US1393943A - Pipe-laying apparatus - Google Patents

Description

W. L. CHAPMAN.

PIPE LAYING APPARATUS. neucmou FILED SEPT- 13. 1919.

Patented 001118, 1921.

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PIPE LAYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13. 1919.

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W. L. CHAPMAN.

PIPE LAYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED sEPms. 1919.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

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W. L. CHAPMAN.

PIPE LAYING APPARATUS. APPLICATiON FILED SEPT. 13, 1919- Patented UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. CHAPMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGN OR TO MERRITT & CHAPMAN DERRICK & WREGKING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

PIPE-LAYING APPARATUS.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

Application filed September 13, 1919. Serial No. 323,496.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM L. CHAP- MAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Pipe-Laying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for laying submarine pipe and the principal object of my invention is to provide mechanism of this type which will operate more effectively over uneven bottoms. Other objects of my invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification in which I have described for illustrative'pun poses one form which my invention may I assume.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part thereof:

Figure 1 represents a general assembly of my improved pipe skid;

Fig. 2 represents a bottom plan section, illustrating in detail the joint between the skid sections B and C;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the joint disclosed in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4'of Fi 3' Fig. .5 is a section on the line 55 of Fi 1' I igf6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 1; and

F ig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fi r In Fig. 1 is illustrated in a general way a pipe-laying scow 11 provided with a suitable pipe-handling apparatus such as the derrick 12 and tackle 13. Suitable means, such as the drum mechanism 14, are provided on the scow for supporting the skid section D and controlling both its elevation and its angular position. The lower and rear end of the skid section D rests upon the bottom. A skid section C is pivoted at its forward end to the intermediate point 15 of the skid section D and rests at its rear end upon the bottom. Similarly a skid section B is pivoted to the intermediate point 16 of the skid section 0 and rests upon the bottom at its rear end and a skid section A is pivoted to the intermediate point 17 of the skid section B and rests at its rear end upon the bottom.

The detailed construction of the skid bers 26 and 27 are section A disclosed in Fig. 7 in which a pipe P is shown in position in the skid. This section comprises two longitudinal supporting members 18 and 19, a bottom pipe guide 20, and two side guides 21 and 22. The bottom guide 20 is supported on suitable cross-pieces 23 which rest on the supporting members 18 and 19. The side guldes 21 and 22 are carried by suitable uprights 24 and 25 secured at the lower ends to the supporting members 18 and 19.

The detailed construction of the skid section B is disclosed in Fig. 6 in which the pipe P is again shown in position. This section consists of heavy longitudinal members 26 and 27 which in themselves act as the side guides for the pipe. Recessed into the inner faces of these longitudinal mem- U-shaped strips 28, to which is secured, at the base of the U, a suitable upper guide 29 to prevent the pipe from escaping from the skid. Secured to the lower faces of the longitudinal members 26 and 27 are suitable cross-pieces 30 carrying the lower pipe guide 31. The skid sections A and B are connected together by pivoting the front end of the section A to the intermediate point of the section B in any suitable manner such as by a pin passing through the longitudinal members 18 and 19 of the section A and through suitable depending lugs on the longitudinal members 26 and 27 of the section B.

The detailed construction of the section C is best illustrated in Fig. 5 in which I have again shown the pipe P in position. This section comprises suitable longitudinal members 32 and 33 to which are secured inwardly extending side guides 34 and 35 to hold the pipe against lateral displacement. Secured to the bottom of these longitudinal members 32 and 33 are suitable cross-pieces 36 carrying the bottom guide sleeper 37 to which is secured the bottom guide strip 38. Secured to the top of the longitudinal members 32 and 33 are suitable uprights 39 and 40 supporting at the upper ends cross-pieces 41 between which are secured suitable top guide strips 42. To aid in securing the guide strips 42 to the cross-pieces 41 I may provide reinforcing members such as the splices 43 each secured to the top of a crosspiece 41 and overlapping the ends of the adjacent top guide pieces 42 to which the splice is secured. The means of securing trate thedeta'iled construction'of the skid section"D or themeans of connection be tween the sectionC and the skid section D."

the section B to the section C is illustrated in detail in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. Each of the longitudinal members 32 and 33 of the sec: tion'C has'se'cur'edto its'faces a pair of plates 44: each of which is provided at the lower extending edge with an aperture through which extends a cross-shaft 45 suitably secured to the platesby means of nuts 46. Secured to each face ofthe longitudinal members 26 and 27 01" the section B are suitable depending lugs 47 ape'rtu'red'to receive" the cross-shaft or pivot pin 45to'th'us pivot the 'sectionB to theintermediate point '16 ofthe section C.

