Quotables
"Inventing is a combination of brains and materials. The more brains you use, the less material you need."
Charles Kettering
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7645093 | Articulating band saw and method An articulating band saw apparatus provides a frame that includes a vertically extending section having upper and lower end portions. An elevator moves between the upper and lower end portions of the frame. A first hydraulic actuator is supported on the elevator for... | 01/12/2010 |
| 7621697 | Abandonment and recovery system and method, and cable connector A system for abandonment or recovery of a load, e.g., a pipeline or sub-sea structure, includes: at least two cables, each with a length adapted for a certain water depth and with a first end and a second end; a winch system for the at least two cables, the first en... | 11/24/2009 |
| 7507055 | Apparatus and method for laying down, abandoning, and recovering a pipe on the sea floor Disclosed are a method and apparatus for laying down, abandoning and/or recovering a pipe on the sea floor. During lay-down and abandonment, the pipe is lowered by a high capacity winch to an intermediate depth, at which the loading exerted by the pipe has dropped t... | 03/24/2009 |
| 7281880 | Subsea vehicle assisted pipeline commissioning method The present invention is directed to a method for completing the commissioning of a subsea pipeline by purging with a compressed gas to dewater and dry the line wherein the operation is done on the seabed. More specifically, the method is carried out with a subsea v... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7210503 | Method and device for increasing safety during pipelaying A method and device for preventing water from penetrating into the rising part/intermediate section (12) of a pipe (6) when laying the pipe (6) on or near the seabed (8) by means of a pipelay vessel (1), and where a plug (22... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7182550 | Abandonment and recovery head apparatus An abandonment and recovery head apparatus comprises a head member. A lift member is moveably coupled to the head member. A retaining device is operable to hold the lift member in an accessible position. ... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7112009 | Apparatus and method for horizontal subsea connection An apparatus for substantially horizontal connection of a conduit to a subsea structure: A frame connectable to and supportable by the subsea structure, the frame has a docking device operable to allow a horizontal connection device, including one of a remotely oper... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7104728 | Method for deploying seafloor equipment A method for deploying and retrieving seafloor equipment modules is disclosed. A conveyor has a fixed end and a free end. The conveyor is deployed into a body of water until the free end reaches, or is proximate to, the seafloor. The conveyor is dragged through the ... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7101116 | Cable or pipe retrieval and burial apparatus and methods An apparatus for retrieving a cable or pipe buried under water in bed material comprises a shank (2) having a first surface and a fluke member (5) having a second surface. When the apparatus is towed in a towing direction, the fluke member (5) a... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7086807 | Subsea connection apparatus Apparatus for connecting a conduit to a subsea structure includes a frame connectable to the subsea structure by a docking mechanism, a conduit handling mechanism on the frame to facilitate positioning of the conduit for attachment to the subsea structure and a seco... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7044228 | Flowline jumper for subsea well A subsea well system has a flowline jumper that extends between components on the sea floor. The jumper has connectors on each end for connecting to the two components and has a curved portion. At least a portion of the jumper is buoyant to cause it to assume a vert... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7036599 | Method and apparatus for cutting underwater structures A method for the cutting of underwater structures below the level of the sea bottom on which they are installed, comprises determining an ideal plane of cutting, having considered the characteristic features of the structure i.e. its morphology and its positioning o... | 05/02/2006 |
| 6752569 | Underwater tool To obviate the need for hydraulic lines, from the surface, external water pressure is used to compress a seal member and form a seal with a surrounding pip. Valve is opened at depth to allow water to act on a piston, moving it within a chamber so as to compress the ... | 06/22/2004 |
| 6729802 | System and method for abandoning and recovering pipeline A method of abandoning a pipeline (2) being laid by a vessel having an A/R system, wherein a sealine (2, 11, 13) is initially held by a pipe laying and tensioning arrangement. The method includes a step of reducing tension at sea level of the sealine (... | 05/04/2004 |
| 6402428 | Pipeline recovery tool A pipeline recovery tool is made from steel plates welded together instead of forging and machining. The rigged-up tool is lowered over the pipeline and engaged with the pipeline such that a fixed claw engages the collar on the pipeline. An ROV is used to... | 06/11/2002 |
| 6290432 | Diverless subsea hot tap system A diverless process of tapping a pressurized subsea pipeline without removing the pipeline from service. The process includes the steps of lowering and landing a measurement tool onto the pipeline in order to check ovality and straightness of the pipeline... | 09/18/2001 |
| 6290431 | Diverless subsea hot tap system with lateral pipe tie-in A diverless process of tapping a pressurized subsea pipeline without removing the pipeline from service. The process includes the steps of lowering and landing a measurement tool onto the pipeline in order to check ovality and straightness of the pipeline... | 09/18/2001 |
| 5934832 | Pipeline recovery apparatus A pipeline recovery apparatus which automatically locks onto the exterior surface of a remote and/or subsea pipeline by allowing contact of interlocking pivoted bowl half sections in a downwardly depending position to rotate the bowl sections to an engagi... | 08/10/1999 |
| 5919003 | Marine pipeline recovery system and method of recovering marine pipeline A pipeline recovery system (10) is disclosed having a recovery vessel (11) with an upper deck (12) and a pivotal pipeline ramp (13) mounted to the bow of the vessel. The system also includes a pipeline support bed (22) having a middle portion (23), two gr... | 07/06/1999 |
| 5902072 | Modular seismic cable handling system with knockdown container A modular seismic cable handling system contained in a knockdown intermodal freight container, the freight container configured for secure containment and shipment of the system, as well as being configured to open to a platform designed to engage the mai... | 05/11/1999 |
