Abstract
A quick release cable pull-in system for securing a conduit (28) in which is arranged a cable (38) to the mouth of a J-Tube (12) or other opening in a structure. The system includes a collar (30) with a groove (32) attached to the end of the conduit. A rotatable locking arm (20) releasably engages the collar when a tapered nose (34) cone is pulled into the J-Tube. The rotatable locking arm has a shoulder member (44) that is biased downward into the interior of the cylindrical opening. According to one aspect, the shoulder member is downwardly biased by an elastomeric collar (46. According to another aspect, the shoulder member is downwardly biased by a spring, by magnetic forces or other means.
Claims
1. A quick release cable pull-in system for releaseably connecting a flexible protective outer conduit, in which is internally arranged an elongated cable, to another structure, characterized in that the system comprises: a. a flexible protective outer conduit having an elongated cable internally arranged within said flexible protective outer conduit, a. a pull-in arrangement at a leading end of the flexible protective outer conduit, said pull-in arrangement comprising a tapered nose piece adapted to be connected to a pull-in line for pulling the elongated cable into a structure, said nose piece being releasably attached to the flexible protective outer conduit and the internal elongated cable by a weak link attachment, said weak link attachment arranged to detach from the flexible protective outer conduit at a lower pulling force than from the elongated cable, b. a connection collar attached to the leading end of the flexible protective outer conduit, said connection collar having a recess or groove, c. a cylindrical body attached to the structure, the body having a cylindrical opening leading to an interior of the structure adapted for receiving the pull-in arrangement and the connection collar, d. a rotatable locking arm attached to the cylindrical body, the arm having a downward projecting shoulder member, said locking arm arranged such that, when in a first lower position the shoulder member extends into the opening a sufficient distance to lockingly engage the recess or groove in the connection collar in the event the pull-in arrangement is pulled into the opening by the pull-in wire, e. said arm being biased towards the first lower position by a biasing member.
2. A quick release cable pull-in system according to claim 1, wherein the biasing member is an elastomeric collar arranged about the cylindrical body and over at least a portion of the arm.
3. A quick release cable pull-in system according to claim 2, wherein the plastomeric collar is arranged over the shoulder member.
4. A quick release cable pull-in system according to claim 1, wherein the biasing member is a spring.
5. A quick release cable pull-in system according to claim 1, wherein the arm is connected to the cylindrical body by a release pin.
6. A quick release cable pull-in system according to claim 1, further comprising release means for releasing the conduit from the cylindrical body.
7. A quick release cable pull-in system according to claim 6, wherein the release means is a cable connected to the arm, the upward pulling of which will rotate the arm to a second upper position in which the shoulder member disengages the recess or groove.
8. A quick release cable pull-in system according to claim 7, whereby the tapered nose piece is dimensioned such that the sloped surface of the nose piece, upon being pulled into the cylindrical opening, presses the shoulder member upward from the first lower position, to the second upper position, said shoulder member arranged to be pressed into engagement with the recess or groove by the biasing member when the recess or groove aligns with the shoulder member.
9. A quick release cable pull-in system according to claim 6, wherein the release means is a release device attached to the manipulator arm of an ROV, the lift device comprising a frame member on which is arranged a vertically movable slider member, the slider member having a slot for receiving the arm of the cylindrical body, said slider member being movable in the vertical direction by a hydraulic piston mounted between the frame member and the slider member.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) The invention will be described in detail with reference to the following figures, wherein;
(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the quick release flange of the invention with elastomeric collar biasing the rotatable locking arm, with a pull-in head and connection collar arranged on a conduit.
(3) FIG. 2 is the cross sectional view of the pull-in head entering the flange.
(4) FIG. 3 is cross sectional view showing the pull-in head upwardly pressing the shoulder member of the rotatable locking arm.
(5) FIG. 4 is a side cross sectional view of the showing the shoulder member in locking engagement with the groove on the connection collar.
(6) FIG. 5 is a detailed cross sectional view of an alternate embodiment with a spring biasing the rotatable locking arm.
(7) FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of showing the weak link latch after release, and the internal cable being pulled into the structure.
(8) FIG. 7 is a side view of an embodiment of a release mechanism mounted on an ROV.
(9) FIG. 8 is a detailed view of the release mechanism from FIG. 7 after release of the connection collar from the flange.
(10) FIG. 9 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of a release mechanism.
(11) FIG. 10 is a perspective exploded view illustrating the failsafe release mechanism.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(12) FIG. 1 shows the quick release flange 10 of the invention mounted to the mouth of a J-Tube 12, for example a J-Tube entry point to an offshore monopole for a wind turbine and the like. It should be understood that the flange could be mounted to any type of opening to a structure. The flange comprises an essentially cylindrical body 14 connected to the J-Tube by a connecting plate 16. The flange has a cylindrical opening 18. A rotatable locking arm 20 is mounted in brackets 22, and rotates about a removable hinge pin 24. Hinge pin 24 is equipped with a handle 26.
(13) FIG. 1 further shows a flexible conduit 28, at the leading end of which is mounted a connection collar 30. Connection collar 30 has a groove 32. A tapered pull-in head 34 is connected to the connection collar 30 by a weak link attachment, and is pulled into the J-Tube by a pull-in wire 36. As shown in FIG. 2, a longitudinally extendable cable 38 is disposed within conduit 28, and held by a cable gripping device 40 known in the art. Pulling head 34 is connected to connection collar 30 by a weak link latch 42.
(14) As further shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, rotatable locking arm 20 has a forwardly and downwardly projecting shoulder member 44. Shoulder member projects into the interior of cylindrical opening 18, and is biased in the downward direction. In a first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4 and 6-10, the shoulder member 44 is biased downward by an elastomeric collar 46 arranged on the outer surface of cylindrical body 14. The shoulder member 44 is arranged underneath the elastomeric collar 46, the elasticity of which biases the shoulder member downward in the event the rotatable locking arm 20 is rotated upward. FIG. 5 illustrates an alternate embodiment in which rotatable locking arm 20 is biased downward by a spring 48 arranged in a rim 50. As can be appreciated from FIG. 10, shoulder member 44 enters the interior of the cylindrical opening via a gap or passage 52 in cylindrical body 14.
(15) FIGS. 2, 3, 4 (5) and 6 illustrate in sequence the use of the flange device for connecting a conduit to a J-Tube. Pull-in wire 36 pulls pull-in head 34 into the J-Tube 12 via cylindrical opening 18 of essentially cylindrical body 14. The outer surface of pull-in head 34 is arranged to press shoulder member 44 upward against the biasing force provided by elastomeric collar 46. When the pull-in head 34 is further pulled into the flange device 10. Groove 32 will be pulled into alignment with shoulder member 44, as shown sequentially in FIGS. 3 and 4. As shown in FIG. 4, should member 44 is biased downward into locking engagement with groove 32 by elastomeric collar 46, or alternately by the spring arrangement illustrated in FIG. 5.
(16) As shown in FIG. 6, after the shoulder member 44 locks into engagement with groove 32, the pull-in line 36 is pulled with increasing force until weak link latch 42 disengages from connection collar 30. Cable 38 may then be further pulled into the structure. FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a first embodiment of a release mechanism. An ROV 52 having a manipulator arm 54 is equipped with a release device 56. Release device 56 comprises a frame member 58 on which is arranged a vertically movable slider member 60. Slider member 60 has a slot 62 for receiving the end of rotatable locking arm 20. A piston device 64 may be actuated to raise slider member 60, thus raining rotatable locking arm 20 and disengaging shoulder member 44 from groove 32 and releasing collar 30 from the flange device 10. Piston device 64 may be actuated by a hydraulic line 66, or other techniques known in the art for actuating a piston device. In an alternate embodiment shown in FIG. 9, a release arm 68 having a slot 70 is provided. The end of rotatable locking arm is inserted into slot 70. A release line 72 may be pulled in order to rotate arm 20 and disengage collar 30 from the flange device 10.
(17) In the event the rotatable locking arm 20 becomes jammed, the invention provides a failsafe release mechanism, illustrated in FIG. 10. Hinge pin 24 passes through brackets 22 holding rotatable locking arm 20 in place. A safety pin 74 holds hinge pin 24 in place. Pulling on handle 26 will break safety pin 74, allowing hinge pin 24 to be removed from brackets 22, releasing rotatable locking arm 20. Collar 30, together with the jammed locking arm 20 can then be released from the flange device.
