Allseas Group S.a.

Jacobus Cornelis Wijsman

Robert Paul Hovinga

A method and apparatus for connecting two pieces of pipe having flanges when the pipe pieces are located deep under a water surface. A movable bolt wrench is provided which has a number of wrenches mounted in a frame corresponding to the bolt holes on the flanges of the pipe pieces. Bolts located in the bolt wrenches are aligned with the bolt holes of the flanges and inserted into the bolt holes. A nut wrench is also provided containing nuts which, when aligned, are threaded onto the ends of the bolts associated with the bolt wrench. After the bolt and nut connections are made, these bolts and nuts are tightened by the operation of the bolt and nut wrenches.

Method and apparatus for underwater connection of pipe pieces and bolt therefor

The invention relates to a method for assembling and disassembling an installation present on a seabed, for instance a pipeline lying on a seabed, wherein components, for instance pipe flanges, are mutually attached by means of nut and bolt connections and the nut and bolt connections are released and/or secured by means of a wrench. Nut and bolt connections are herein released by divers using a wrench. This is heavy and difficult work. It is impossible for divers to operate at considerable depth. Complicated and very costly pipeline connections are then applied which can be released and secured without divers. The invention has for its object to reduce the stated drawbacks of the known method. To this end at least one wrench is used, of which an engagement cup for engaging a nut and/or a bolt head in axial direction of a nut and bolt connection for manipulating is displaceable relative to a cup carrier counter to spring action.

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Rijnsburg, Netherlands

Jacobus Cornelis Wijsman