JPS5844915B2 - Hose structure - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a hose structure, a complete hose unit made of this structure, and a method for manufacturing the same.

Large inner diameter or hole diameter (e.g. 10, 12, 16°, 20.
A 24- or 30-inch (inner diameter) hose is used, for example, to load bulk oil from a single buoy mooring system to a tanker.

Such a system comprises a surface terminal or buoy moored in deep water for application to large tankers, which surface terminal is connected on the one hand to a fixed pipeline laid on the seabed, e.g. to a coastal terminal; On the other hand, it is connected to the floating line of the hose leading to the loading point of the tanker.

Since subsea pipelines, buoy manifolds and tanker manifolds often have different dimensions, relay parts are used for their connections, especially between the buoy and the tanker.

Conventional such relays are short, stiff tapered members, and the relatively abrupt taper required to accommodate the 4- to 6-inch (10- to 15-cm) internal diameter change creates turbulence that makes traditional relays difficult to use. Components experience large flow losses.

To overcome this drawback, the present invention proposes a longer, more flexible,
A unit structure having an internal taper is provided.

According to the present invention, in a one-piece vulcanized hose structure having a tapered inner diameter section or hole, in a stacked state,
(a) an innermost elastomeric lining; (b) a single or composite layer of deformable material adapted to constitute a substantially cylindrical outer surface and increasing in thickness in the direction of decreasing inner diameter; A hose structure is provided having: c) at least one reinforcing layer wrapped over the cylindrical surface; and (d) at least one covering layer made of elastomeric material.

The deformable material layer can be a layer of elastomer (eg, oil-resistant synthetic rubber), a single layer or stack of textile materials (eg, cotton, rayon, nylon, or polyester fibers), or a combination thereof.

The reinforcing layer has single or multiple layers of fiber or wire reinforcement, which is helically wrapped and usually combined with a helical steel wire.

Part or all of this structure may be replaced by an interleaving reinforcement in which a layer of highly compressible yarn or fabric is bonded to each surface of the elastomer layer.

Such hose structures are usually implemented as hose units with steel fittings having coaxial internal diameters.

In this case a steel mount is secured to each end of the hose structure.

The elastomer may be of any type, but is preferably oil resistant.

The invention further provides a method for fabricating a hose structure in which: (a) an elastomeric lining is applied over the periphery of a tapered mandrel; of increasing thickness along a direction of decreasing thickness, thereby providing a substantially cylindrical outer surface;
c) at least one reinforcing layer is wrapped around the cylindrical surface =tL; (d) at least one covering layer is applied around the reinforcing layer; and e) the structure is vulcanized as described above. The above method is provided having steps in which the various layers are integrated.

Steel mounts with coaxial inner diameter sections are attached to opposite ends of the structure before or after vulcanization.

As seen in the drawings, the hose unit of the present invention includes a steel end fitting 1 with a larger inner diameter, a steel end fitting 2 with a smaller inner diameter, and a steel end fitting 2 that is bonded to these fittings by a process such as vulcanization. The entire structure consists of a hose structure indicated by 3.

Each end fitting is provided with a flange 4 and circumferential ribs 5 and 6 to facilitate mating with the hose structure 3.

The hose structure 3 of the illustrated embodiment includes an innermost elastomeric lining 7, a single or composite layer 3 of deformable material, primary reinforcing member layers 9 and 10, a single or multiple layer 11 of fabric breakers, and an elastomeric lining 7. A covering layer 12 of material is provided.

The inner elastomeric lining 7 is substantially uniform in thickness and has a smooth tapered inner surface 7a for mating with the end fittings.

The smooth tapered inner diameter portion is formed on a suitable tapered mandrel, such as a full steel tapered mandrel or a tapered mandrel with elastomeric material tapered onto a cylindrical steel mandrel.

A single or composite layer 8 of deformable material is attached to the end fitting 1
The thickness increases from the larger inner diameter end to the smaller inner diameter end so that the outer shape between and 2 is substantially cylindrical.

In the illustrated embodiment, layer 8 does not extend to the end fitting.

This layer 8 may consist of an increasing number of layers of fabric breakers, a single layer of elastomer of increasing layer thickness, or a combination thereof. It may consist of one or more layers of uniform thickness fabric breaker layered over increasing layers of elastomer.

Although the exact nature of the layer 8 will vary, the smaller inner diameter will have a greater amount of material surrounding it, resulting in greater axial strength in this region, which will inevitably result in "whiplash" due to turbulent flow within the smaller inner diameter. The deformable nature of the material renders the structure resistant to the effects of such turbulent flow, while providing an inherent resistance to such effects.

