Abstract:
A connector is provided for removably attaching a space frame to the hull of a floating offshore platform. The connector comprises a socket attached to the hull of the platform. The socket has an open bore therein. A stabbing member is attached to the space frame. The stabbing member has a lower end insertable into the socket. An expandable locking ring is carried by the lower end of the stabbing member. The locking ring comprises a plurality of ring segments for removably seating within the socket bore. A backup ring is slidable along the stabbing member. The backup ring removably mates to the locking ring.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Continuation-in-Part of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/686,535, filed Oct. 10, 2000, for “Heave Suppressed Offshore Drilling and Production Platform.” 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to structural connections for offshore platforms and, more particularly, is concerned with a high capacity nonconcentric structural connector for floating drilling and production platforms that are used in the exploration and production of offshore oil and gas. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of this invention is to provide a high capacity structural connection between a dependent space frame attached to a damper plate and a vessel hull. The structural connection must be suitable for reliable, long term service in an open ocean marine environment. An additional objects of this invention is to provide a high capacity, rigid structural connection that can accommodate a substantial axial offset between the two sides of the connection. A further object of this invention is to provide a high capacity structural connection that can be completely assembled or disassembled repeatably by a few workers within a short time. An additional object of this invention is to provide a mounting pattern of structural connections which has high strength and high stiffness in three orthogonal directions when the individual structural connections have high strength and high stiffness in only two orthogonal directions. The connection of the space frame supporting the damper consists of a plurality of individual connectors. Each of the individual connectors has two portions—one the space frame and the other on the hull. 
     According to one aspect of the invention, a connector is provided for removably attaching a space frame to the hull of a floating offshore platform. The connector comprises a socket attached to the hull of the platform. The socket has an open bore therein. A stabbing member is attached to the space frame. The stabbing member has a lower end insertable into the socket. An expandable locking ring is carried by the lower end of the stabbing member. The locking ring comprises a plurality of ring segments for removably seating within the socket bore. A backup ring is slidable along the stabbing member. The backup ring removably mates to the locking ring. 
     According to a second aspect of the invention, a connector is provided for removably attaching a space frame to the hull of a floating offshore platform. The connector comprises a socket attached to the hull of the platform. The socket has an open bore therein. A floor is in the open bore. A latching groove is formed in the socket bore. A stabbing member is attached to the space frame. The stabbing member has a lower end insertable into the socket and an upset head at its lower end. The upset head is removably seatable on the socket floor. The lower end of the stabbing member carries an expandable locking ring. The locking ring comprises a plurality of ring segments for removably seating within the latching groove in the socket bore. The locking ring has a tapered bore therein. A backup ring is downwardly slidable along the stabbing member. The backup ring has a tapered outer surface for removably mating to the tapered bore of the locking ring. A plurality of slip wedges are removably seatable within the socket bore and against the stabbing member. Means is provided for lowering the backup ring from a raised position above the socket to a lowered position seated within the socket. 
     According to a third aspect of the invention, a method is provided for connecting a space frame to the hull of a floating offshore platform. The method comprises inserting the lower end of a stabbing member attached to the space frame into a socket attached to the hull of the platform. The stabbing member carries an expandable locking ring thereon. The method further comprises lowering a backup ring into mating engagement with the locking ring so as to expand segments of the locking ring into engagement with the socket wall. The method further comprises lowering a plurality of slip wedges into engagement with the socket wall and into engagement with the stabbing member for providing lateral restraint to the stabbing member. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is an oblique view of a floating production platform having a space frame supporting a damper plate attached to its hull using the connections of this invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of the production platform shown in FIG. 1 with the deck of the platform removed for clarity. 
     FIG. 3 is a quarter section of the socket portion of the connection of this invention installed in the upper inner side of a lower hull pontoon. In order to better illustrate both the structural framing and the slip ramps at the top of the socket, the socket is rotated 45° about the socket axis from its actual position. 
     FIG. 4 is an oblique view of the stabbing portion of the connection installed on the upper end of a chord member of the space frame which supports the damper plate. For clarity, the latching hardware is not shown in this view. 
     FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the hull-mounted socket with a space frame-mounted plug positioned for stabbing insertion into the socket. The plug is not shown in section, and the space frame is omitted for clarity. 
     FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG.  5  and showing the plug landed in the socket side of the connection and the locking ring segments ready for radial extension outwardly into the latching groove of the socket. 
     FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG.  5  and showing the locking ring segments expanded into the latching groove of the socket so that the plug is restrained against axial motion relative to the socket. The cylinders for installing the backup ring for the locking ring segments have been removed preparatory to completing the connection. 
     FIG. 8 shows a plan view of the completed connection. 
     FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing in detail the upper end of the socket with the locking ring segments locked in place. 
     FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view showing in detail the upper end of the socket with the slip wedges in place to complete the connection. 
     FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view from above of the completed connection with the section cut through the plug assembly immediately above the level of the socket. 
     FIG. 12 is a partial longitudinal vertical cross-sectional view of a hydraulic cylinder used to raise and lower the backup ring. The section cuts through both the vertical axis of the cylinder and the axis of the stabbing member. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A suitable semisubmersible hull having one or more clear spaces between its lower pontoons can be fitted with one or more damper plates suspended below the hull by means of a truss or space frame fitting within the clear spaces and which are in turn connected to the hull. The semisubmersible hull is to be moored permanently with a spread mooring in deep water, where it serves as a production facility for petroleum products. While semisubmersibles generally have very low motions, for certain applications their motions become unacceptable in severe waves unless damper plates are used. It is desirable to build a semisubmersible with such damper plates in a convenient shipyard. However, channel depths limit the vessel draft so that the damper plates cannot be lowered to their operational positions until the vessel has reached deep water. Accordingly, special connections are needed so that the upper end of a lowered truss or space frame can be fixed structurally at the top of each of its legs to the hull. 
     The connectors have to provide high strength for loads which may be on the order of 8,000,000 pounds vertically and 3,000,000 pounds in the horizontal plane. Although these loads are very large, the connectors must be stiff (i.e., with low distortions) in order to avoid excessive stress or vibration. Additionally, realistic fabrication tolerances may cause the location of the space frame side of a connection to deviate from its planned location relative to the hull side of the same connector by as much as an inch. These connectors will be submerged in service and are required to have a service life of upwards of 25 years. If the hull needs to be moved following ceasing of production or for other reasons, the space frames must be disconnected and pulled back up into the hull for transit back to port or for any distance. The connecting and disconnecting of the connectors must be performed rapidly (i.e., in less than 12 hours) in order to avoid weather sensitivity when the space frame is only partially connected to the hull. In some cases it may be necessary for divers to perform the disconnecting of the connectors, even though they are normally connected and disconnected when the connector is not submerged at the towout draft of the semisubmersible. 
     The making of structural connections involves some of the oldest technology in use today. However, there are not many means for making structural connections which are suitable for rapid assembly, for very large loads and for which large, unpredictable, noncorrectable variations in the relative positions of the two sides of the connection are present at mating. Both the magnitude of the loads on the structure and the size of the hull and space frame are very large. In addition, the hull and space frame may be built in different places. Therefore, the axial offset in a particular connection can be as much as one inch (25.4 mm). Both the hull and the space frame normally would be fabricated in their final alignments, rather than on their sides. Accordingly, it may be assumed that careful fabrication procedures would make it possible to control the vertical positions of the mating surfaces of the parts with fairly good accuracy; i.e., within +/−{fraction (1/16)} inch (1.6 mm). The significant uncertainty in position therefore would be limited to the horizontal plane. 
     The choices of connections for marine conditions are even more limited than for onshore, since corrosion, metal fatigue, and the need for rapid and reliable assembly are particularly critical there. The requirement of rapid assembly is important so that the connections will not be vulnerable to increased loading due to an unexpected increase in wave conditions when only part of the set of connectors are made up. For example, if only one or two of a set of three or four connectors are made up, the made up connectors are susceptible to severe overload at much less energetic wave conditions than for their survival with all connectors fully made up. Thus, when the additional requirements of rapid disassembly and repeatable assembly/disassembly are added, there are very few choices of suitable connection types. 
