Patent ID: 9719613
Date: 2017-08-01
CPC Classifications: F16L

Claim:
1. A method of clamping elongate elements in a parallel piggybacked arrangement during subsea laying of the elements, the method comprising forcing together a plurality of clamp segments around the elongate elements by moving a pair of opposed jaws towards one another to apply assembly force locally to the clamp segments at different locations of the clamp segments in a direction orthogonal to a launch direction of the elongate elements, those locations being disposed to either side of portions of the clamp segments that accommodate at least one of the elongate elements to assemble a piggybacking clamp that applies clamping forces to the elongate elements, and further comprising supporting the jaws on a carriage that moves in the launch direction during clamping to allow the clamp segments to move with the elongate elements in the launch direction while forcing the clamp segments together around the elongate elements.