The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 15, 1980
Filed:
Apr. 28, 1978
Cecil T Keller, Arlington, TX (US);
Robert J von Bose, Arlington, TX (US);
Oil States Rubber Company, Arlington, TX (US);
Abstract
An improved flange connector construction for remote actuation to connect flanges on prefabricated sections of an offshore drilling platform support structure. A flange on the end of a first prefabricated section has a downwardly extending annular skirt which supports a plurality of clamp dogs spaced about the inner circumference of the skirt. Each clamp dog is moveable in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the annular skirt and is rotatable between a first retracted position generally tangent to the skirt and a second extended position generally radial of the skirt. The first prefabricated section is moveable to telescopically receive a flange on a second prefabricated section in the annular skirt on the first prefabricated section. After the flange on the second prefabricated section is positioned inside the skirt on the first prefabricated section, the dogs are remotely actuatable by a drive motor secured to the first prefabricated section and connected in driving relation with a ring gear which is drivingly connected to rotate externally threaded drive shafts through torque limiting clutches. Each of the clamp dogs is secured to one of the drive shafts such that the clamp dogs are individually tightened to a predetermined torque to clampingly secure the flange on the second prefabricated section to the end of the first prefabricated section. A plurality of female flange connectors are secured to one end of the main legs of the first prefabricated section and adapted to engage a plurality of male flanges secured on the ends of mating main legs in the second prefabricated section.