     In general, screwed connections using one nut or hollow screw per connection can be eliminated on the basis of the extreme make-up torque necessary. This would be the case for both conventional and interrupted threads, such as in a breech block connection. The large offsets possible in the connection also make pins and sockets with single transverse pins, pins and sockets with multiple radial bolts or pins engaged into threads or sockets in the pin, shrink fits, and collets generally impractical. Similarly, using multiple balls inserted into the groove space of pins and sockets with semitoroidal annular grooves is not practical because very good axial alignment is required. For the same reason, a socket connection using a plug with an axially compressible skewed plane interface between the two plug halves, such as is used in connecting the handlebar mount into the tube of the front wheel fork on a bicycle, is not practical. Multiple radial bolts threaded into the socket can be combined with multiple bolts offset from the axis and mounted to the rim of the socket so that they can abut an upset head of the pin. However, the very large number and size of the bolts make the proper torqueing of these bolts a complex and time consuming operation. 
     One possible means of making a suitable connection is to weld both sides of the connection together. A very common approach offshore is to stab two tubes together and make a circumferential weld to hold them. Another type of welded connection would involve lapping or butting two connection plates and, using shims as fillers as necessary, welding them together with fillets or other appropriate welds. For the typical connection anticipated, the weld cross-section can easily be multiple hundreds of square inches. Thus, these approaches are not attractive when very large loads must be carried, because the time required to make the welds and the significant possibility of internal flaws on the very large welds and plates required make welding unattractive. Oxyacetylene burning can be used for quickly disconnecting the joint, and the joint typically can be rewelded more than once. However, the slow assembly and potential reliability problems for very large welded joints are considered excessively problematic for connections between hulls and damper plate supports. 
     Another possible means is to use bolted connections. Since the loadings on a typical connection are generally biaxial or triaxial relative to its plane of symmetry, a bolted connection for the large loading considered here will typically have a very large number of large bolts and will work in a combination of shear and tension/compression. Field measured and installed shims would be required to fill the gaps between the members, and the bolt holes would have to be considerably more oversized than is considered reasonable by structural design codes. Additionally, the shims might be very difficult to install in field conditions, with tapered gaps being a particularly difficult problem. However, the worst problems for bolted joints are bolt corrosion and the very long times required to properly torque the bolts to obtain some semblance of the required uniform pretension for the bolts. The high pretensions for bolts and the reentrant thread roots are a particularly problematic combination in salt water. For these reasons, the use of bolted connections is not attractive for the attachment of damper plate space frames to hulls. 
     Grouting of the annulus between two stabbed and substantially concentric tubes is another means for making the desired connections. Grouting is generally used in connecting pilings to tubular receptacles for bottom-founded offshore platforms. This method could be adapted to the space frame-to-hull connection by extending vertical plates from the vertical members of the space frame and engaging those members within groutable elongate chambers having integral seals and built into the hull. However, the setting time for grout generally is fairly long, being on the order of multiple days to attain 90% of its ultimate strength. Another consideration is that uncertainties about the in situ strength of the grout are always present. The potential for large eccentricity of the grouted connection also can reduce seal reliability. Finally, removal of grout from a necessarily long grouted connection is very time consuming. Accordingly, the use of grouted connections for the connection of the damper plate space frame to the hull is not desirable. 
     Another connection means utilizes rack and pinion jacking systems of the type commonly used on jackup drilling rigs to lower a single damping plate by its multiple supporting space frames. The jack racks for an individual jack are attached to a chord of the space frame with the teeth of the racks facing outwardly in opposite directions. The connector for fixing the space frames to the semisubmersible hull uses opposed secondary racks that intermesh with the jack racks to mesh with and clamp the jack racks. Means are provided for entrapping the secondary racks in their clamping positions and for transferring the loads across the connection by shear and/or bearing. This particular connector is only suitable for use with large racks. Additionally, such a connector cannot support significant loads out of the plane of the pair of jack racks for the connector. A further limitation of this connector is its complexity and large parts count, both of which tend to reduce reliability and increase cost. 
