Pile release mechanism

Patent · Tue Mar 18 00:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5601477

Smetak, E C

This patent describes an apparatus, capable of releasing under load, for releasably connecting a pre-installed pile to a pile guide connected to an offshore platform and surrounding the upper end of the pile, the pile having an opening adjacent the upper end of the pile guide. The apparatus consists of a pile releasable latch mechanism supported in the pile including: latch support means mounted in the pile; latch support pins arranged on the latch support means; a pair of latches rotatable on the latch support pins from a latch position in which one end of each of the latches extends through the opening in the pile to latch onto the upper end of the pile guide to an unlatched position in which the latches are retracted to positions within the pile; a pile latch assembly connected to each of the other ends of the latches and supported on the latch support means capable of collapsing to move the latches from their extended latch positions to their retracted unlatched positions; a slide plate capable of moving downwardly from a first to a second position releasably retainable on the latch support means in the first position; and means on the slide plate capable of engaging the pile latch assembly cause the linkage means to collapse when the slide plate moves from its first to its second position.

• Assignee: Exxon Production Research Co., Houston, TX
• Patent Number(s): US 4576523
• OSTI ID: 5601477
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 25 Nov 1983
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
03 NATURAL GAS
42 ENGINEERING
OFFSHORE PLATFORMS
FOUNDATIONS
FASTENERS
FASTENING
NATURAL GAS WELLS
OIL WELLS
POSITIONING
ROTATION
SUPPORTS
FABRICATION
JOINING
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
MOTION
WELLS
020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production
030300 - Natural Gas- Drilling
Production
& Processing
420206 - Engineering- Mining & Drilling Equipment & Facilities- (1980-1989)
423000 - Engineering- Marine Engineering- (1980-)