Corrosion-and-chafing-resistant, mooring system and method

Abstract

A mooring system provides an anchor, imbedded in a sea floor from which arises a line to a mid-line float resisting entanglement by operation of a “worm grip” providing a tortuous path without exceeding permissible working loads nor reducing the tension capacity of the line. A slack region accommodates changing tides, before entering into an upright tube weighted at a lower end and flanged at an upper end thereof to secure a buoy in place. The embedded anchor is driven into the sea bed by hydraulic water jet drilling. From a thimble in the anchor to a thimble in the upright at the buoy, no intervening metal components are needed in the load path. Markings are durably and protectively embedded in recesses below the buoy's outer surface.

Description

BACKGROUND[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]This invention relates to mooring systems and, more particularly, to novel systems and methods for mooring vessels, devices, and structures to minimize corrosion, chafing, and their combination.[0003]2. Background Art[0004]Water, whether the salty substance common to the oceans of the world, and their associated tidal rivers and ponds, or fresh water, has a corrosive effect on metals. Moreover, metal apparatus, such as chains, clevis links, cables, thimbles (hondos), loops, rebar, anchors, brackets, and the like have often been used in linkages in tethers between a vessel, such as a ship, boat, barge, or the like and an anchor under water. Likewise, pipelines, buoys for both marking of shorelines, segregated regions, mooring locations, navigation messages, or the like must be moored on the bottom of lakes, rivers, oceans, bays, and so forth.[0005]It is well established that water environments attack metals by several mechanisms includin...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes an anchor system that can be used to secure structures to the sea floor. The system includes a box or crossbar that is first inserted into the substrate and then rotated to penetrate the adjacent region of the substrate material, providing strength. The drill bore in the sea bed can be formed at a slight angle to increase the force on the anchor system. The process of setting the anchor is assisted by the tendency of the line to cut back on one side of the bore in seeking a direct line between the anchor system and the winch applying upward force. Overall, this anchor system can provide a secure and safe solution for sea floor structures.

Problems solved by technology

Cathodic coatings such as paint, rubber dipping, and so forth are subject to damage, pin hole penetrations, and the like which, may ravage underlying metallic components once the cathodic coating is breached.

Thus, with the passage of time, motion moves submerged metal components about, causing corrosion to increase by chafing off outer layers, thereby exposing lower layers of the base metal and increasing the speed of corrosion.

The effort imposed by bodies of water on owners of metal submerged therein is enormous.

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