     One class of connection means is somewhat more promising for handling axial loads, but must be provided with separate means for supporting lateral loads. Radially engagable latch dogs, extending inwardly through windows in a mounting housing and operated by an external axially shiftable sleeve, satisfy most of the criteria for resisting axial (vertical) loads, but would tend to have excessive “play”. Axial play is undesirable because it tends to result in high load amplifications under load reversals. If latch dogs are mounted in windows in a housing and operated by radial bolts, then their mating faces can be slightly tapered so that axial play is eliminated, as long as only very small axial eccentricities are involved. It should be noted that bolt sizes and numbers make this means practical only if separate means are used for lateral load resistance. An additional drawback is that the cutting of substantial windows in large parts can lead to very high stresses and much larger structures. Other possible connectors exist, but most are quite limited in their capability to tolerate axial offsets of the connecting members. Further, several of the connections are overly large and expensive. Connections which use wedges can be made reasonably, but wedges can “work” under oscillating loads so that they can become excessively difficult to disassemble. 
     What is required for this class of connections is something which is reliable, is simple to fabricate, and is easy to assemble and disassemble. Additionally, the connection should have a structure which behaves in a generally well understood manner, is not subject to high stress concentrations, and which does not have heavy weldments. 
     This invention provides mechanical connection means for joining a tubular space frame carrying a damper plate to a semisubmersible hull for the purpose of reducing wave induced motions of the hull. These connectors are field-assembled and must be assembled in a very short time. One side of each of the multiple connectors is supported by the lower pontoon of the hull and the other side is fixed to the upper end of the space frame. The mechanical connectors, used in sets of three or more, are readily installed and uninstalled in a repeatable manner in the field. The connectors are configured not only to carry very high loads, but also to accommodate considerable axial offsets between the two sides of the connectors, where such offsets can result from the accumulation of construction tolerances. 
     FIG. 1 shows a semisubmersible rig  1  of the type described in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/686,535, filed Oct. 10, 2000, for “Heave Suppressed Offshore Drilling and Production Platform.” This patent application relates to a system for attaching a dependent heave or damper plate to a semisubmersible for the purpose of substantially minimizing the motions of the vessel. 
     Rig  1  has one or more working decks  2  at its upper end. Deck  2  must be supported by three or more legs  3  which extend downwardly from the deck to the lower pontoon  4 . In this case, four legs  3  are shown. The lower pontoon  4  is fabricated using typical shipyard techniques and structure. In plan view, lower pontoon  4  has a rectangular outer perimeter and a similarly shaped inner well  5 . Selectably vertically moveable between the legs  3  and within the well  5  of lower pontoon  4  is tubular space frame  6 , which is attached at its lower end to vertical motion resistance (VMR) heave plate or damper  7 . At the upper end of space frame  6  on top of each perimeter vertical chord  30  of the space frame  6  is attached one connector  8  of this invention. Due to channel draft limitations, during travel from the fabrication yard at which this semisubmersible rig  1  is built to the final installation location in deep water offshore, the VMR heave plate or damper  7  must be elevated so that it is adjacent the lower side of the lower pontoon  4 . Once the rig  1  is at or near its installation location, the space frame  6  and the attached damper  7  are lowered to their service position shown in FIG.  1  and then connected to the lower pontoon  4  by connectors  8 . 
     The array of connectors  8  must be arranged so that the connection is structurally stable. Accordingly, a minimum of three connectors  8  are required, and at least one of the connectors  8  must not be colinear with the other connectors  8 . As seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, the four connectors  8  each span from the top of one of the vertical chords  30  of space frame  6  to a lower pontoon  4  of the hull. Referring to FIG. 2, the primary loads experienced by a connector  8  are in its own vertical midplane  9 , which is defined by the vertical axis of the stabbing member  34  of the connector  8  and the center of its point of connection to the space frame  6 . The stiffness and strength of a connector  8  for loads perpendicular to its vertical midplane  9  are much weaker than for loads parallel to the vertical midplane  9 . Each connector  8  is rotated 90° relative to its neighboring connector on either side in an arrangement which causes the connector  8  to experience only minor lateral loads in its relatively weak and flexible direction transverse to its vertical midplane  9 . The transverse loads which would otherwise be experienced by a connector  8  are instead absorbed by its closest neighbors in their strong directions, which are in their vertical midplanes. This arrangement works because of the difference in stiffness for in-midplane loads versus out-of-midplane loads for the connectors  8 . 
