Device of mooring with only one buoy of dead-man, for the loading or the unloading of the ships.

AS AFRICAN INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY AND THE MALAGASY PATENT

P. 887

in Yaounde (Cameroon) International Patent Classification: 63 № 03107 b.

O P R-I'm A>^ V command 31 July 1969 to 8 hr 30 min. to IO.A.M.P.I. (G.P. no. 53,692) by

the company said: International Research on interface shell MAATSCHAPPIJ v. residing to the Netherlands

Delivers 15 December 1970

Published at no. 5 of 1970 official ballot

Priority: Patent application deposited in the UK under the only 37 053/68 2 August 1968 at

name of the applicant.

Mooring device to a single buoy mooring, for loading or * déchargemeht ships.

The present invention relates to a mooring device to a single buoy mooring for loading or unloading ships, particularly oil tankers.

There are already known mooring arrangements to a 5 single buoy mooring, which are used to populate a TiN fluid in a vessel such as a tanker or discharging a fluid, for example because patents no. 877,451 Thermal, no. 1.031.492, no. 1.017.894 and no. 1.039.749, which are deposited on behalf of the applicant.

These mooring buoys simply already known, which are used industrially, are equipped with flexible fluid lines that float in the water to permit the ship to establish communication between its tanks and the buoy for the loading or unloading of the fluid.

This floating flexible pipe may be damaged very easily and it is very expensive and it is therefore desirable to find means which can elongate as much as possible its useful service life, mainly in the present application and claims, preferred are the term "fluid" to designate both a gas and a liquid or a mixture of gas and liquid.

The invention relates to a device comprising a single buoy mooring which has a number of features has the effect of reducing the stresses that floating on the flexible conduit, and reduces the risk of wear and tear of this line.

The docking device to a single buoy mooring according to the invention includes a buoy having herself a portion rotatably mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, this part being equipped with means for docking a ship, the buoy being anchored at the bottom of a water body, a pipe loading or unloading fluid connected to the buoy, a fluid line attached to the rotating portion, a connector for connecting the pipe loading or unloading to the fluid line attached to the rotating part, this. coupling for rotation about a vertical axis, a flexible fluid line floating in water and which is connected at one of its ends, by means of an elbow and a tournanti fitting, to the fluid line attached to the rotating portion, the swivel connection allowing rotation about a vertical axis, the part of the bend adjacent the flexible pipe quiést floating being inclined with respect to the water surface, the floating part of the flexible pipe which is adjacent to elbow with buoyancy ' such that it floats below the surface of the water while the rest of the flexible pipe in a floating buoyancy such that it floats on the water surface.

The description which will follow, reference to the accompanying drawings, given mainly as examples, will better understand how the invention may be practiced. On these drawings,

figure 1 is a plan view of the tethering device to a single buoy according to the invention;

figure 2 is a side view of the same mooring device;

figure 5 is a schematic view in plan of the tethering device to a single buoy according to the invention, showing two different positions floating hoses;

figure 4 schematically depicts a side view of the docking device to a single buoy shown in Figure J..

A hollow cylindrical floating body 1 is provided with a ring gear 2 which carries means for clamping the cable (not shown) anchor, the elements 1 and 2 together form a buoy which can be anchored in a body of water where desired. On the upper face of the body 1, rotatably mounts a part 5 which is rotatable about a vertical axis. As well as has been illustrated in the drawing, the rotating part 3 is in the form of a turntable.

The rotating part 3 is provided with means 4, e.g. of bollards or equivalent devices which are securable cables or chains of mooring a.

A pipe loading or unloading fluid 5 is connected to the buoy, this line leading to a reservoir (not shown) for example to a tank on shore. On the rotating part 3 are fixed a fluid line 6 and a fluid line 6'. The conduit 6 and the conduit 6' are in communication with the loading or discharge line 5 via a connector 7 * 7 the connector is constructed to allow rotation around a vertical axis. The lines 6 and 6 'respectively contain valves 8 and 8'. The lower end of each of the conduits 6 and 6 'respectively is provided with a swivel fitting 9 or 9' j which connects an elbow 10 or 10 'to the conduit 6 or 6' so that each elbow * 10 or 10 may be rotated about a vertical axis.

The lower portion 11 or 11 'elbow 10ou 10' is inclined relative to the surface 12 of the water. In the drawings, the longitudinal axis of the portion 11 or 11' forms an angle with the surface 12 30° water.

The flexible pipe floating 13 or 13 'includes a number of hose sections 14, 15 "16, 17" 18 or 14', 15 ', 16', 17 ', 18' that are interconnected in the usual way by metal flanges 19 or 19 'respectively, the sections are provided with a number of annular floats 20 or 20' respectively, which surround the pipes. These floats may advantageously be made of annular plastic foam.

The section 14 or 14 'is connected by the flange 21 or 21' respectively to the part 11 or 11' respectively. The number of the floats 14 and 15 or sections 14 'and 15' respectively is selected such that the buoyancy of said segments, when they are filled with the fluid which is pumped by these sections, is less than the buoyancy of the remainder of the flexible pipe floating 15 when filled with the fluid to be pumped, such that, in normal use, the sections 14, 15 and 14 ', 15' float below the surface 12 of the water while the remainder of the pipe 15 or 15 '(it is to say, in the drawings, the sections 16, 17 and 18 for one, 16', 17 'and 18' for the other) 12 floats on the surface of the water. And that it has been clearly shown in the drawings, the floating part of the flexible pipe, which is represented by the sections 14 and 15 or by the sections 14 'and 15', is slightly curved at rest.

As can be seen in the drawings, the portion of the section 14 which is adjacent to elbow 10 has a wall thickness that decreases gradually so as to avoid that the pipe bends sharp just beyond the steel connector which is incorporated in the rotary joint.

The manner of use of the tethering device to a single umbrella according to the invention is the same as that of devices to a single buoy mooring already known, which have been mentioned above, so that it is not necessary to give an explanation.

The particular characteristics have the advantage of considerably extending the usable life, compared to previously known devices. In this regard, it would draw attention to the fact that, under the action of waves, there is normally a floating movement of the flexible pipe 13 or 13' 1 with respect to the buoy, and vice versa. EO relative movement tends to damage the portion of the conduit 13 or 13' where it is secured to the buoy. In the embodiment according to the invention, thanks to the presence of the curved portion of the conduit 13 or stream aunt 13 ', the elbow 10 or 10' and the swivel fitting 9 or 9' are capable of moving vertically is based on a bottom and, at the same time boriantale laterally in one direction, as shown in Figures 3 and 4 ·. On these drawings - 3 and 4, is shown in continuous lines the initial position of the flexible pipe or floating 13 or 13 'while the position of the flexible pipe floating 13 or 13' after said relative displacement is shown dashed.

When the device comprises two flexible pipes floating, as in the case of the embodiment shown, it is desirable to ensure that the flexible lines floating does move laterally in opposite horizontal directions, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. This can be achieved by constructing each elbow 10 or 10 'so that its flange 21 or 21' which is adjacent to the floating flexible pipe 13 or 13' is arranged somewhat eccentrically, as shown in Figures 1 and 3 * this has the effect that the flexible lines floating move outwardly and, therefore away from each other, so that they do not bind up between them.