US3138931A - Drilling barge with pump support - Google Patents

Description

June 30, 1964 E. J. BRINKMANN, JR 3,138,931

DRILLING BARGE WITH PUMP SUPPORT Filed Aug. 25, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Iii I 1 I \l l I Em/Ye J Br/hkmann, Jr.

1N VEN TOR.

A. BY na J1me 1964 E. J. BRINKMANN, JR 3,138,931

DRILLING BARGE WITH PUMP SUPPORT Filed Aug. 25. 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Emile J. Brinkmann, Jr:

1 N VEN TOR.

I BY Wynn; lim

June 30, 1964 E. J. BRINKMANN, JR

DRILLING BARGE WITH PUMP SUPPORT s Sheets-Sheet Filed Aug. 25, 1960 Emile J Bn'nkmanm/n INVENTOR. BY Wm mug n09 Em United States Patent 7" 3,138,931 DRILLING BARGE WITH PUMP SUPPORT Emile J. Brinkmann, In, New Orleans, La., assign'or to Universal Drilling Company, Inc., a corporation of Louisiana Filed Aug. 25, 1964), Ser. No. 51,950 Claims. (Cl. 61-465) This invention comprises a novel and useful salt water pump support for drilling barges and more particularly relates to a device particularly adapted for use with offshore drilling barges of the type having lifting means for elevating the barge above the water during drilling operations.

The attachment or accessory disclosed herein is generally applicable to barges and other vessels, being specifically and particularly adapted for use with off-shore drilling barges whose hulls are adapted to be lifted above the water to form a stable platform for drilling operations, and serves a number of important functions in such environments including the providing of an improved and highly advantageous support for salt water pumps by which water is supplied to the barge or vessel for various purposes; providing a height indicating means for at all times indicating the height of the barge or vessel or a predetermined portion thereof above the water level; and for providing a convenient means to moor boats and the like to the barge particularly when the latter is elevated above the surface of the water. In barges and other vessels it is customary to obtain large quantities of water for various purposes from the water supporting the barge or vessel by means of pumps and suction lines, with the pumps being mounted in relatively fixed locations upon the-barge or vessel. The pump is therefore necessarily mounted a considerable distance above the water level, and this distance is continually varying due to such uncontrollable conditions as rolling or pitching of the vessel as well as the wave action especially where the latter is varied during storms and the like. Consequently, a problem frequently arises in connection with the elevating of the water from the water level to the pump. This condition is especially aggravated when the vessel is of a type commonly employed for 0&- shore drilling and is adapted to be elevated for considerable distance above the water level upon supporting legs or columns in order to provide a stable platform positioned a sufficient distance above the water level to be unaffected by storms and the like in order toprovide a stable platform for drilling rigs. When it is recognized that it is sometimes desirable to elevate the barge to the condition of forty or sixty feet or more above the water level under some conditions, the difficulty of maintaining an effective and uninterrrupted suction line to the pump and delivery line from the pump to the water lines of the vessel will be readily appreciated. 7

It is therefore the primary purpose of this invention to provide a satisfactory means for overcoming the foregoing difiiculties and enabling the maintaining of a continuous uninterrupted suction line to the pump and delivery line from the pump to the pipe lines of the vessel despite variations of great amplitude in the distance between the intake of the suction line of the pump, the pump itself and the delivery line from the pump to the vessel.

A subordinate but very important object of the invention is to provide a device in accordance with the foregoing object which will also enable a continuous and accurate indication to be at all times afforded between the varying water level and a given station on the barge or vessel, which indication shall not be adversely affected by violent wave action on the water as during storms or the like.

