Method and apparatus for positioning a working barge above a sea surface
First Claim
1. Apparatus for positioning a working barge in an elevated position above a sea surface, said apparatus comprising a pair of elongated buoyant wing walls having substantial freeboard, said wing walls being spaced apart and extending parallel to each other, a horizontal platform having essentially no freeboard and extending between and connected to said wing walls, a plurality of elongated support legs mounted to move up and down relative to said wing walls, jacking mechanisms mounted on said wing walls to move said legs up and down on said wing walls, said apparatus being floatable to a site of use and containing means for flooding said wing walls to change the buoyancy of said apparatus to partially submerge same and to permit same to be lowered in the water and to submerge said platform so that a working barge may be floated over the platform of said apparatus, said jacking mechanisms and said support legs being constructed and arranged to lift said wing walls and said platform from a first position at which said platform is submerged beneath the surface of the water to an elevated position at which both said platform and said wing walls are suspended above the surface of the water.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A shallow water drilling or production barge (46) is adapted for offshore use by means of a novel drydock (40) which has wing walls (52) of substantial freeboard and a platform (74) of essentially no freeboard. Jacking legs (42) extend down through the wingwalls to the sea bed (50). Valves (56) in the wing walls are opened to allow them to partially submerge and lower the platform enough to float the barge into place; and then jacking mechanisms in jacking towers (54) on the wing walls are operated to raise both the drydock and the barge up out of the water. The barge rides or rails 75 supported by roller assemblies on the platform; and after being raised the barge is pulled forwardly and locked in place.
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Citations
33 Claims
- 1. Apparatus for positioning a working barge in an elevated position above a sea surface, said apparatus comprising a pair of elongated buoyant wing walls having substantial freeboard, said wing walls being spaced apart and extending parallel to each other, a horizontal platform having essentially no freeboard and extending between and connected to said wing walls, a plurality of elongated support legs mounted to move up and down relative to said wing walls, jacking mechanisms mounted on said wing walls to move said legs up and down on said wing walls, said apparatus being floatable to a site of use and containing means for flooding said wing walls to change the buoyancy of said apparatus to partially submerge same and to permit same to be lowered in the water and to submerge said platform so that a working barge may be floated over the platform of said apparatus, said jacking mechanisms and said support legs being constructed and arranged to lift said wing walls and said platform from a first position at which said platform is submerged beneath the surface of the water to an elevated position at which both said platform and said wing walls are suspended above the surface of the water.
- 15. In combination, a drydock having a pair of elongated buoyant wing walls extending parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other with a horizontal support platform extending between and interconnecting the wing walls near their lower edges, said wing walls having substantial freeboard and said horizontal platform having essentially no freeboard, said platform having an opening therein, a shallow water working barge supported on said platform between said wing walls and having working means above said opening and communicating through said opening, a plurality of jacking legs mounted to move up and down relative to said drydock, jacking mechanisms mounted on said drydock and connected to jack said drydock up along said legs and valves arranged in said wing walls to control the flow of water into and out from said wing walls said drydock being floatable to a site of use and being partially floodable via said valves to partially submerge said drydock to permit same to be lowered in the water and to submerge said platform so that said working barge may be floated over said platform, said jacking mechanisms and said support legs being constructed and arranged to lift said wing walls, said platform and said barge from a first position at which said platform is submerged beneath the barge floating in the water to an elevated position at which said platform, said barge and said wing walls are all suspended above the surface of the water.
- 30. A method of positioning a working barge in an elevated position above a sea surface, said method comprising the steps of floating a drydock, comprising a pair of elongated variable buoyancy wing walls of substantial freeboard interconnected along their lower edges by a horizontal platform of essentially no freeboard, to an offshore location, said drydock being floatable by virtue of the buoyancy of its wing walls, lowering a plurality of legs from said drydock to the sea bottom, decreasing the buoyancy of said wing walls by partially flooding same to partially submerge said wings walls and fully submerge said platform by an amount sufficient to permit said working barge to be floated over the platform, floating said working barge into position over the submerged platform between said wing walls and jacking said drydock up out of the water to raise said barge to said elevated position.
Specification