I have not c0nsidered it necessary to illus This skid 'section D may 'beconstructed in substantially the" same inan'neras' the section C and by spacing the longitudinal members 48thereof a suitable distanceapart the longitudinal "members '32 and 33 of the skid} Cmay be accommodated therebetween. It Will be understood that this invo1ves-mere1y the lengthening of the cross pieces 36 and 41 and the widei'iing of the side guides" 34 and 35. If such aconstruction is employed, the pivoted connection'between section C T and section D'w'ill be substantially the sameas that between the section B and section C illustrated in Figs.'2, 3, and 4. As analter native construction" I may construct skid section D similar to skid section B to' thus fit within the longitudinal members 32 and" 33 of'the sectionG, in which case the joint construction" will again be substantially identical with that disclosedin Figs) 2, 3, and 4; w v

It will-be understood that the top and bottom' uidemembers of each section termi connected "so 'th'at'the various top guide'mem bers form a continuous gulde' for the 'plp to the point'where the section A begins and the bottom guide members'form' a continuous guide for the-pipe toftheextremetip' of the skid A. In somecas'e'sit may be desirable to provide a topguide on the section A and in suchcases-this top guide maybe supported in any suitable manner such as by extending the side guide supports24 and 25 to form'U-- shaped members similar to the rnember 28 of section In order to prevent" the deviation ang'l between adjacent skids" from becoming larger than the safeangle o'f' flekibilitypf the pipe-being laid,-"'I findit desirable to connectthe bottom-or front-end of each of the sections D and C tothe opposite inter mediate point onthesectio'n G or B, respectively, by any suitable fleXible 'means,-suchasa chain 4L9. If"desired, thischain may also" beemployed to connect the sections B and'A'in the same "manner.

It will be apparent from a consideration of Fig. 1 that as the bottom risesthedeviation angles between the skids will automatically decrease and the pipe-laying-operation may continue without any alteration in the skid supporting means. Similarly, when the bottom recedes the deviation angles will automatically increase but in such case this increase of angle" will be limited by the chains 4C9 so that again the pipe-laying operation may be continuedwithout any adjustment of theskid' supporting means. It

will be apparent, then, that my pipejskid operates'entirely automatically over uneven bottoms to *permit' continuous pipe laying without any'alteration of theskid "or skid support.

It will be understood maths-exact num berof skid sections employed will depend upon the deptno'f water in which the pipe "is to "be" laidf upon the 5 makirnum angle j of deviation permitted, and upon various other factors which need not be stated indetail;

While I have designed my-a amtas particularly for use overfuneven *botto'ms'andhave-illustrated"and described it in this connection-it will be apparent thatmany featuresthereof are of utility in any pipe-lay ingoperation. It willalso beapp'arentthat my pipe-laying skid possesses advantages Othefthan those specifically pointedout in this specification' It will be-understood that'th'e skid'herein's'hdwn and described is but one form which my inve'ntion may as of hinged'ly connected overlapping members and means foi" "connecting -each me'mber to the rear end of the meme next adj oining' it forwardly.

2; A launchingskid'for lowerin'gfa line of pipe into position,-'-comprising aplurality of'hingedly connected overlapping'members and meansfoif flexibly "connecting each'membe'r intermediate itsen'ds to the rear end of the member nextadjoining it-forwardly.

of pipe into position, comprising a plurality of'ri'gid members, means for hingedly connectingfon'e end of each of said inembersto an 'adjoiningfmemb'r intermediate its ends and-means for fiGXlbly connecting oneend of each of said members withYan adjoiningmember, I

i. A launching skid *forloweringa line of pipe into position, comp'rising' a plurality 3;A launching skidfor-loweringia line" of rigid members, each of said members being hingedly connected at one end to the member next adjoining it forwardly and intermediate its ends to the member next adjoining it to the rear.

5. A launching skid for lowering a line of pipe into position, comprising a plurality of rigid members, each of said members being hingedly connected at its front end to the member next adjoining it forwardly and flexibly connected intermediate its ends with the forward end of said next adjoining memher.

6. A launching skid for lowering a line of pipe into position, comprising a plurality 15 mediate its ends, and a chain connecting a 20 point intermediate the ends of each section With the rear end of the next adjoining section forwardly.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 12th day of 25 September, 1919.

WILLIAM L. CHAPMAN.

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