Method and system for anchoring a buoy via a screw-type anchor

• US 6,066,015 A
• Filed: 08/17/1998
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brown, James D.
• Original Assignee: Brown, James D.
• Inventors: Brown, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano, S. Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Olson, Lars A.
• Application Number:
  US09/135,433
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 441/6, 441/7, 441/1, 441/2, 114/295, 52/155, 52/157
• US Class Current: 441/6
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 21/26 securing to bed
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/04 Fixations or other anchoring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/16 specially adapted for marking a navigational route signalling or lighting devices B63B45/00

Abstract

A buoy drilling anchoring system including a retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device and at least one anchorable marker buoy assembly anchorable into the earth'"'"'s surface underwater. The retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device is adapted to anchor in the earth'"'"'s surface underwater at least one anchorable marker buoy assembly having an earth penetratable anchor and is retrievable from underwater after the anchorable marker buoy assembly is anchored for subsequent use thereof. Thereby, a single retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device can be used to anchor a plurality of anchorable marker buoy assemblies such as used to mark the underwater locations for placement of cables or pipelines such as without limitation, a gas pipeline and an oil pipeline.

Claims

1. A buoy drilling anchoring system comprising:

(a) an anchorable marker buoy assembly, said anchorable marker buoy assembly including a floatation buoy member, an earth penetratable means for anchoring and a support line coupled to said earth penetratable anchor means and said floatation buoy member;

(b) a retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device detachable coupled to said anchorable marker buoy assembly and constructed and arranged to drive said earth penetratable anchoring means in earth'"'"'s surface underwater; and

,

(c) a quick disconnect coupler constructed and arranged to simultaneously detach retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device from said floatation buoy member and release said support line for upward floatation above water of said floatation buoy member to mark a predetermined location.

2. The buoy drilling anchoring system of claim 1, wherein said retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device comprises:

a support base having center section and a plurality of hinged radial support members radially extending along a horizontal plane from said center section and a plurality of spike member coupled to free ends of said plurality of hinged radial support members;

a center weight coupled in a center of said support base;

a vertically upright support frame coupled perpendicularly to said center section; and

,

a drill assembly slidably coupled to said vertically upright support frame and constructed and arranged to drive said earth penetratable anchoring means in said earth'"'"'s surface underwater.

3. The buoy drilling anchoring system of claim 2, wherein said retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device further comprises a permanent buoy and retrieve line assembly, said permanent buoy and retrieve line assembly comprises a permanent buoy and a retrieve line fixedly coupled to said vertically upright support frame and said permanently buoy.

4. The buoy drilling anchoring system of claim 3, wherein said permanent buoy and retrieve line assembly functions to (1) mark a location of said retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device underwater;

(2) allow said retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device to be retrieved via said retrieve line; and

, (3) orientate said retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device into a vertically upright position by virtue of vertical pull force exerted on the retrieve line.

5. The buoy drilling anchoring system of claim 2, wherein said drill assembly comprises a motor, a driver, a timing mechanism, a power switch and a battery source wherein when said power switch is turned to an on state, power is delivered to said motor after a predetermined time delay has commenced to rotate said driver.

6. The buoy drilling anchoring system of claim 5, wherein said drill assembly is pre-positioned in a top portion of said vertically upright support frame and maintained in said top portion by a band member adapted to be severed when said driver rotates.

7. The buoy drilling anchoring system of claim 1, wherein said earth penetratable anchoring means is an auger or a screw-type anchor.

8. A buoy drilling anchoring system comprising:

(a) an anchorable marker buoy assembly, said anchorable marker buoy assembly including a floatation buoy member, an earth penetratable means for anchoring and a support line coupled to said earth penetratable anchor means and said floatation buoy member;

(b) a retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device detachable coupled to said anchorable marker buoy assembly and constructed and arranged to drive said earth penetratable anchoring means in earth'"'"'s surface underwater wherein said retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device comprises permanent buoy and retrieve line assembly; and

,

(c) a quick disconnect coupler constructed and arranged to simultaneously detach retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device from said floatation buoy member and release said support line for upward floatation above water of said floatation buoy member to mark a predetermined location when said retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device is retrieved from underwater by said permanent buoy and retrieve line assembly.

9. The buoy drilling anchoring system of claim 8, wherein said retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device further comprises:

a support base having center section and a plurality of hinged radial support members radially extending along a horizontal plane from said center section and a plurality of spike member coupled to free ends of said plurality of hinged radial support members;

a center weight coupled in a center of said support base;

a vertically upright support frame coupled perpendicularly to said center section; and

,

a drill assembly slidably coupled to said vertically upright support frame and constructed and arranged to drive said earth penetratable anchoring means in said earth'"'"'s surface underwater.

10. The buoy drilling anchoring system of claim 9, wherein said permanent buoy and retrieve line assembly functions to (1) mark a location of said retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device underwater;

(2) allow said retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device to be retrieved via said retrieve line; and

, (3) orientate said vertically upright support frame of said retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device into a vertically upright position by virtue of vertical pull force exerted on the retrieve line.

11. The buoy drilling anchoring system of claim 9, wherein said drill assembly comprises a motor, a driver, a timing mechanism, a power switch and a battery source wherein when said power switch is turned to an on state, power is delivered to said motor after a predetermined time delay has commenced to rotate said driver.

12. The buoy drilling anchoring system of claim 11, wherein said drill assembly is pre-positioned in a top portion of said vertically upright support frame and maintained in said top portion by a band member adapted to be severed when said driver rotates.

13. The buoy drilling anchoring system of claim 8, wherein said earth penetratable anchoring means is an auger or a screw-type anchor.

14. The method of anchoring an anchorable marker buoy assembly to mark a particular location underwater comprises the steps of:

(a) dropping overboard a buoy drilling anchoring system comprising an anchorable marker buoy assembly, said anchorable marker buoy assembly including a floatation buoy member, an earth penetratable means for anchoring and a support line coupled to said earth penetratable anchor means and said floatation buoy member;

a retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device detachable coupled to said anchorable marker buoy assembly and constructed and arranged to drive said earth penetratable anchoring means in earth'"'"'s surface underwater; and

, a quick disconnect coupler constructed and arranged to simultaneously detach retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device from said floatation buoy member and release said support line for upward floatation above water of said floatation buoy member to mark a predetermined location,

(b) activating a drill assembly of said retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device after a predetermined time delay;

(c) drilling and anchoring said earth penetratable anchor means into the earth'"'"'s surface;

(d) retrieving said retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device;

(e) simultaneously with the step (d), disconnecting said retrievable buoy anchoring drilling device from said anchorable marker buoy assembly via said a quick disconnect coupler; and

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(f) simultaneously with the step (d), automatically deploying said floatation buoy member to a top surface of water from underwater.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said earth penetratable anchoring means is an auger or a screw-type anchor.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said predetermined time delay is at least 30 seconds.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of (c) is performed for at least 2 minutes.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of (f) includes the step of automatically unwinding said support line and freely floating said floatation buoy member to said top surface of the water from underwater.