Patent ID: 9409633
Filing Date: 2016-08-09
CPC Classification: B63B,F16L

Claim Text:
1. A vessel for laying a pipeline, the vessel comprising: a plurality of workstations disposed along a pipelaying path that includes an upstream portion away from a first end of the vessel wherein the plurality of workstations includes welding stations disposed along the pipelaying path for welding further lengths of pipeline to a pipeline being laid along the pipelaying path, and a plurality of ramps in the region of the first end of the vessel, the plurality of ramps including: a first ramp disposed along the pipelaying path, whose inclination is adjustable and which has a first upstream end and a second downstream end wherein the first ramp is mounted in such a way that its inclination can be changed and it can also be moved translationally with at least a component of the movement in a vertical direction, and a second ramp disposed along the pipelaying path downstream of the first ramp, whose inclination is adjustable and which has a first upstream end and a second downstream end, wherein the downstream end of the first ramp is positioned inboard of the first end of the vessel and above the bottom of the vessel and the upstream end of the second ramp is positioned inboard of the first end of the vessel and above the bottom of the vessel, and wherein the plurality of workstations includes welding stations disposed along the pipelaying path for welding further lengths of pipeline to a pipeline being laid along the pipelaying path.