom of a body of water, a substantially rigid enclosure about each pile spaced thereabout being somewhat short of the full height thereof but extending above water level, said enclosures respectively having their lower end portions anchored in the water bottom about the anchored portions of said piles, a plurality of supporting brackets depending from the lower side of said platform and spaced about each of said piles, resilient means respectively disposed between said brackets and each of said enclosures to cushion the effect on said enclosures of the turbulent action of water from whatever direction to save said piles free from the effect of such action.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, said resilient means comprising an annular inflated tubular member disposed respectively about the outer side of the upper portion of each of said enclosures having said brackets spaced thereabout.

3. The structure set forth in claim 1, said resilient means comprising pneumatic cylinders respectively pivoted at one end to said brackets and pistons respectively associated with said cylinders being pivoted at their free ends to adjacent sides of said enclosures.

4. A water based structure having in combination, a platform, a plurality of piles anchored in the bottom of a body of water and supporting said platform above water level, each pile having a substantially rigid enclosure spaced therefrom thereabout for substantially the full height thereof and extending above water level, said enclosures being respectively anchored at the bottom of said body of water, and a plurality of resilient means carri xl at the upper end portion of each of said enclosures respectively connecting said enclosures with said platform to resist transverse movement of said enclosures, and to cushion the effect of Water impact against said enclosures from whatever direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,817,634 McCall Dec. 24, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 454,661 Italy June 28, 1950 1,173,701 France Oct. 27, 1958

Claims (1)

1. A WATER BASED STRUCTURE HAVING IN COMBINATION, A PLATFORM, A PLURALITY OF PILES SUPPORTING SAID PLATFORM ABOVE WATER LEVEL AND HAVING THEIR LOWER END PORTIONS ANCHORED IN THE BOTTOM OF A BODY OF WATER, A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID ENCLOSURE ABOUT EACH PILE SPACED THEREABOUT BEING SOMEWHAT SHORT OF THE FULL HEIGHT THEREOF BUT EXTENDING ABOVE WATER LEVEL, SAID ENCLOSURES RESPECTIVELY HAVING THEIR LOWER END PORTIONS ANCHORED IN THE WATER BOTTOM ABOUT THE ANCHORED PORTIONS OF SAID PILES, A PLURALITY OF SUPPORTING BRACKETS DEPENDING FROM THE LOWER SIDE OF SAID PLATFORM AND SPACED ABOUT EACH OF SAID PILES, RESILIENT MEANS RESPECTIVELY DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID BRACKETS AND EACH OF SAID ENCLOSURES TO CUSHION THE EFFECT ON SAID ENCLOSURES OF THE TURBULENT ACTION OF WATER FROM WHATEVER DIRECTION TO SAVE SAID PILES FREE FROM THE EFFECT OF SUCH ACTION.

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