Did You Know...
...that Charles Goodyear performed some of his experiments on rubber while in debtor's prison? He was there so often he referred to it as his "hotel". Chronically in debt because of poor business sense and ill health, Goodyear depended on the generosity of friends and family. Even after he unlocked the secret to vulcanizing rubber, he was unable to improve his financial situation. When he died, his estate was $200,000 in debt.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7357687 | Marine propulsion steering system A marine propulsion steering apparatus includes a steering nozzle having a central opening therethrough which surrounds a marine propulsion drive shaft and propeller extending from a hull or propulsion module. The nozzle is pivotally mounted for angular movement in ... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7328578 | Integrated OTEC platform An integrated platform to house an ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) system that utilizes: (i) a cold water circuit consisting of a way of receiving and distributing the cold water from the cold water pipe (CWP) to vertical conduits housing the condensers into ... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7317260 | Wind flow estimation and tracking using tower dynamics A turbine control system for a variable speed electrical generator in a wind turbine mounted atop a support tower. The wind turbine converts wind energy into a driving torque applied to the generator. The control system includes a turbine support tower position sens... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7308863 | Offshore LNG regasification system and method A system and method for the offshore transfer of liquefied natural gas from an LNG tanker vessel to a moored or dynamically positioned regasification plant is disclosed. Once the state of the natural gas has been changed from liquid to gas or regasified, the natural... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7299760 | Floating LNG import terminal and method for docking A floating terminal for offloading an LNG carrier vessel in the sea. The floating terminal of open frame construction is moored toward its front end with a rotatable mooring arrangement so that the terminal may weathervane in response to environmental forces. Marine... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7293939 | Inclined leg floating production platform with a damper plate A floating moored oilfield production structure for deepwater application. An apparatus and a method for the construction and installation of floating oilfield production structures, wherein the deck structure is supported by multiple pairs of inclined buoyant legs ... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7293516 | Apparatus for reconfiguration of a variable-draft vessel A vertical translation mechanism for reconfiguring the hull form of a reconfigurable vessel having independently movably side hulls and a center hull is disclosed. The vertical translation mechanism includes a hydraulic-force actuator and a nonmetallic bearing. The ... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7287484 | Berthing method and system A method and a system are provided for the safe berthing of marine vessels in the high seas and other unprotected open waters. The invention allows a large vessel to be berthed alongside in close enough proximity to a marine structure so that conventional loading ar... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7281881 | Column-stabilized platform with water-entrapment plate An apparatus for use in offshore oil or gas production in which a plurality of vertical stabilizing columns are supported on a submerged horizontal water entrapment plate is provided to support minimum offshore oil and gas production facilities above a subsea wellhe... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7270071 | Deep draft semisubmersible movable offshore structure The present invention is a deep draft partially submersible and buoyant floating vessel comprised of at least three independent vertical columns. The columns have an upper column with an upper column diameter and a lower column integrally connected to the upper colu... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7241105 | Watercraft with vertically collapsible vertical axis wind turbine and propeller flexible drive shaft A vertically collapsible vertical axis wind turbine may be used on land, or on a watercraft (e.g. a multihull such as a catamaran). The turbine may include a substantially vertical shaft; at least two vane supports mounted by the shaft; and at least two vertically c... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7219615 | Extended semi-submersible vessel (ESEMI) A semi-submersible vessel has a pair of vertically spaced pontoons with varied buoyancy. The lower pontoon is retained in a close vertical proximity to the upper pontoon when the vessel is in transit. The lower pontoon is ballasted at the deployment site, dropping t... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7152547 | Seismic vessel having motion-stabilized helicopter landing platform A helipad motion compensation system for a vessel includes at least one controllable length actuator operatively coupled between the helipad and the vessel. The system also includes an attitude sensor disposed on at least one of the helipad and the vessel. The senso... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7146925 | Apparatus for varying vessel hull geometry and vessels made therewith An apparatus for varying the dimensions of a hull of a vessel comprising an arcuate truss assembly having a plurality of members pivotally joined. The arcuate truss assembly is operatively arranged to form a portion of the hull. The assembly is operatively arranged ... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7146918 | Wind-powered linear motion hydrogen production systems A system for generating hydrogen is provided which includes at least one vessel which floats in water. At least one sail for capturing wind to move the vessel reciprocally along a substantially linear path is mounted on the vessel. A power generation system is provi... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7140317 | Central pontoon semisubmersible floating platform A central pontoon semisubmersible floating platform for use in offshore applications has a hull configuration including vertical support columns, a central pontoon structure disposed inboard of the columns at a lower end thereof, and a deck structure supported at an... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7131388 | Lift boat An improved lift boat includes a hull, a plurality of legs (preferably three), a plurality of pads, one pad attached to each leg, and a jacking mechanism for moving each upward and downward. Recesses in the hull receive the pads when the lift boat is underway. Prefe... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7117810 | Platform structure The invention relates to a floating platform (1) for offshore drilling or production of hydrocarbons, comprising a topsides (2) and a substructure (3) having a lower pontoon (4) and columns (5) connecting the pontoon (4) to ... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7117811 | Anchor line pretensioning method An anchor line pretensioning method of an anchor line configuration that includes anchor lines (2, 3, 4) which are not diametrically opposed with respect to the structure that is moored to the seabed via the anchor lines. Two anchor lines (2, 3) on a f... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7101118 | Multi hull barge Disclosed is a vessel comprising at least two parallel hulls at a predetermined mutual distance. A deck structure is supported on the hulls. Fluid storage tanks are placed in the at least two hulls, at least partly below the deck structure. The deck structure carrie... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7097387 | Engineered material buoyancy system and device There is provided a buoyancy system for a structure having at least one component being substantially stationary with respect to the bottom of a water covered area. The system comprises a set of buoyancy modules of engineered materials to apply an identified amount ... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7086809 | Minimum floating offshore platform with water entrapment plate and method of installation An apparatus for use in offshore oil or gas production in which a plurality of vertical stabilizing columns are supported on a submerged horizontal water entrapment plate is provided to support minimum offshore oil and gas production facilities above a subsea wellhe... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7083004 | Cantilevered multi purpose tower and method for installing drilling equipment A drilling rig having a deck capable of being used offshore and a method for commissioning a well using the drilling rig and a method for decommissioning a well using the drilling rig, wherein the drilling rig comprises: a cantilever which is mounted so as to be mov... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7075189 | Offshore wind turbine with multiple wind rotors and floating system A wind energy conversion system optimized for offshore application. Each wind turbine includes a semi-submersible hull with ballast weight that is moveable to increase the system's stability. Each wind turbine has an array of rotors distributed on a tower to distrib... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7070468 | Multi-hull watercraft with amidships-mounted propellers An efficient double-ended watercraft is disclosed that comprises four low-Froude number hulls: two forward, two aft, two on the port side, and two on the starboard. Each hull comprises an independent engine that drives a propeller shaft and propeller that is located... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7037044 | Deck-to-column connection for extendable draft platform An extendable draft platform, having a deck and buoyancy columns installed in leg wells in the deck for vertical movement from a raised position to a submerged position, includes a connection arrangement for securing the columns to the deck when the columns are in t... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7033115 | Temporary floatation stabilization device and method A temporary stability module and method for marine structures during construction, transportation and installation is taught. The device and method permit the structure, including platforms, deck and equipment to be constructed in an upright position, towed to an oc... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7011472 | Semi-submersible offshore vessel A semi-submersible offshore vessel including a rectangular ring-pontoon having a first transverse pontoon section at a first end of the vessel and a parallel second transverse pontoon section at a second end of the vessel, and two parallel pontoon sections extending... | 03/14/2006 |
| 7008140 | Buoyant leg structure with added tubular members for supporting a deep water platform A deep water support platform, suitable for use as a hydrocarbon exploration or production facility in very deep waters of 10,000 ft or more is presented. The platform is attached to the floor of the ocean with a buoyant pile that includes buoyant members attached a... | 03/07/2006 |
| 7001108 | Mat supported offshore structure A bottom-supported jack-up rig has a hollow ring mat with a central opening for accommodating a lower portion of a hull nested therein when the rig is in transit. The ring mat has a predetermined surface footprint sufficient to provide stability to the rig when embe... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6997132 | Semi-submersible offshore vessel and methods for positioning operation modules on said vessel A semi-submersible offshore vessel has a substantially ring-shaped lower pontoon, starboard and port forward columns extending upwards from the lower pontoon, and starboard and port aft columns extending upwards from the lower pontoon. An upper deck structure connec... | 02/14/2006 |
| 6935810 | Semi-submersible multicolumn floating offshore platform A semi-submersible, multicolumn, deep draft, floating offshore oil and gas drilling and production platform comprises a floating hull having an adjustably buoyant base, a plurality of columns vertically upstanding from the base, and an equipment deck that is support... | 08/30/2005 |
| 6932326 | Method for lifting and transporting a heavy load using a fly-jib The invention is a method for lifting and transporting a heavy load by using a heavy lift vessel with at least two heavy lift cranes adapted to operate simultaneously; mounting fly-jibs on the heavy lift crane to increase reach and height of the heavy lift crane; pi... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6932542 | Tension leg platform having a lateral mooring system and methods for using and installing same A lateral mooring system for tendon-based platforms is disclosed, which provides reduced installation and/or operational cost associated with the installation and operation of an extended-base tension leg platform. The lateral mooring system includes a plurality of ... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6926097 | Jack up workover rig with removable workover floor unit An offshore jack-up workover rig. The workover rig includes a vessel which may be self powered or powered by a tug. The vessel may be raised above the surface of a water body by extending the legs until they reach the water body bed and then continuing to extend the... | 08/09/2005 |
| 6912965 | Semisubmersible trimaran A semisubmersible trimaran for use in an afloat sea base is disclosed. The trimaran has an upper deck structure 12 supported on a longitudinal center hull 26 and column-stabilized, longitudinal outrigger pontoons 28. The center hull 26 an... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6910438 | Oscillation suppression and control system for a floating platform In accordance with the present invention, an oscillation suppression system is provided to inhibit vertical and rotational resonance of a floating platform. The oscillation suppression system includes energy absorption chambers mounted in or about the hull of the fl... | 06/28/2005 |
| 6901876 | Methods and apparatus for hull attachment for submersible vehicles Methods and apparatus for hull attachment for submersible vehicles are disclosed. In one embodiment, a submersible apparatus includes a hull having an elongated channel, a sliding member moveably disposed in the channel, and a mounting assembly attached to the slidi... | 06/07/2005 |
| 6901877 | Foam block replacement barge A barge for replacing foam blocks that support floating docks. The barge is provided with a float sinker that removably attaches to the barge via a boom. The float sinker can be moved from side to side via the boom and can be rotated. The float sinker has clamp arms... | 06/07/2005 |
| 6899492 | Jacket frame floating structures with buoyancy capsules Jacket frame floating structures comprise one or more elongate vertical support columns formed of an open cross-braced jacket formwork of tubular members interconnected together and at least one cylindrical buoyancy capsule disposed in the open framework near an upp... | 05/31/2005 |