     Referring to FIG. 3, a quarter sectional view of a socket  15  mounted in a lower pontoon  4  of the hull is shown. The socket is attached to the lower pontoon  4  by welding. The socket  15  is supported for horizontal loads primarily by the top shell  11  and a lower framing horizontal bulkhead  12  of lower pontoon  4 , while the side shell  10  supports the socket  15  vertically by means of interconnected internal bulkhead  13 . Socket  15  is of generally tubular construction with a heavy-wall upper section and a ring stiffener  19  near the top. Sequentially from the upper end of the socket  15  and extending downwardly, the bore of the socket  15  contains: four identical equispaced ramps  16 , an annular shaper relief groove  17  which intersects the lower end of the ramps  16 , an annular latching groove  18 , and an upward looking transverse shoulder  21 . The ramps  16 , which have planar sides and are inclined relative to the axis of socket  15 , start at the top of socket  15  and are inclined inwardly from the top. Shaper relief groove  17  has a short length and rounded comers and serves to permit ramps  16  to be cut by a shaper. Upper conical surface  20  is located at the upper end of annular latching groove  18 . The interior corners of annular latching groove  18  are rounded for reduction of stress concentrations. Floor  22  is a thick plate disk that is supported by upward looking transverse shoulder  21 . As seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, the lower end of latching groove  18  extends below the upper surface of upset head  35  of stabbing member  34  when stabbing is completed and the upset head rests on the floor  22  of the socket  15 . The socket  15  has a reduced wall thickness socket extension tube  24  extending from the upper portion of the socket past lower framing bulkhead  12 . 
     Referring to FIG. 4, the space frame side of connector  8  can be seen in an oblique view. Heavy walled extension tube  33  is attached to the top of vertical chord  30  of space frame  6 . Extension tube  33  may be provided with internal diaphragms (not illustrated) for enhancing its strength and stiffness for transverse loads. The upper end of chord  30  is laterally supported by heavy tubular horizontal members  31  which frame into the chord  30  near its top. Also shown for information is chord lowering guide  32  which is welded to the side of chord  30  and serves to centralize the space frame  6  within the window in the hull during lowering. Parallel to and laterally offset from chord  30  and extension tube  33  is heavy walled tubular stabbing member  34 , which has upset head  35  at its lower end and, as required, internal stiffening diaphragms (not illustrated). Upset head  35  has transverse upper and lower shoulders. Stabbing member  34  is attached to extension tube  33  by means of a heavy walled welded box beam which is symmetric about the central vertical midplane of the connector  8 . 
     Box beam  40  is made up of top plate  37 , bottom plate  38 , and two side plates  39 . Box beam top plate  37  also covers the upper ends of extension tube  33  and stabbing member  34 . The corners of box beam side plates  39  are cut away to reduce triaxial stresses at the three-way intersections of the tubes  33  and  34 , the horizontal plates  37  and  38 , and the vertical box beam side plates  39 . A welded substructure which serves as an upper lowering guide  36  is mounted on box beam top  37 . Upper lowering guide  36  bears on a guide surface on the interior corner of adjacent leg  3  of rig  1  during lowering to further centralize the space frame  6 . 
     FIG. 5 shows two of the ramps  16  in the top of socket  15  in their correct orientation. For installation clearance, the ramps  16  are rotated so that they are all 45° from the vertical midplane  9  of the connector  8 . In FIG. 5, segmented locking ring  42  is seen sitting on the upper shoulder of the upset head  35  of the stabbing member  34 . Locking ring  42  is radially cut into a plurality of identical segments for latching to socket  15 . In the illustrated embodiment, locking ring  10  comprises ten identical segments. 
     FIGS. 9 and 10 more clearly show the individual features of the segmented locking ring  42  and its associated backup ring  50 . The segmented locking ring  42  has an outer diameter which is equal to or slightly less than the undercut bore of the annular latching groove  18  of socket  15 , a transverse lower shoulder, a conical upper shoulder  43  located near the upper end, an interior conical tapered bore  44 , and an upper extension portion  45  extending above the conical upper shoulder  43  with an outer diameter less than that of the general through bore of socket  15 . The tapered bore  44  has an angle of approximately 8°, which is a self-locking angle. In the illustrated embodiment, the segmented locking ring  42  is cut into 10 equal segments with arc lengths of 34°. The removed material provides sufficient clearance when the segments are grouped together on the upper shoulder of the upset head  35  so that the assemblage can be inserted into the bore of socket  15  without interference problems. Referring to FIG. 5, a retention strap  48  is placed around the upper extension  45  of the segmented locking ring  42  when it is being run into the socket  15 . This strapping can be performed in various ways. Using two identical half hoops with radial tabs and bolts and nuts through vertical holes in the tabs where the half hoops can be mated permits ready removal and reinstallation when the stabbing member  34  is landed on floor  22  of socket  15 . 
