Marine pipeline installation appts. - is pulled by the lay barge and requires no separate energy except to drive a sparge

摘要

A submarine pipeline installation appts. forms a ditch and lays generally rigid pipeline from a surface vessel in the ditch. The appts. has rigid frame that travels on the sea-bed and has a ditch forming arrangement on its underside. A series of aligned supportive surfaces on the upper side of the frame movably receive the pipe and guide is downwardly into the formed ditch. A towing arrangement connects the frame to the surface vessel. As the apparatus is towed the ditch is formed and the pipe laid in it in a continuous operation without the operative portions of the ditching arrangement having to straddle the pipeline. Since the appts. has no movable parts to form the ditch energy is not continuously wasted when the lay barge is idle or momentarily stopped.