Patent GB-1179903-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to Buoys
Inventor: VREELAND THAD JR
IPC: G01D21/00
Filed: 1967-05-05
Abstract: 1,179,903. Buoys; mooring. GLOBAL MARINE Inc. 5 May, 1967 [9 May, 1966(4)], No. 20970/67. Headings B7A and B7S. [Also in Division E1] A spar buoy includes a plurality of tubular members 14, Fig. 1, connected end-to-end by collars 15, flooding of the whole of the interior of the buoy in the event of a leak developing being prevented by a bulk-head plate (36), Fig. 4 (not shown), situated adjacent each end of each of the members 14. Alternatively, the interior of the buoy is filled with foamedplastics material (41), Fig. 2 (not shown), which material may be polystyrene or polyurethane. The collars 15 may be attached to the members 14 by welding or screw-threads sealed by an epoxy-resin compound. The diameters of adjacent members 14 may differ, Fig. 4, and the collars 15 may be replaced by flexible connectors 44, Fig. 18, each of which connectors includes a double universal-joint (47), Fig. 16 (not shown), enclosed by a tubular rubber-sleeve (48). The sections 45 between the connectors aforesaid may comprise a plurality of rigidly connected tubular members. The buoy may be furnished with at least one annular plate 78 to minimize vertical movement due to wave action. To reduce the draft of the buoy, a position 82 in the region of the waterline 83 may have a greater diameter than the remainder of the buoy, this portion being constituted by either a single large-diameter pipe (84 or 85), Figs. 19 and 20 (not shown), or a plurality of tubular members (86), Figs. 21 and 22 (not shown), which are attached to the outer side of the adjacent tubular member 14 and closed at their ends. The buoy may be provided with a platform 17 or a housing 19 for a radio-transmitter (24), Fig. 14 (not shown), and a source of electrical power (25), the transmitter being employed to emit signals by way of an aerial or antema 18, which signals are derived from an anemometer 32 and one or more transducers 27 attached to the side of the buoy to detect, e.g. water temperature. The transducers may be attached to cables (58), Figs. 14 and 17 (not shown), which are arranged to facilitate removal of the transducers while the buoy is in situ during maintenance operations. Ballasting of the buoy is effected by, e.g. water 50 or concrete (51), Fig. 2, lodged in its lower-most end. The buoy may have its lowermost end rigidly secured to ground at the bottom of the body of water wherein it floats, Fig. 3 (not shown). A mooring system for the buoy comprises either a buoyant cable (92), Fig. 11 (not shown), or a similar cable (97), Fig. 12 (not shown), attached at one end to an anchor (91 or 96) and at the other end to a non-buoyant cable (93 or 98) that is connected to the buoy. The cable (92) reduces the load on the buoy whereas the cable (93 or 98) is preferably made of metal, e.g. steel, to prevent severance thereof by sharks, the cable (92) being made of e.g. polypropylene. The cable (97) has length sufficient to effect buoyancy equal to the negative buoyancy of the cable (98) and to form catenary curves in the two cables such that the load on the buoy is minimal. A method of assembling and installing the buoy is described with reference to Figs. 23 to 26 (not shown), wherein the buoy is furnished with the beforementioned connectors (44) and assembled on a slip-way (101) before it is launched, provisional buoyancy-chambers (103) being employed optionally during transit while the buoy is floating horizontally and under tow by a vessel (102). For details of this method, the Specification should be referred to.