| 5890841 | Subsea cable installation The present invention relates to a method and means for transferring a construction--consisting of an elongated article (2,21) provided with at least one termination (3,20,40)--between a vertical position and a horizontal position and vice versa. Handling... | 04/06/1999 |
| 5655753 | Ocean bottom cable handling system and method of using same A marine seismic cable deployment and retrieval system for utilization in conjunction with a marine vessel. The present, searched for invention teaches a large wheel mounted in the front of the vessel for retrieving seismic cable from the water, and a hor... | 08/12/1997 |
| 5624207 | Ocean bottom cable handling system and method of using same A marine seismic cable deployment and retrieval system for utilization in conjunction with a marine vessel. The present, searched for invention teaches a large wheel mounted in the front of the vessel for retrieving seismic cable from the water, and a hor... | 04/29/1997 |
| 5601383 | Excavation method and apparatus for accessing underground pipes of pipelines for gas, oil, and the like for maintenance and/or restoration A method consisting in forming a preliminary excavation along the pipe and in then digging, starting from the bottom of the preliminary excavation, two lateral trenches that are adjacent to the sides of the pipe, converge downwardly, and go deeper than th... | 02/11/1997 |
| 5580187 | Apparatus for laying and/or retrieving elongate flexible elements Apparatus for laying and/or retrieving elongate flexible elements, such as pipes and cables having accessories at spaced intervals, is mounted on a floating vessel such as a barge an comprises two self powered conveyors pivotally connected together throug... | 12/03/1996 |
| 5437517 | Method for automatically repairing underwater pipelines, particularly suitable for great depths, and the relative apparatus A method, using a crane-equipped depot ship, for automatically repairing an underwater pipeline even if installed at great depth, comprising substantially the following steps: cutting off the damaged pipe piece by a single working module which, lowered on... | 08/01/1995 |
| 5318384 | Device for depositing and recovering a heavy load on the ocean floor A device for depositing and recovering a heavy load on the ocean floor including a first part which can be attached mechanically to a handling and recovery cable and a second part which can be attached mechanically to the load to be deposited. The second ... | 06/07/1994 |
| 5199659 | Seismic cable retrieval apparatus and method A marine cable retrieval apparatus for retrieving marine seismic cable on board a ship which reduces longitudinal tension force on the cable at the cable storage reel when the cable storage reel (drum) is winding up the cable. Marine cable is subject to a... | 04/06/1993 |
| 5188483 | Subsea pipeline recovery clamp A clamp is disclosed which is capable of latching on to a buckle arrestor on a subsea pipeline which has been severed in the vicinity of the buckle arrestor. By severing the pipe in this location and utilizing the buckle arrestor to latch the clamp on to ... | 02/23/1993 |
| 5181798 | Double pipe turntable and stinger A pipelay apparatus and method comprising a steel turntable and a stinger pipe guide which can be supported on the construction deck of a repair vessel or drill ship are provided. The turntable is framed so that loads from two hanging pipes can be securel... | 01/26/1993 |
| 5044827 | Method for recovering wet buckled pipe A method for severing and recovering a submerged pipeline is disclosed. The severing and recovering operation may be performed with divers or with a remotely operated vehicle. The deflated lift bag is lowered to the submerged pipeline. The deflated lift b... | 09/03/1991 |
| 5011333 | Underwater pipe laying apparatus Vessel carried apparatus for laying a continuous metal pipe on the bottom of a body of water comprising a pipe overbending structure mounted on the end of a vessel and having a 90 degree arcuate peripheral configuration in a vertical plane extending from ... | 04/30/1991 |
| 4909670 | Submarine pipeline span correction by local axial tension release A method of locally supplying slack to an axially tensioned length of pipeline spanning unsupported across an undulating seabed. During pipeline deployment, the pipeline is fitted with two weighted masses that will be positioned on either side of the undu... | 03/20/1990 |
| 4676540 | Articulated cable clamp for electric cable raising and laying A clamp for gripping an electrical cable for the purpose of raising the cable from, or for lowering it into, the water. The clamp comprises a plurality of clamping units which are disposed in series in the direction of the length of the cable and which ar... | 06/30/1987 |
| 4498811 | Underwater pipeline sealing apparatus Apparatus for preventing flow of water from a first underwater pipeline portion forward of the apparatus to a second underwater pipeline portion rearward of the apparatus. At least one wedge-shaped member is mounted on a carriage of the apparatus for grip... | 02/12/1985 |
| 4493590 | Method and apparatus for on surface joining of submarine pipeline segments using an eccentric hinge An eccentric hinge is provided for laying submarine pipelines which facilitates joining long segments of the pipeline by raising adjacent ends of the segments, attaching the hinge thereto, and lowering the segments and hinge to the sea-floor while remotel... | 01/15/1985 |
| 4448569 | Lift sling emplacement device An apparatus is disclosed which is employable by a remotely controlled unwater work system to emplace a lift sling beneath an object resting on mud, sand or the like. The apparatus includes a hollow tube and a guide having rollers through which the tube ... | 05/15/1984 |
| 4445804 | Method and apparatus for remote recovery of submerged pipelines A method and apparatus for the remote recovery of submerged pipelines is disclosed. The operations are entirely controlled by an operator located on a lay barge or other floating vessel. A buoy and cables are manipulated from the lay barge to deploy equip... | 05/01/1984 |
| 4444528 | Method and apparatus for recovering submerged pipeline Apparatus for and a method of recovering a submerged pipeline is provided with such apparatus and method being particularly useful with pipelines laid on the bottom of a deep body of water. The apparatus includes support means haivng clamping means thereo... | 04/24/1984 |
| 4332510 | Method and apparatus for recovering a length of an elongated body, submerged in water Method and apparatus for recovering a length of an electric cable from great depths of water in which a first device with a buoyancy tank and cable gripping jaws is lowered into the water and guided into position over the cable by an operator controlled s... | 06/01/1982 |