3,138,931 Patented June 30, 1964 Still another object of the invention is to provide a device in accordance with the foregoing objects which will also serve as a convenient means to which small boats may be moored and by means of which access may be had from the moored boats to the interior of the barge or vessel to which the device is attached and this despite the positioning of the barge or vessel at varying elevations above the water level.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device in accordance with the foregoing objects which shall be quickly and easily attached to or removed from the hull of the barge or vessel.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device in accordance with the preceding objects wherein a light weight but very sturdily constructed framework may be readily attachable to and be detachable from the hull of a barge or the like and wherein all of the aforesaid purposes may be attained and further whereby the pump suction line, the pump and the pump driving means and also components of the height gauging means shall all be compactly housed in and protected by hollow vertical frame members of the device.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, somewhat diagrammatic and with parts broken away, and showing the manner in which a framework attachment in accordance with this invention is mounted upon the side of an offshore drilling barge with the latter being elevated above the water level;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the associated structure of the barge and showing the manner in which the attachment of this invention is detachably mounted upon the barge;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, parts being broken away, and showing the relative position of the attachment with respect to the associated portion of the hull of the barge and with respect to the water level over which the barge is supported;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged detail view taken in vertical transverse section substantially upon the plane indicated by section line 44 of FIGURE 3 and showing in particular the supporting structure by which the attachment is carried by the side of the barge and the mounting of a pump driving means upon the framework attachment of this invention; a

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by section line 5-5 of FIGURE 4; i Y

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the manner in which the height indicating means of this invention is associated with the framework of the attachment; and

. FIGURE 7 is an exploded perspective view of certain elements of the means by which the attachment is detachably supported upon the side of the barge.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, it will be observed that the numeral 10 designates generally an off-shore drilling barge to which the attachment of this invention indicated generally by the numeral 12 has been applied and is operatively disclosed with the barge being shown elevated above the water level 14. The barge has one or more drilling rigs as at 16 mounted thereon and is selectively raised or lowered above the Water level by means of a plurality of legs or columns 20 which extend through wells in the barge and which are operatively connected to the barge as by means of individual jack mechanisms designated generally by the numeral 22, there being provided one such jack mechanism for each of the columns or legs. Inasmuch as the details of the barge and of the leg and jack construction form the subject matter of the invention disclosed and claimed in the co-pending application of Louis J. Roussel, Serial No. 60,262, filed September 30, 1960, owned by the assignee of the present application, and inasmuch as the details of the same are not necessary to an understanding of the invention herein disclosed and claimed, a further description of the same is deemed unnecessary.

As will be noted from FIGURE 2, the attachment 12 forming the subject of this invention is generally triangular in cross section and is mounted upon the side of the barge as by means of horizontally extending support plates or deck structure 24. For this purpose, a set of clamps in the form of brackets 26 are welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the deck structure 24 and project laterally from the side of the same to provide semi-cylindrical sockets or seats 28, see also FIGURES 4 and 5, which serve to support the attachment 12 in a manner to be subsequently set forth.

As will be readily appreciated as many of the attachments 12 may be provided as are deemed to be necessary to perform their desired functions and results for the upse of the barge, two such attachments, as shown in FIGURE 1 being particularly useful.

Referring next particularly to FIGURES 3, 4, 5 and 7 it will be seen that each of the clamping brackets 26 consists of a pair of upper and lower plates 30 and 32 which are rigidly connected together in spaced relation by means of a semi-cylindrical sleeve 34 which forms the previously mentioned semi-cylindrical seat or socket 28. One of the two plates is laterally elongated as at 36 in a manner to overlie the deck or bracket structure 24 of the hull of the barge in order that this projecting portion of the plate may be secured as by welding 38 thereto. As suggested in FIGURE 3, a plurality of vertically spaced clamping brackets 26 may be disposed in vertical alignment along the side of the barge in order to effectively and rigidly support and secure the attachment 12 thereto.

As will be further observed from FIGURES 4 and 5, a plurality of reinforcing webs 39 may be welded to the convex side of the semi-cylindrical sleeve 34 and to the associated structure of the barge in order to rigidify and strengthen the supporting and clamping brackets 26.

As will be observed from FIGURE 2, each set of the brackets 26 consists of two brackets in the same horizontal plane and having opposed seats 28 into which side portions of the attachment 12 may be seated by vertical sliding movement of the attachment into and out of the sets of brackets.

