Tower with integrated winch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10995880-B2
Application number	US-201816484133-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2018
Priority date	Feb 16, 2017
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

A tower for a pipe laying system comprises a frame with a leg to support the frame, and a winch support integrally formed with the leg. The winch support is able to receive and support a winch and/or winch components. The winch support can be formed in a lower portion of the tower leg.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tower for a pipe laying system, the tower comprising:
a frame with a leg to support the frame, and
a winch support integrally formed with the leg, the winch support able to receive and support a winch and/or winch components, wherein the winch support comprises:
a winch housing extending at least partially into the leg for receiving part of a drum; and
a mount for supporting a winch shaft, the mount integrally formed with the leg but extending outside the general shape of the leg.

2. The tower of claim 1 , wherein the winch support further comprises:
one or more further mounts for supporting one or more further winch components.

3. The tower of claim 2 , wherein the one or more further mounts are configured for supporting one or more of: a further winch shaft, a motor, a gearbox, a drum, gearwheels, a cooling system, an electric system, and a protective cover.

4. The tower of claim 1 , and further comprising:
one or more localized stiffening parts at or near the winch support.

5. The tower of claim 4 , wherein the one or more localized stiffening parts comprises:
one or more flanges standing out from the tower.

6. The tower of claim 4 , wherein the one or more localized stiffening parts comprises one or more parts of a wall of the tower leg at or near the winch support which are thicker than other tower leg walls.

7. The tower of claim 1 , wherein the tower is steel.

8. The tower of claim 1 , wherein the tower is tower for a flexible, a rigid or a multi-lay pipe laying system.

9. The tower of claim 1 , wherein the winch support is formed in a portion of the leg.

10. The tower of claim 9 , wherein the winch support is formed in a lower portion of the leg.

11. The tower of claim 1 , wherein any force on the winch support directly transfers to the leg.

12. The tower of claim 1 , and further comprising:
a winch supported by the winch support and extending at least partially into the tower leg such that the tower leg forms at least part of a housing for the winch.

13. The tower of claim 1 , wherein the tower leg comprises a first side with a recess to receive at least part of the winch drum and the support to support the winch shaft.

14. A vessel comprising the tower of claim 1 .

15. The vessel of claim 14 , wherein the tower comprises two legs, and the winch support is formed in the leg on the port side.

16. A method of forming a tower comprising:
forming a tower with a leg; and
integrally forming a winch support in the leg such that a winch housing of the winch support extends at least partially into the leg for receiving part of a winch drum within the leg, the winch support further comprising a mount for supporting a winch shaft, the mount integrally formed with the leg but extending beyond the general shape of the leg.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of integrally forming a winch support in the leg comprises:
forming the leg with a recess to receive at least part of the winch drum.

18. The method of claim 17 , and further comprising:
forming the leg with one or more mounts to support one or more additional winch components.

Assignees

• Ihc Holland Ie Bv

Inventors

• Urwin Nigel John

Classifications

• B66D2700/0166

  Winches with multiple drums or with drums with multiple parts of different diameter · CPC title

• F16L1/202 Primary

  fixed on or to vessels · CPC title

• F16L1/207 Primary

  Pipe handling apparatus · CPC title

• B66D2700/0141

  Electrically actuated · CPC title

• B66D1/7405

  having two or more drums providing tractive force · CPC title