Patent ID: 8807872

Claim:
An apparatus to be mounted on a vessel for laying a pipeline having accessories on at least one of an end of the pipeline and one or more intermediate locations along the pipeline, said apparatus comprising: A pipeline launch ramp having a pipeline guide for guiding and controlling the movement of the pipeline along a pipeline firing line in the direction of a seabed, A pipeline clamp downstream of the pipeline guide for selectively clamping and supporting the launched pipeline, Wherein said pipeline launch ramp is provided with an opening downstream of said pipeline guide and upstream of said pipeline clamp for passage of an accessory between a storage position and an installation location in the pipeline firing line to allow the accessory to be connected to an end of the pipeline supported by the pipeline clamp, and Wherein the pipeline launch ramp is pivotally mountable on the vessel to permit variation of an angle of inclination of the pipeline launch ramp to vary a water entry angle of the pipeline, and further comprising: At least one work station having at least one work platform located in or adjacent the opening in the pipeline launch ramp, the at least one work platform being moveable between an operative configuration wherein the at least one work platform is located in the pipeline firing line for allowing cutting and welding operations to be carried out on the pipeline, and a retracted configuration to permit passage of the accessory through the opening and into the installation location for connection to the pipeline; A transverse beam above the opening; A carrier slidably mounted on the transverse beam; Wherein the at least one work station, or the at least one work platform of the at least one work station, is pivotally or rotatably mounted to the carrier to permit the at least one work platform to remain horizontal at all times during variation of the angle of inclination of the pipeline launch ramp and wherein the at least one work platform is mounted on the carrier to rotate relative to the carrier about a rotation axis independent of the transverse beam, the carrier being slidable along the transverse beam for movement of the at least one work platform between the operative and retracted configurations.