Referring now more particularly to the construction of the attachment 12 it will be observed that the triangular shaped assembly consists of three hollow rails, these consisting of a pair of relatively large diameter rails 40 each adapted to seat in the sockets of the supporting brackets 26 and a relatively smaller diametered'hollow rail 42 forming with the other two rails a triangle. The three rails are rigidly secured together in spaced relation by means of horizontally extending brace rods 44 together with vertically inclined brace rods 46. Thus a rigid lattice-like framework is provided which is triangular in cross-section and of sufficient length that its lower end will at all times be immersed below the level of the water 14 regardless of the height to which the barge is elevated above the water by means of the columns and jacks and 22.

A plurality of horizontal, vertically spaced partitions or platforms as at 48 and which may be of a grid-like construction are rigidly secured to and connected between the three rails of the framework as for example at each of the levels of the horizontal brace rods 44. A portion of each partition adjacent one of the rails such as the rail 42 is cutaway as at 50 to provide a clearance or passageway therethrough. The partitions thus define platforms or levels at which workmen may stand as necessary, the cutaway portions defining thereby a vertically extending passageway through the entire framework. A plurality of steps or foothold members 52 are secured to the rail 42 within the cutaway portions 52 to provide a ladder extending from the water level to any desired deck of the hull structure of the barge. By this means workmen may climb through the framework 12 when necessary.

In the arrangement of FIGURE 1, where a pair of the devices are disposed in a side-by-side spaced relation from the side of the hull of a barge, two frameworks provide a rigid support between which may be extended a mooring line 54 to which may be anchored or moored a small boat such as that indicated at 56. This particularly is important since when the barge is elevated above the water for a considerable distance, the framework 12 and the ladder assembly 52 therein provide a convenient means affording communication between the moored boat and a deck of the barge.

As previously mentioned, each of the three rails 40, 42 are hollow. Disposed in one or both of the rails 40 is a water pump of the submerged type as indicated by the numeral 60. This pump is disposed in the lower end of its hollow rail so that the open lower end of the hollow rail constitutes a means continuously in communication with the water below the level thereof and constitutes also an inlet for the suction side of the pump 60. The latter may be of the rotating pump type or may be of the vertically reciprocating type if desired. In any event, there is provided a pump operating rod 62 disposed in the hollow rail 40 which connects with the submerged pump and extends to the upper end of the hollow rail, passing through an aperture 64 in a closure plate 66 for the same as shown in FIGURE 4. From thence the rod extends into a suitable operating means indicated generally by the numeral 67. If the pump is of the rotary type its operating means may comprise an electric motor or other motor by which rotation is imparted into the rod 62. On the other hand, if the pump is of the reciprocating type, the means 67 may include therein a jack or other mechanism by which reciprocation is imparted to the rod 62.

In order to mount the operating means upon the support structure it will be seen that there is provided a mounting sleeve 68 which encircles the upper end of the rail 40 and is secured to the annular flange 71 by a laterally projecting lug 70 which flange rests upon the upper plate 30 as shown in FIGURE 4 to be supported thereby. By means of fastening bolt 72, an annular flange 74 which is welded to the upper end of and surrounds the sleeve 68 is detachably coupled to a corresponding flange 76 which in turn is secured to the end of the casing 67. A spacer 78 is interposed between these flanges. The two flanges have a circumferentially extending series of apertures through which the fasteners 72 may extend to thereby detachably mount the pump actuating means 67 upon the upper end of the hollow rail and upon the support clamps.

Thus it will be observed that the actuating means for the pumps is supported by the device and may be readily applied or removed as desired.

