Pipeline buoyancy control assembly and tie-down attachment member therefor
First Claim
1. A pipeline buoyancy control assembly, comprising:
- (a) a pair of anchoring devices positionable at opposite lateral sides of a pipeline and securable to portions of ground beneath the pipeline; and
(b) a strap having an endless loop configuration and including a pair of spaced apart opposite portions adapted to be coupled to said anchoring devices and a pair of main portions extending between and interconnecting said opposite portions and adapted to extend transversely to the pipeline over a top and downwardly past the opposite lateral sides of the pipeline to said opposite portions of said endless strap,each of said anchoring devices including a tie-down attachment member adapted to receive and retain said endless strap at one of said opposite portions thereof, each of said tie-down attachment members includinga tubular mounting body having a longitudinal axis and an axial passageway extending therealong; and
a retainer body attached to said tubular mounting body and extending substantially about and in an oblique relation to said longitudinal axis of said tubular mounting body and defining an annular shoulder extending substantially around said longitudinal axis of said tubular mounting body said opposite portions of said endless strap being retained below said respective annular shoulders and passing around said tubular mounting body so as to retain said main portions of said endless strap in place laid over the top of the pipeline such that an upward buoyancy load of the pipeline is distributed about said tubular bodies of said tie-down attachment members so as to disperse any concentration of stress applied to said respective anchoring devices via said endless strap from the pipeline.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pipeline buoyancy control assembly includes a pair of anchor rods, a pair of tie-down attachment members, a pair of termination members, and a flexible endless strap having an endless loop configuration. The anchor rods are driven partially into the ground along opposite lateral sides of the pipeline. The tie-down attachment members are disposed on and mounted to upper end portions of the anchor rods with each tie-down attachment member having a tubular mounting body defining an axial passageway through which the upper end portion of one anchor rod extends and a retainer body disposed in an oblique relation and attached to the tubular mounting body. Each termination member is mounted to the upper end portion of one of the anchor rods. The endless strap has opposite portions secured to the tie-down attachment members and main portions laid over a top of and disposed in a substantially transverse relation to the pipeline and extending between and attached to the opposite portions. The retainer body of each tie-down attachment member defines an annular shoulder that overlies and encompasses one of the opposite portions of the endless strap so as to retain the endless strap in place over the top of the pipeline such that a buoyancy load of the pipeline is spread over the anchor rods and thereby reduces stress applied to the anchor rods.
21 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A pipeline buoyancy control assembly, comprising:
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(a) a pair of anchoring devices positionable at opposite lateral sides of a pipeline and securable to portions of ground beneath the pipeline; and (b) a strap having an endless loop configuration and including a pair of spaced apart opposite portions adapted to be coupled to said anchoring devices and a pair of main portions extending between and interconnecting said opposite portions and adapted to extend transversely to the pipeline over a top and downwardly past the opposite lateral sides of the pipeline to said opposite portions of said endless strap, each of said anchoring devices including a tie-down attachment member adapted to receive and retain said endless strap at one of said opposite portions thereof, each of said tie-down attachment members including a tubular mounting body having a longitudinal axis and an axial passageway extending therealong; and a retainer body attached to said tubular mounting body and extending substantially about and in an oblique relation to said longitudinal axis of said tubular mounting body and defining an annular shoulder extending substantially around said longitudinal axis of said tubular mounting body said opposite portions of said endless strap being retained below said respective annular shoulders and passing around said tubular mounting body so as to retain said main portions of said endless strap in place laid over the top of the pipeline such that an upward buoyancy load of the pipeline is distributed about said tubular bodies of said tie-down attachment members so as to disperse any concentration of stress applied to said respective anchoring devices via said endless strap from the pipeline. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A pipeline buoyancy control assembly, comprising:
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(a) a pair of anchoring devices positionable at opposite lateral sides of a pipeline and securable to portions of ground beneath the pipeline; and (b) a strap having an endless loop configuration and including a pair of spaced apart opposite portions adapted to be coupled to said anchoring devices and a pair of main portions extending between and interconnecting said opposite portions and adapted to extend transversely to the pipeline over a top and downwardly past the opposite lateral sides of the pipeline to said opposite portions of said endless strap, said endless strap being flexible.
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10. A pipeline buoyancy control assembly, comprising:
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(a) a pair of anchoring devices positionable at opposite lateral sides of a pipeline and securable to portions of ground beneath the pipeline, each of said anchoring devices including (i) an anchor rod having opposite upper and lower end portions, said lower end portion being adapted to be driven into one of the ground portions, and (ii) a tie-down attachment member disposed on and mounted to said upper end portion of said anchor rod, said tie-down attachment member including a tubular mounting body having a longitudinal axis and an axial passageway extending therealong and a retainer body attached to said tubular mounting body and extending substantially about and in an oblique relation to said longitudinal axis of said tubular mounting body and defining an annular shoulder extending substantially around said longitudinal axis of said tubular mounting body, said upper end portion of said anchor rod extending through said axial passage of said tubular mounting body for mounting said tubular mounting body of said respective tie-down attachment member to and concentrically about said anchor rod; and (b) a flexible strap having opposite portions coupled to said tie-down attachment members of said anchoring devices by passing below said respective annular shoulders of said retainer bodies and around said tubular mounting bodies as to retain said flexible strap in place extending transversely of the pipeline over a top and downwardly past the opposite lateral sides of the pipeline such that an upward buoyancy load of the pipeline is distributed about said tubular mounting bodies of said tie-down attachment members so as to efficiently transfer stress and disperse any concentration of stress applied to said respective anchoring devices via said flexible strap from the pipeline. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification