Patent ID: 7513208

Claim:
An apparatus for orienting riser pipes ( 268 ) of a disconnectable buoy ( 260 ) with corresponding riser pipes ( 270 ) of a vessel ( 210 ), said apparatus comprising: a hydraulic cylinder ( 244 ) connected to support members ( 228 , 239 , 241 ) of a turret ( 220 ) which is rotatively coupled to said vessel ( 210 ), said hydraulic cylinder ( 244 ) having a bore ( 223 ) therein and having a line swivel ( 252 ) rotatively supported by a bearing ( 250 ) within said bore ( 223 ), a pull-in line ( 230 , 235 ) connected to said buoy ( 260 ) and extending through said line swivel ( 252 ) and said hydraulic cylinder ( 244 ) to a pull-in line tensioning device ( 232 ), and a retaining device ( 258 ) coupled to said line swivel ( 252 ) and arranged and designed to prevent downward movement of said pull-in line ( 230 , 235 ), thereby transferring the load of said buoy ( 260 ) from said tensioning device ( 232 ) to said retaining device ( 258 ), said line swivel ( 252 ), said hydraulic cylinder ( 244 ) and said support members ( 228 , 239 , 241 ), whereby said turret ( 220 ) can be rotated with respect to said buoy ( 260 ) to align said vessel riser pipes ( 270 ) with said buoy riser pipes ( 268 ).