Referring next to FIGURE 6 it will be observed that the third hollow rail 42 has its lower end immersed below the water level 14 and is provided with a plurality of vertically spacedv apertures 80 therein which establish continuous communication with the water below the liquid level thereof. Freely slidable in the water within the interior of the lower end of the rail 42 is a float 82 whose position thus corresponds to the liquid level inside and outside of the hollow rail. Cable 83 is connected to this float, and passes up through the hollow rail and into a casing 84 mounted by means of a flange connection at 86 to the top of the hollow rail. The cable 83 passes over a spring reel 88 which is suitably connected to an electric motor 90 constituting one of a pair of Selsyn motors. The first Selsyn motor 90 constituting the driving motor of the assembly is disposed within the casing 84, while a second Selsyn motor 92 which is electrically connected to the first by suitable electrical connections diagrammatically illustrated in FIGURE 6 is in turn directly connected to an indicating device 94..located at a suitable remote position within the barge and having a dial 96 and pointer 98 which thus directly corresponds to the position of the float 82 and directly indicates the position of the barge or selected portion of the latter above the water level. Thus, at all times, the operator is enabled to be aware of the elevation of the barge.

It will thus be observed that the present invention provides an attachment which may be readily applied to or removed from the side of a barge and which attachment houses within its frame construction power operated pumps for supplying water to the barge together with an altitude indicating gauge. In addition, the attachment provides a ladder means for access to the barge regardless of the elevation of the same below the water, and also a mooring means for small vessels and boats below the barge.

When the attachment is not desired it may be readily removed by lifting the same vertically and sliding the supporting rails 40 out of the sockets in the supporting clamps 26. Correspondingly the attachment may be readily again placed into position for further use.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with an off-shore drilling barge of the type including a hull and having lifting means for elevating the barge above the water, a vertically extending framework extending from the hull of the barge to below the water level when the barge is elevated above said water level, said framework including a vertically extending pair of rails rigidly connected in side-by-side relation in an open cross-braced construction, means securing and supporting said framework solely by its upper end in depending relation and rigidly to the side of a barge, at least one of said rails extending from said barge hull and being hollow and comprising a pump tubing with its lower end having a pump intake opening below said water level, a pump disposed in said hollow rail and having its inlet positioned below the level of the water in which said rails are immersed, a pump drive shaft in said hollow rail, operating means mounted upon said hollow rail at the upper end thereof and connected to said shaft.

2. The combination of claim 1 including a third rail and wherein said framework is triangular in cross section and comprises said three rails disposed in rigidly spaced sideby-side relation.

3. The combination of claim 1 including a third rail and wherein said framework is triangular in cross section and comprises said three rails disposed in rigidly spaced side-by-side relation, said securing means comprising vertically spaced brackets attached to said barge and receiving and supporting two of said rails.

4. The combination of claim 2 wherein said securing means comprises a pair of brackets disposed in laterally spaced side-by-side relation and each having a vertically extending recess opening upon the exterior surface of said bracket, said recesses of the pair of brackets opening towards each other and removably receiving, seating and retaining therein against lateral displacement said pair of rails, said brackets having laterally projecting members for attaching them to a barge.

5. The combination of claim 2 wherein said securing means comprises a bracket having therein a vertically extending recess of semi-cylindrical horizontal cross-section removably receiving and seating said hollow rail therein, said bracket having a laterally projecting member attaching it to a barge.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said hollow rail includes a laterally projecting mounting plate at its upper end overlying and resting upon the upper end of said bracket and supports the weight of said hollow rail thereon.

7. In combination with an offshore drilling barge of the type having lifting means for elevating the barge above the water, a vertically elongated framework extending from the barge hull to below the water level when the barge is elevated above said water level, said framework including three vertically extending rails whose upper ends are at deck level, means rigidly connecting said rails in spaced side-by-side triangular relation in an open cross-braced construction, means securing and supporting said framework solely by the upper end of at least one of said rails at its upper end in depending relation and rigidly to the side of a barge, said framework including a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal partitions each secured to each of said rails, said partitions having each a cutaway portion immediately adjacent one rail and Within said framework, said cutaway portions providing a vertical passageway through said framework, a plurality of vertically spaced steps on said one rail constituting a ladder extending from said water level to a deck of said barge through said vertical passageway and cutaway portions, at least one of said rails being hollow and comprising a pump tubing with its lower end having a pump intake opening below said water level, a pump disposed in said hollow rail and having its inlet positioned below the level of the water in which said hollow rail is immersed, a pump drive shaft in said hollow rail connected to said pump, pump operating means mounted upon said hollow rail at the upper end thereof and connected to said shaft.

