FR2634854A1 - SYSTEM FOR PROGRESSIVELY REMOVING A SERIES OF SUPPORT NECKLACES WHICH HAVE BEEN GREENLY GREEN ON AN IMMERED STRUCTURE, ALONG IT AND METHOD FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF - Google Patents

Abstract

The system according to the present invention comprises an extraction rope 20 which has a special enlarged part 21 at one of its ends and which is passed through the central through-bores 17 of the articulation pins of the hinges of the support collars. of the series, these pins being in the form of two half-pins 16, 17 coupled. A pull exerted on the line from the surface of the water expels from the support collars the pins which open and thus release the line after releasing the support collars.

Description

SYSTEM FOR PROGRESSIVELY RELEASING A SERIES OF

  SUPPORT NAMES THAT WERE GREENLY GLASS ON A

  IMERE STRUCTURE, ALONG THEREOF, AND METHOD FOR FUNCTION-

NATION OF THIS SYSTEM.

  The present invention relates to a system for progressively releasing the connections between a submerged structure and a series

  of support collars clamped on and along it, this release

  ration being carried out under remote control in a fast, efficient, safe and particularly economical way without resorting to

divers or divers.

  The invention also relates to the method for operating this system. When piping or other submerged structures are conveyed over distances of up to several kilometers to the location where they are to be installed on the bottom of the water, it is known to use support floats in general.

  3 which are arranged one after the other and which are indi-

  the structure to be supported by means of support collars, ropes or other means which must then be released when

the operation is over.

  In the present state of the art, this release step is performed by divers or divers or by vehicles.

  remote controls that release each element directly one after the other.

  However, this method not only requires a lot of time and is very expensive, but it also presents a risk with respect to the safety of the operators who, personally must release the links. Devices are sometimes used which make it possible to dispense with the direct action of the operators by releasing the support collars at a distance by means of acoustic signals, but a release system of this type has a price so high that its use may not always

to be justified.

  The object of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks by providing an effective release system by which a series of support collars, one after the other

  on and along a submerged structure, can be released succes-

  economically and quickly using a remote control, usually transmitted from the surface of the water without

  divers or scuba divers are used.

  This result is achieved mainly by the fact that each

  The support link of the series is in the form of two jaws, which are hinged to one another at opposite points along one of their ends by means of a mechanism for adjusting the degree. for clamping the collars, and which are joined to each other at their other end by an insertion or hinge joint that can be locked with a through-joint pin

  and hollow which can be extracted to order.

  This hollow cylindrical pin is in the form of two demibroches coupled to each other and is held in its seat not only by the clamping force imposed by the support collar but also by a projection forming a shoulder, present in the seat. end of the half-spindles which is located on the side from which the spindle -3- is extracted, and possibly by an elastic retaining washer

  mounted on the opposite end of the half-pins.

  Finally, a rope was passed through central bores, practically

  aligned with the pins of the entire series of support collars, this cord having, at one of its ends, an enlarged portion of a size greater than the diameter of the bore of all

  the pins but slightly smaller than the diameter of the pins themselves.

  same, so that it can be extracted from the joint joint

  with the pins while its other end is kept at the over-

  face of the water by the personnel performing the release operation.

  In this way, when the rope is pulled by means on the surface of the water, because the enlarged portion

  meets the individual pins, she expels them from their

  corresponding section, extracting them also from the elastic washers

  any ticks present, the clamps of the series

  thus being opened and released successively.

  In addition, because they are made in two parts, as soon as they are extracted from their respective joints, the pins open thereby freeing the enlarged ends of the rope which

  is, therefore, ready to act on the following pins.

  The system for progressively releasing a series of support collars successively tightened on a submerged structure, in which each support collar of the series is in the form of deYux jaws which are articulated one on the other in points opposed to one of their ends by a mechanism

  to adjust the degree to which the clamp tightens the structure

  immersed and assembled to each other at their other end.

  mated by a hinge-type or hinge-type hinge which can be

  locked with through-joint pins is therefore

  in accordance with the present invention, by the fact that each spindle of

  the through-bore is in the form of two half-pins -4 coupled to each other and defining a central through bore, a rope being passed through the central through bores of the pins of the entire series of support collars successive, this rope having at one of its ends an enlarged portion of a dimension greater than the diameter of the central bores of the pins but slightly smaller than the diameter of the pins themselves, its other

  end being maintained on the surface of the water by the personnel

killing the liberation operation.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,

  each traversing and hollow connecting pin comprises, at the end

  its constituent half-pins which is located on the side from which the pin is extracted, a projection forming a shoulder of a dimension greater than that of the through bores of the hinge into which the through pins are inserted, and a washer of elastic restraint can be mounted on the end opposite to that

  from which the rope is extracted.

  Finally, the method for remotely releasing a series of support collars successively tightened on and along

  immersed structure by means of the release system according to the invention.

  tion is characterized by the fact that it comprises the pulling operation of the pull rope by pulling on it from its end

  free on the surface of the water with a force such that its

  The enlarged section causes the hollow spindle of the first support collar to be expelled from the elastic washer that may be present then

  extracted from the corresponding hinge with a consequent release

  of the first support collar, said operation being repeated many times until the last support collar of the

series was released.

