Load-supporting structure, particularly for marine wells

• US 3,307,624 A
• Filed: 05/22/1963
• Issued: 03/07/1967
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1963
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arthur Lubinski
• Original Assignee: Arthur Lubinski
• Inventors: Lubinski, Arthur
• Application Number:
  US04/282,462
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• US Class Current: 166/350
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 17/00 Artificial islands mounted on piles or like supports, e.g. platforms on raisable legs or offshore constructions; Construction methods therefor construction methods for floating platforms B63B75/00; anchoring floating platforms B63B21/00; floating platforms, e.g. anchored, B63B35/44; underwater reservoirs B65D88/78
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 27/32 Foundations for special purposes for paving of roads E01C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 15/02 specially adapted for underwater drilling E21B15/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/01 specially adapted for obtaining from underwater installations
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/136 from non-buoyant support E21B7/124 takes precedence

Claims

1. A STABLE LOAD-SUPPORTING MARINE STRUCTURE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED VERTICAL HOLLOW COMPRESSION MEMBER HAVING ITS BOTTOM END FIXED SOLIDLY IN THE EARTH BELOW THE MARINE BOTTOM AND ITS UPPER PORTION EXTENDING FOR A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE THROUGH THE WATER TO A POINT IN THE VICINITY OF THE WATER SURFACE, THE STRENGTH AND STABILITY OF SAID HOLLOW MEMBER BEING SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT SUBSTANTIALLY ONLY ITS OWN WEIGHT AND ANY EXTERNAL LOADS OR FORCES IMPOSED ON IT, AND A TENSION MEMBER FOR CARRYING ADDITIONAL WEIGHT EXTENDING BELOW SAID BOTTOM END OF SAID HOLLOW MEMBER, THE COMBINED LOADS CARRIED BY SAID HOLLOW AND SAID TENSION MEMBERS SUBSTANTIALLY EXCEEDING THAT WHICH SAID HOLLOW MEMBER ALONE MAY SUPPORT AS AN EXTERNAL LOAD WITHOUT BUCKLING, SAID TENSION MEMBER BEING ATTACHED TO THE CENTER OF THE UPPER END OF SAID HOLLOW MEMBER AND HAVING A SMALL CLEARANCE WITHIN SAID HOLLOW MEMBER AT AT LEAST ONE POINT INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS, SO THAT THE TENDENCY OF SAID HOLLOW MEMBER TO BEND DUE TO SAID ADDITIONAL WEIGHT BRINGS SAID MEMBERS INTO CONTACT AT LEAST