Patent ID: 7073457

Claim:
A yoke assembly for mooring a vessel to a body comprising, a yoke ( 17 ) having a first end and a second end, with said first end arranged and designed for coupling with either said vessel or with said body and said second end arranged and designed for coupling with a frame ( 100 ) non-rotatably fixed to said body or to said vessel, said second end having first and second side members ( 80 ) and a connection assembly ( 90 ) including, a torsionally stiff weighted member ( 38 ) having a hinged link ( 18 ) at first and second ends, said hinged link having upper and lower sides, first and second hinges ( 25 ) coupling said lower side of said hinged links ( 18 ) of said stiff member at said first and second ends thereof to said first and second side members of said second end of said yoke, and first and second links ( 19 ) coupled to said frame and to said upper side of said hinged links ( 18 ) by first and second pairs ( 21 a , 21 b ) of two axis universal joints.