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:
Mar. 02, 2004
Filed:
Oct. 18, 2001
Miles A. Hobdy, Houston, TX (US);
L. Terry Boatman, Houston, TX (US);
FMC Technologies, Inc., Chicago, IL (US);
Abstract
An improved turret for a turret mooring arrangement characterized by the turret including an upper section and a lower section which are coupled together by a flex joint. The turret mooring arrangement also includes a turret insert tube with a lower section that is rotatably coupled to the vessel by a radial bearing assembly. The radial bearing assembly includes an outer member having an outer profile arranged and designed to cooperate with a complementary profile in the interior of the turret insert tube so that the outer member is turned by the turret insert tube when the vessel rotates about said turret, without fixed attachment of the outer member to the turret insert tube. Methods of installing a turret and lower bearing assembly within a turret insert tube of a vessel are also disclosed.