  The present invention will be described in detail below.

  with reference to the accompanying drawings which represent a method of

  preferred for illustrative and non-limiting purposes and to which modifications may be made in the context of this

  invention. For example, instead of using it for sequential release

  sive floats used to support a portion of pipe during -5of its routing Until the place where it must be deposited on the bottom of the water, we can use the release system to release successively submerged structures, ballast or charges. Furthermore,

  instead of being provided with semi-circular jaws which are particularly suitable

  for pipes and cylindrical structures in general.

  In addition, the support collars may be provided with jaws of no

  it forms and the through and hollow connection pins may also have any other shape in addition to the cylindrical shape and, in addition, a cable may be used instead

a rope.

  In the drawings: Figure 1 shows the application of the release system according to

  the invention to the transport of part of the pipeline by means of

tors;

  FIG. 2 shows the operation in which the release is performed.

  successive ration of the floats of Figure 1, to deposit the pipe portion on the bottom of the water; Figure 3 is a partial enlarged view of the first support collar region of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an enlarged longitudinal view of the hinge region of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a front view along A-A of Figure 3; Figure 6 is a side view along B-B of Figure 5; and Figures 7 and 8 show on an enlarged scale the steps of the release method applied to the first support collar of the invention. In the figures, the reference 1 designates a boat which, by means of the cable 2, tows a portion 3 of pipe to be

  deposited on the bottom 4 of a body of water.

  This part 3 of pipe is supported during its transport by a series of support floats 51 52. 58 who are willing

  successively along the pipe section and are made

  of the latter by a corresponding series of support collars

  61, 62, ... 68 and by connecting cables 7.

  Each collar 61, ..., 68 consists of two jaws 8 and 9 articulated one su. the other at one of their ends, at opposite points, by a mechanism 10 which, by means of the screw 11 and the nut 12, makes it possible to adjust the tightening exerted by the support collar

on the part 3 of pipe.

  The other two ends of the jaws 8 and 9 are connected one

  to the other by a hinge which includes the parts, 13 and 14 respec-

  and which is assembled by a through-joint pin constituted by two half-pins 15 and 16 coupled to each other so as to form a central through-bore 17 (see specifically FIG. 8). The half-pins 15 and 16 comprise, at their end facing the boat 1, a projection forming a shoulder 18 which prevents the pin from being extracted towards the right side (see FIG. 4) and these half-pins are held together. at their other end

  by an elastic washer 19 retaining.

  Finally, an extraction string 20 is successively passed through the central through bores 17 of the hinge pins of all the support collars 61, 68, one end of this string being held on the surface of the water on the boat 1 and the other end comprising an enlarged portion 21 whose size is greater than the diameter of the bores 17 but less than that of the pins themselves so that the rope can be extracted from the hinges jointly

with the pins.

  In this way, if you exert traction on the rope of ex-

  pulling 20 from the boat 1 by pulling on this rope with a certain force 22 (see specifically Figures 7 and 8), the enlarged portion 21 is pressed against the edge of the spindle so that, as traction extends, it pulls the pin completely from the corresponding hinge thus releasing the corresponding support collar. In this way, all the support collars 61, 68 can be released by acting from the boat 1, because when the pins

  have been removed from their hinges they fall and release the cor-

dage. --8-

Claims (3)

  A system for remotely releasing a series of support collars (61, 68, 68) which are clamped one after the other on a submerged structure, along the same, each support collar of the series in the form of two jaws (8, 9) which are hinged to one another at opposite points at one end thereof by a mechanism (10) serving   to adjust the degree of tightening of the support collars on said structure   immersed and which are connected to each other at their other end by a hinge (13,14) which can be locked with a through connection pin, characterized in that each assembly pin therethrough is in the form of two half-pins (16,17) coupled to each other and defining a through-center bore (17), a rope (20) extending through the central through-holes of the pins of the entire series of successive support collars, this cable comprising at one of its ends an enlarged part (21) of a larger dimension   the diameter of the center bores of the pins but slightly less   than the diameter of the pins themselves, its other end being   maintained on the surface of the water by the personnel performing the ration of liberation.   2. System for progressively releasing a series of support collars one after the other on a submerged structure according to claim 1, characterized in that each through and hollow connecting pin comprises, at end of its constituent half-pins (16, 17) which is on the side from which the rope (20) is extracted, a protrusion   shoulder (18) of a dimension greater than that of the   wise crossing hinges (13, 14) into which are inserted the through pins.   -9 System for remotely releasing a series of support collars one after the other in a submerged structure according to claim 1, characterized   in that an elastic retaining washer (19) is mounted on the former   tremity of each through and hollow connecting pin, to the ex-   opposite to the one from which the rope is extracted.   i. Method for progressively releasing a series of support collars, one after another, on an immersed structure by means of the release system according to   any of the preceding claims, characterized by   the fact that it comprises the step of pulling the pull string (20) by pulling it from its free end to the surface of the water with a force such that its end portion enlarged (21) causes the spindle to be expelled   hollow of the first support collar (61) out of the elastic washer   that (19) optionally present then its extraction from the corresponding hinge with a subsequent release of the first support collar, said operation being repeated many times until   the last support collar (68) of the series has been released.