Marine pipelaying apparatus

摘要

A marine pipelaying apparatus for supporting pipeline during undersea pipelaying operations from a vessel floating on the surface of a body of water. The apparatus includes a tapering and longitudinally extending pipeline support member secured at one end to the vessel in a cantilevered manner and extending into the water. The pipeline support member includes a plurality of demountable sections decreasing in diameter and having sufficient buoyancy to float. The support member is designed to bend as it supports the pipeline being laid providing a desired profile without exceeding the elastic limit of the pipe. A hydraulic clamp for releasably clamping the pipeline support member is mounted on the vessel to secure the pipeline support member in a fixed relation to the vessel. A plurality of variable buoyancy floats and roller cradle mechanisms for buoyantly and slidably supporting a section of pipeline are attached above the pipeline support member. The apparatus can impart a stabilizing force to the pipeline and create a uniform stress distribution along the pipeline being laid which is within its elastic limit.