This Application is the U.S. National Phase of International Application Number PCT/BR2012/000109 filed on Apr. 19, 2012, which claims priority to Brazilian Patent Application Number PI1101479-2 filed on Apr. 19, 2011.
The present invention relates to cargo transfer operations between two cargo handling systems. In particular, the present invention relates to a pivotable triple-connection device that permits the connection of ends of two cargo-handling systems and connection of the cargo to be transported, whose size is adjustable in relation to the connections performed.
Various cargo transfer maneuvers make use of two independent cargo handling systems. One of these maneuvers, known in practice as “pull in”, performs the transfer of a pipe between a ship and a stationary production unit, such as a platform. In this type of maneuver, it is necessary to per-form the connection of three ends, namely the end of the pipe, the end (cabie, for example) of the ship's cargo-handling system and the end (also a cable, for example) of the platform's cargo-handling system. The cargo-handling system can be a tower crane, auto crane or any other related equipment.
A device known in prior art capable of performing this triple connection is the so-called triplate (
In the process of transfer and installation of a pipe on a platform, the ship issues a messenger cable (not drawn) aboard the platform. The end of the platform's cargo-handling system is then connected to the messenger cable and returned to the ship. With the cable of the platform's cargo-handling system aboard the ship, the assembly of the triplate is performed, joining the cables of the ship's and the platform's respective cargo-handling systems, and the end of the pipe to be transferred.
In some situations, the pipe to be transferred must pass through a tube on the platform. It is through this tube, known in practice as an I-tube, that the platform receives all arriving pipes. In such cases, the cable of the platform cargo-handling system 7 first passes inside this tube before being transferred to the vessel. During the transfer operation, and as the pipe is aligned with the I-tube, the cable of the ship's cargo-handling system 8 is disconnected from the triplate for passage of the whole through the I-tube.
The above example demonstrates that, in any cargo transfer operation between two cargo-handling systems, where there will be passage through structures of reduced dimensions, the large size of the triplate is a serious problem. In the example above, it is not rare to have a situation where the triplate becomes lodged inside the I-tube 10, generating excessive load on the platform cargo-handling system and possible damage to the I-tube, as well as the interruption of the operation.
There is therefore need for a smaller and more efficient device efficient for use in this type of operation.
The objective of the present invention is to solve the technical problem identified above.
Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to provide a device enabling the realization of a triple connection whose size is adjustable according to the number of connections made.
In order to achieve the objectives above, the device of the present invention comprises essentially two pivoting elements capable of alignment in relation to the same axis, and equipped with holes for establishment of connections. Through this configuration, one of the elements is simply pivoted when a triple connection is performed, returning to its initial position so that its respective connection is disconnected. Thus, in contrast to the triplate, which is a solid piece, the device of the present invention has a smaller dimension via the disconnection of one of its connections.
The above and other additional advantages, as well as the constitution of the device of the present invention will become clearer to those skilled in the art from the following description and accompanying drawings, of which:
The following description is based on a preferred embodiment of the invention. As will be clear to anyone skilled in the art, however, the invention is not limited to this particular embodiment. Furthermore, despite the contextualization of the invention being made on the transfer of pipes in the offshore environment, it should be understood that its application is suited to any type of cargo transfer operation, regardless of location or the cargo to be transferred.
As can be seen in
Although the above embodiment features the presence of a shackle at the junction of elements 12 and 13 and in the creation of a pivot point for the same, elements 12 and 13 can, alternatively, be initially fixed in place by a hollow shaft that traverses the upper holes of both. In this case, the shackle or any other equivalent connection element, would traverse the interior of the hollow shaft. Likewise, the point of pivotal fixation of element 12 in element 13 can be in a position other than the upper hole of element 13. Element 12 may, for example, be attached to element 13 on an axis positioned on the intermediary part of the latter. In this case, the presence of only holes would be required in element 13, with element 12 comprising a single hole.
Also by way of an alternative, elements 12 and 13 could have an adjacent configuration where, instead of an element receiving the other in its interior, both would be adjacent pivoting elements. This configuration, in particular, eliminates any restriction on size of the elements 12 and 13 and allows elements 12 and 13 to be solid elements.
The use of the pivotable triple-connection device 11 of the present invention does not in any way alter the performance of the cargo transfer operation. It presents a substitute for the triplate. The connection of the device of the present invention is done in the same manner as can be seen in
All the above description was based on the premise of the use of shackles on the connections. These are used in practice for safety reasons. However, nothing would prevent the direct connection of the ends of the cargo-handling systems and the cargo to be transported into the holes of the triple-connection device, as necessary.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1101479 | Apr 2011 | BR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/BR2012/000109 | 4/19/2012 | WO | 00 | 1/7/2014 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2012/142686 | 10/26/2012 | WO | A |
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297 09 868 | Aug 1997 | DE |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20140125074 A1 | May 2014 | US |