The construction of the main reinforcing members 9 and 10 can vary.

For example, layer 9 can be a helically wrapped textile reinforcement in one or more layers.

Alternatively, it may be a layer of wire cord wrapped around it.

In each case layer 10 is a tough, helical steel wire that provides most of the strength.

However, either or both layers 9 and 10 (a
) at least one layer of fibers or fabrics of high compressibility material; (b) an elastomeric layer deposited thereon;
c) bonding them with one or more layers of interleaving reinforcement consisting of at least one layer of fibers or fabrics of highly compressible material further bonded onto this elastomeric layer; They may be configured together or individually.

Although the properties of the reinforcing layers 9 and 10 can vary, the surfaces of these layers are substantially flat from end to end of the structure, except at the point of attachment of the end fittings; It provides resistance to hoop stress along the structure and can be easily helically wrapped at a constant pitch and speed using conventional equipment.

The hose structure further comprises one or more textile breaker layers 11 and an elastomeric covering layer 12.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, all wire and fabric components are potted and bonded to the elastomeric hose material by vulcanization to integrate the structure.

The hose made as described above can be longer than the conventional short rigid relay member.

Its length ranges from 15 feet (4.5 meters) to 405
up to 0 feet (12-15 meters), e.g. 30-
Can be 35 feet (9-10,5 meters) with standard 10.12, 16, 20° 24 or 30 inch diameter hose, 4 inch (10 Crrl) to 6 inch (15 CWl) inner diameter Able to adapt to change.

That is, from a hose with an inner diameter of 16 inches (35 cm)
inch (25cm) or 24 inch (6cm)
0 cm) to 20 inches (50 cm).

The hose according to the invention can be modified in various ways, for example, it can be provided with an integral float.

Generally, however, a deformable layer of varying thickness, a reinforcing layer, and a covering layer will be provided for the inner lining.

End fittings or attachments other than those illustrated are also possible.

The hose can be made floatable in salt water or fresh water in one or two ways.

In the first method, a flexible floating material in the form of an elastomeric or plastic sponge is attached to the inside of the cover around the outside of the reinforcing material.

This may be fitted with a preformed foam material or a sheet of foam may be wrapped around the reinforcing layer.

A second method is to provide a flexible or rigid elastomeric or plastic foam material on the outside of the cover 12.

Again, the foam can be preformed or wrapped.

A waterproof paint is then applied to its outer surface.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that many variations are possible.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawing is a half-sectional view of a hose structure having a tapered bore according to the present invention, with the middle section cut away. 1.2... End fitting, 3... Hose structure, 4... Flange, 5, 6...
Rib, 7... Inner elastomer lining:
8...Deformable material layer, 9.10...
Reinforcing member, 11... Fabric breaker layer, 12...
...Covering layer.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An integrally vulcanized relay flexible dog diameter hose structure interconnected between two end fittings having different hole diameters, the end fittings having different hole diameters; a tapered hole extending between the end fittings, one end of the hole matching the hole diameter of one of the end fittings, and the other end of the tapered hole extending between the end fittings; corresponds to the bore diameter of the other of the end fittings, and the hose structure has a substantially constant outer diameter and a varying wall thickness in cross section. forming a tapered hole interconnecting the end fittings;
an elastomeric tubular layer of uniform cross-section and a layer of deformable material adjacent and surrounding said tubular layer between an end fitting, the thickness of the cross-section decreasing in the direction of the hole; a layer of deformable material increasing to a cylindrical outer surface of substantially constant diameter between the end fittings, and at least one cylindrical reinforcing layer surrounding the deformable layer; , an outer covering of elastomeric material forming the exterior of the hose structure. 2. The hose structure according to claim 1, further comprising a steel mounting member having a coaxial hole attached to each end thereof. 3. A method of making a hose structure comprising the steps of applying an elastomeric lining around a tapered mandrel thereby forming a hole in the hose structure having a variable diameter, and forming a single layer of variable material. or applying a composite layer around the lining, increasing the cross-sectional thickness of the layer in the direction of decreasing mandrel diameter, thereby providing a cylindrical external surface of approximately constant diameter; wrapping a reinforcing layer around the layer of deformable material; applying at least one covering layer around the reinforcing layer; and vulcanizing the structure, thereby integrating the various layers. The above method, characterized by comprising: