WO2012050457A1

WO2012050457A1 - Retainer for transponders for use when working sub sea

Info

Publication number: WO2012050457A1
Application number: PCT/NO2011/000288
Authority: WO
Inventors: Terje Christian Pedersen
Original assignee: INSTALL IT AS
Current assignee: INSTALL IT AS
Priority date: 2010-10-12
Filing date: 2011-10-10
Publication date: 2012-04-19
Anticipated expiration: 2013-04-12
Also published as: NO333613B1; NO20101414A1

Abstract

Retainer for transponders (15), designed to be attached to a crane wire (16) or the like above a crane hook for use when working sub sea, where the retainer includes a body (1) with a cylindrical compartment for receiving a transponder (15), that a transverse locking shaft (10) is arranged in the upper part of the compartment above the transponder (15) when this is in the compartment, that the locking shaft (10) includes a recess which, in one position of the locking shaft (10) where the recess is part of the compartments cylindrical shape, allowing the transponder (15) to be inserted into the compartment and that the locking shaft (10) in a different position, where the recess of the locking shaft (10) facing away from the compartment, preventing the transponder (15) from being removed from the compartment.

Description

Retainer for transponders for use when working sub sea.

The present invention relates to a retainer for transponders, designed to be attached to a crane wire or the like, above a crane hook for use when working with sub sea installations.

During the operation of ships or other vessels, from where objects are installed on the seabed, transmitters are used to monitor the installed object's position.

A transmitter is placed on the crane wire, just above the crane hook and headache ball that sits over the hook, to detect the position of the crane hook. The position of the crane hook and any other objects can thus be displayed on a screen so as to continuously keep track of where the equipment is located; in the sea, near or on the seabed.

Common use at present, a transmitter is placed in a pipe section which is attached to the crane wire in different ways. It can be hose clamps (jubilee clips), tie wraps, adhesive tape, set screws or clamps. Common for these solutions are that they stick out from the wire in such a way that they can snag, and is exposed to falling down when the crane hook is run too far into the pulley or lubricating device on the end of the crane boom.

This has caused accidents where the transmitter, which may have a weight of 2.5 kg, has fallen down on the deck of the vessel, with potentially fatal consequences for personnel working there.

Today's solutions does not allow for the transmitter to be replaced during lifting operations, if it runs out of power or for other reasons does not function satisfactory, because the retainer is not designed for this purpose. There is thus a need to produce a retainer that prevents the transmitter or other parts from being released accidentally and dropped to the deck, and further ensures that the transmitter can be replaced during the lifting operation.

The aforementioned disadvantages of known designs of retainers, is avoided with the retainer shown in the present invention, as defined by the requirements stated.

The retainer according to the invention includes a locking mechanism that prevents the transponder to fall out of the retainer. The locking mechanism can be operated under water, by a mini submarine and the transmitter can be removed and replaced with a new one if the battery is discharged, without the need to pull the crane hook to the surface with external load. The retainer will, both from a safety and an economic point of view, constitute a major improvement over the current situation.

The only figure on the drawing shows a version of the invention where the retainer's individual parts has been displayed.

The figure shows a back piece 2 that is attached to a body 1 with bolts 4, washers 6 and nuts 5. The back piece 2 comprises at least one flexible element 3, preferably made of soft plastic. The body 1 has a slot that can hold at least one flexible element, for receiving a wire 16 or any other cylindrical object that the retainer shall be fixed to, in such way that the wire 16 fits into the slot of the back piece 2 with its flexible element 3. The wire 16 may have a surface with an irregular shape. The flexible element 3 can be designed to fit the wire or rod's radius or shape. Both the slot in the body 1 and back piece 2 can be designed to retain more flexible elements 3, which is designed to provide flexibility to the wire 16.

The body 1 and back piece 2 is attached to the wire 16 in such way that the wire 16 is placed in the slot in the body 1 and the back piece 2 and body 1 is firmly clamped to the wire 16 by the bolts 4 and one or more flexible elements 3.

The body 1 comprises a cylindrical compartment for a transponder 15. The bottom of the compartment is closed by a bottom lid 7 and is attached to the body with screws 8 and cylindrical nuts, also called cross nut 9. A base piece 14 resting on the bottom lid 7 is arranged to centralize and receive the bottom of the transponder 15. Over the transponder 15 top has the body a transverse bore for the introduction of a locking shaft 10 with a recess corresponding to the compartments cylindrical contour in one position, but in a different position locks the transponder 5 in the compartment when the recess is facing away radially towards the axis of the compartment.

The locking shaft 10 is fixed to the body 1 with a nut 11 , but free to rotate. The locking shaft 10 has a handle 12 with a fixing bolt 13 in the other end.

When the locking shaft 10 is in open position, the recess is a part of the cylinder wall in the compartment of the body 1 and thus has the same diameter as the

compartment for the transponder 15. After the body 1 and the back piece 2 is mounted onto the wire 16 may objects as a transponder 15 or the like be placed in the body's 1 compartment.

The transponder 15 is locked to the compartment of the body 1 by turning the handle 12 until the recess on the locking shaft 10 is rotated 90°. Then the locking shaft 10 is resting over the transponder 15 with full diameter and will block the transponder 15 from being pulled out of the compartment. The handle 2 is locked in this position. The handle 12 is positioned in a recess of the body 1 , which allows a rotation of only 90° of the handle 12. If the transponder 15 shall be picked up for replacement, the handle 12 is turned 90° the opposite way and the transponder 15 can be freely retrieved from the compartment past the recess in the locking shaft 10.

The locking shafts 10 position in the compartment and thus the position of the locking shafts 10 recess is read simply by reading the handle 12 position in the recess of the body 1. The handle 12 is set into a recess in the body 1 preventing it from snagging and unintentional operation.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Retainer for transponders (15), designed to be attached to a crane wire (16) or the like above a crane hook for use when working sub sea,

characterized in that the retainer includes a back piece (2) and a body (1 ) which encloses the crane wire (16 ) and firmly attached to the crane wire (16) and joined by means of fasteners, and the body (1) is arranged with a cylindrical compartment for receiving a transponder (15), a transverse locking shaft (10) is arranged in the upper part of the compartment above the transponder (15) when this is placed in the compartment, the locking shaft (10) includes a recess which, in one position of the locking shaft (10) where the recess is part of the compartments cylindrical shape, allowing the transponder (15) to be inserted into the compartment and that the locking shaft (10) in a different position, where the recess facing away from the compartment, preventing the transponder (15) to be removed from the compartment.

2. Retainer according to claim 1 , c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the locking shaft (10) outer end includes a handle (12) whose position in a recess in the body (1) shows the recess in the locking shaft's (10) position relative to the compartment and can be used to rotate the locking shaft (10) between the position where the transponder (15) can be removed from the compartment and the position where the transponder (15) is prevented from being removed from the compartment.

3. Retainer according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the fasteners are in the form of bolts (4), screws (6) and nuts (5).

4. Retainer according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the back piece (2) comprises at least one flexible element for contact with the wire (16).

5. Retainer according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the body (1) is arranged with a groove with a flexible element for retaining the crane wire (16).