     Annular backup ring  50  has a straight bore and an externally tapered outer surface  51 . The taper of surface  51  matches that of the tapered bore  44  of the segmented locking ring  42 . The outer diameter at the bottom of outer surface  51  is sufficiently larger than the inner diameter at the bottom of tapered bore  44  of segmented locking ring  42  so that the backup ring  50  will not prematurely abut the upper transverse shoulder of upset head  35  when expanding locking ring  42 . The lower end of backup ring  50  has a liberal lead-in chamfer  52 . Referring to FIGS. 9 and 11, the upper transverse shoulder of backup ring  50  has three symmetrically spaced drilled and tapped holes  73  for attachment of actuating cylinder rods  75 . The diameter of the straight bore of backup ring  50  is larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical neck of stabbing member  34  by at least twice the amount of maximum axial eccentricity between the socket  15  and the stabbing member  34  anticipated for the design. Backup ring  50  is mounted around the cylindrical neck of stabbing member  34 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 5,  6 , and  8 , three double-acting hydraulic cylinders  54  are mounted vertically at their cylinder rod ends to corresponding swivel mounts  56  by vertical axis holes in the swivel mounts  56 . The swivel mounts  56  are in turn welded or bolted at 120° spacings about the vertical axis of stabbing member  34  above the upset head  35  and approximately at the height of the box beam bottom. As seen in FIG. 12, the lower end of the body of each hydraulic cylinder  54  has a spherical male end  55  which mates with a corresponding female spherical socket  57  on the upper face of the swivel mount  56 . A cylinder retainer nut  59  having a spherical upper end is screwed onto the lower end of each of the cylinders  54  in order to retain the cylinder in the swivel mount  56 . The lower face of each swivel mount  56  has a female spherical socket  58  that corresponds to, and is compatible with, the male spherical face of retainer nut  59 . Because the vertical axis holes in swivel mounts  56  are slightly larger than the threaded rod ends of cylinders  54 , and because retainer nuts  59  are not screwed down tightly, the cylinders  54  are able to swivel as necessary when shifting backup ring  50  vertically. The lower ends of cylinder rods  75  are provided with ball swivels  53 . Ball swivels  53  are threaded both onto the rod  75  end and into the drilled and tapped holes  73  in the upper transverse surface of backup ring  50 . The swiveling action of the cylinders  54  and ball swivels  53  allows backup ring  50  to shift from an axial alignment with stabbing member  34  to a parallel but eccentric alignment. The ability of the hydraulic cylinders  54  to swivel is necessary because the stabbing member  34  may be eccentric to socket  15 . Since the segmented locking ring  42  has to be seated in the concentric annular latching groove  18  of socket  15 , the backup ring  50  must also be moved to a concentric position with socket  15 . The cylinders  54  are manifolded together for selectably raising or lowering backup ring  50 . Cylinders  54  are readily removable for protection and reuse after installation. A minimum of three wedges is required for stability, but use of more wedges reduces the circumferential bending stresses in the socket. 
     Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, four identical slip wedges  60  are used to interact with the corresponding ramps  16  of the socket  15  to provide lateral restraint to the stabbing member  34 . Slip wedges  60  have a cylindrical inner surface  61  with a diameter equal to that of the neck of stabbing member  34 . The wedge outer face  62  is planar and inclined to the axis of the cylindrical inner surface  61  by the same angle as the ramps  16  are inclined to the socket axis. The transverse sides of slip wedges  60  are parallel and vertical, while the upper and lower faces are transverse to the axis of inner surface  61 . The upper face of wedge  60  is drilled and tapped for adaptation to lowering and pulling devices (not shown). The width of the wedges  60  is less than that of their corresponding ramps  16  by at least twice the amount of maximum axial eccentricity between the socket  15  and the stabbing member  34  anticipated for the design. Although not shown here, the wedges  60  may be drilled and tapped for the attachment of bolting which will prevent the wedges from riding up in or dropping farther into the slip bowl formed by ramps  16  when the connector “works” under cyclical marine loads. 
