Patent ID: 8882394

Claim:
A tensioner for maintaining a tensile force in a riser having an axis and extending from a subsea wellhead assembly through an opening in a floating platform deck, the tensioner comprising: a tensioner ring adapted to be coupled to the riser; a plurality of hydro-pneumatic cylinder assemblies, each having a flexible coupler on each end for coupling each of the cylinder assemblies between the deck and the tensioner ring; wherein the flexible coupler on at least one of the ends of each of the cylinder assemblies comprises a cylinder end member coupled to one of the ends of one of the cylinder assemblies; an intermediate member pivotally coupled to the cylinder end member by a first pin; and an adapter selectively mountable to the deck or to the tensioner ring and pivotally coupled to the intermediate member by a second pin, the first pin and the second pin spaced apart and perpendicular to each other so that the adapter may pivot on the second pin relative to the intermediate member and the cylinder end member may pivot on the first pin relative to the intermediate member.