8. In combination with an offshore drilling barge of the type having lifting means for elevating the barge above the water, a vertically elongated framework of triangular cross-section and extending from the barge hull to below the water level, said framework comprising three vertically extending rails whose upper ends are at deck level, means rigidly connecting said rails in spaced side-by-side triangular relation in an open cross-braced construction, said framework including a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal partitions each fixedly secured to each of said rails, each partition having a cutaway portion immediately adjacent one rail and within said framework, said cutaway portion being aligned and providing a vertical passageway through said framework, a plurality of vertically spaced steps on said one rail accessibly exposed to said passageway and providing a ladder extending from said water level to a deck of said barge, means securing and supporting said framework solely by the upper end of at least one of said rails at its upper end in depending relation to and rigidly to the side of a barge.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said securing and supporting means comprises a pair of brackets mounted upon said barge in laterally spaced relation, each bracket having a vertical recess opening upon the bracket exterior, each bracket recess detachably receiving and supporting therein one of said rails.

10. In combination with an offshore drilling barge of the type including a hull and having lifting means for elevating the barge above the water, a pump assembly removably mounted upon said barge, said assembly comprising a vertically extending framework secured to and projecting laterally from the side of said barge and extending downwardy from the barge hull in depending relation thereto, said framework comprising a pair of vertically extending rails disposed in laterally spaced sideby-side relation, means connecting said rails into a rigid open cross-braced construction, said rails consisting of a mounting rail and a hollow rail, means on said barge detachably but rigidly securing said mounting rail solely at the upper end to said barge, said hollow rail extending from said barge hull to below the water level when said barge is elevated above said water level, said hollow rail comprising a pump tubing having its lower end opening below said water level, a pump disposed in said hollow rail and having its inlet positioned below the level in which said hollow rail is immersed, a pump drive shaft in said hollow rail connected to said pump, pump operend of said hollow rail and connected to said pump drive shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 145,920 Watson Dec. 23, 1873 287,257 Edgar Oct. 23, 1883 444,607 Eder Jan. 13, 1891 2,881,591 Reeve Apr. 14, 1958 10 2,963,178 Walker Dec. 6, 1960 3,011,586 Harvey Dec. 5, 1961 OTHER REFERENCES Oil and Gas Journal, pages 56, 59 and 60, January 18,

ating means mounted upon said framework at the upper 15 1947,

Claims (1)

1. IN COMBINATION WITH AN OFF-SHORE DRILLING BARGE OF THE TYPE INCLUDING A HULL AND HAVING LIFTING MEANS FOR ELEVATING THE BARGE ABOVE THE WATER, A VERTICALLY EXTENDING FRAMEWORK EXTENDING FROM THE HULL OF THE BARGE TO BELOW THE WATER LEVEL WHEN THE BARGE IS ELEVATED ABOVE SAID WATER LEVEL, SAID FRAMEWORK INCLUDING A VERTICALLY EXTENDING PAIR OF RAILS RIGIDLY CONNECTED IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION IN AN OPEN CROSS-BRACED CONSTRUCTION, MEANS SECURING AND SUPPORTING SAID FRAMEWORK SOLELY BY ITS UPPER END IN DEPENDING RELATION AND RIGIDLY TO THE SIDE OF A BARGE, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID RAILS EXTENDING FROM SAID BARGE HULL AND BEING HOLLOW AND COMPRISING A PUMP TUBING WITH ITS LOWER END HAVING A PUMP INTAKE OPENING BELOW SAID WATER LEVEL, A PUMP DISPOSED IN SAID HOLLOW RAIL AND HAVING ITS INLET POSITIONED BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE WATER IN WHICH SAID RAILS ARE IMMERSED, A PUMP DRIVE SHAFT IN SAID HOLLOW RAIL, OPERATING MEANS MOUNTED UPON SAID HOLLOW RAIL AT THE UPPER END THEREOF AND CONNECTED TO SAID SHAFT.

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