     The materials of construction are generally structural steel for the hull, the space frame  6 , and the damper  7  of the invention. The stabbing member  34 , box beam  40 , and the socket  15  will also be structural steel, but typically with a higher yield strength than for the hull and space frame  6 . Slip wedges  60 , backup ring  50 , and segmented locking ring  42  of the connector  8  will be fabricated from a high-strength, low-alloy steel such as SAE 4130, 4140, or 4340. 
     The invention is assembled in the following manner. Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the space frame  6  supporting the damper  7  is lowered as described in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/686,535, with the following three exceptions: First, the winches are placed outside the deck  2  above the tops of the columns of the semisubmersible rig  1 . Second, the winches double as mooring winches. Third, the chains handled by the winches attach to the damper  7  rather than to the truss chords. 
     At the time that this lowering activity is proceeding, the hull is still ballasted so that the top of lower pontoon  4  is not awash. Various assembly aids can be deployed in advance of the completion of the lowering operation, so that workers will have handling means and access as needed to the various pieces which must be inserted into place to complete connection assembly. As lowering continues from the state shown in FIG. 5 to that shown in FIG. 6, where the lower end of the upset head  35  is resting on the floor  22  of socket  15 , the stabbing of the stabbing members  34  into the sockets  15  simultaneously occurs for all the connectors  8 . While the space frame  6  is guided to a large extent by conventional guide rails and other means familiar to those skilled in the art, the necessity for operating clearances when lowering inevitably leads to some axial eccentricity in the connectors  8 . Additionally, some variation in intended spacing between the sockets  15  and between the stabbing members  34  due to fabrication tolerances will be present. Consequently, the connectors  8  will be stabbed axially eccentrically. However, reasonable control over the fabrication tolerances and guide clearances will ensure that the eccentricities obtained will be within the tolerable limits for the connectors  8 . When the stabbing members  34  have the weight of the damper  7  and space frame  6  resting on the floors  22 , the resultant axial loads will be sufficient to ensure that typical wave and current loading and vessel motions will be unable to overcome static friction and cause lateral shifting of the stabbing members  34  in the sockets  15  during final assembly. 
     As soon as the lowering is complete, the retainer or retention strap  48  retaining the segments of locking ring  42  around the tubular neck of the stabbing member  34  can be removed. At that point, hydraulic cylinders  54  are activated to lower backup ring  50 . Backup ring  50  begins to radially force the segments of locking ring  42  into the annular latching groove  18  through wedging action between the tapered bore  44  of the locking ring and tapered outer surface  51  of the backup ring  50 . Cylinders  54  are able to angularly shift in their mounts, and the connections of cylinder rods  75  to the top of backup ring  50  also can swivel. Backup ring  50  can thus shift to centralize itself within socket  15  and fully extend all of the segments of segmented locking ring  42  into groove  18 . As seen in FIG. 9, since the bore of backup ring  50  is sufficiently larger than the neck of stabbing member  34  by design, the eccentricity of the stabbing member  34  does not impair the extending of the segments of locking ring  42  into annular latching groove  18 . As further downward force is exerted on backup ring  50 , the upper conical shoulder  43  of the segmented locking ring  42  wedges downwardly against the mating upper conical surface  20  of latching groove  18 . This wedging action eliminates any rattle of segmented locking ring  42  and attendant stress amplification. Locking ring  42  is also seated downwardly against the upset head  35  of the stabbing member  34 , which in turn bears against the floor  22 . The lower side of floor  22  similarly bears on the upward looking transverse shoulder  21  of socket  15 . As a result, the vertical slack in the connection is removed. At this point the hydraulic cylinders  54  can be removed and stored for future use. The connector  8  is then in the condition shown in FIG.  7 . If desired, the backup ring  50  can be restrained against vertical movement by clamp bolts or similar means. However, this is not essential and is not shown because the angle between tapered bore  44  of the segmented locking ring  42  and the outer surface  51  of the backup ring  50  is chosen to be a non-slipping angle. 
     Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, following the vertical locking of the connection  8 , the four wedges  60  are set sequentially into their respective ramps  16 . The setting of wedges  60  is done in the following manner. Each wedge  60  is positioned near its respective ramp  16  with its planar outer face  62  parallel to its ramp  16  and is supported above the top of the socket  15 . The wedge  60  is then shoved radially inwardly and laterally until the cylindrical inner surface  61  of the wedge conforms closely to the cylindrical surface of the neck of stabbing member  34 . At this point the wedge  60  is lowered until it fully contacts both the ramp  16  and the neck of stabbing member  34 . When the stabbing member is eccentric to the socket  15  in the tangential direction of the ramp  16 , the final position of that wedge  60  will be laterally shifted in the ramp  16 . This lateral shifting is possible because the lateral width of the wedge  60  is by design sufficiently less than the width of ramp  16  so that the full eccentricity of stabbing member  34  can be accommodated. If necessary, bolts and auxiliary mounting clips can be added to ensure that the wedge  60  can neither slip into a tighter fit nor work upwardly into a looser fit, although these details are not shown herein. The angle of ramp  16  is sufficiently small to be frictionally self-locking. 
     If the stabbing member  34  is stabbed so that it is shifted from the center line of socket  15  towards the ramp  16  of a given wedge  60 , then that wedge will seat higher on its ramp than for a concentric stab. Similarly, shifting of a stabbing member  34  away from a ramp  16  of a given wedge  60  will cause that wedge to seat lower. 
     Disassembly of the connectors  8  is done by using pullers and/or the cylinders  54  and reversing the assembly steps. However, in order to extract the segmented locking ring  42  from the annular latching groove  18 , a pry bar or similar means is required. The pry bar levers against upper extension  45  of segmented locking ring  42  and thereby moves the ring segments back onto the upper shoulder of upset head  35  of stabbing member  34 . At that point, the segments of locking ring  42  and upset head  35  of stabbing member  34  can be withdrawn from socket  15 . 
     The nonconcentric structural connector of this invention provides very high load capacity, high stiffness, robustness, and high tolerance for misfit between the mating connector sides. Additionally, the connectors of this invention are readily assembled in the field and likewise are readily disassembled in a repeatable manner. These connectors provide a realistic, practical means for rapid makeup of the connection of damper plate support space frames to the hull of a semisubmersible production vessel in the field in an exposed location, so that exposure can be limited to severe environmental loading while partially connected. An additional advantage is that a simpler, less expensive, more reliable connector design results from the minimization of lateral loads on the connectors by virtue of the pattern of mounting of the connectors. 
     The use of the segmented locking rings with their associated backup ring provides a structurally efficient, reliable vertical restraint to separation of the connector under load. Both the segmented locking ring  42  and the backup ring  50  are loaded primarily in compression and shear, rather than the less efficient bending mode. Likewise, the slip wedges  60  are primarily loaded in compression. The behavior of the socket  15  and the stabbing member  34  are readily analyzed and hence well understood. The connectors are relatively simple to fabricate and do not require precision manufacturing. 
     Various assembly aids readily can be used to simplify the effort of connection assembly and disassembly. The simplicity of the design makes it possible to utilize diver disassembly of the connectors if necessary. Hazardous, time-consuming, or high-skill assembly activities are avoided by the simple construction of the connectors. 
     It can be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications of details of the connectors can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance, the number and size of slip wedges can be varied, as can the attachment of the socket to the hull. Likewise, changing the means of attachment of the stabbing member  34  to the space frame  6  to a braced connection would not deviate from the spirit of the invention. Instead of a boxed beam, the connection means between the stabbing member  34  and space frame extension tube  33  could use a diagonalized truss or a vierendiehl truss or an unboxed beam. 
     The high capacity nonconcentric structural connector of the present invention, and many of its intended advantages, will be understood from the foregoing description of an example embodiment, and it will be apparent that, although the invention and its advantages have been described in detail, various changes, substitutions, and alterations may be made in the manner, procedure, and details thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims, or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being exemplary embodiment thereof.