Offshore cargo rack for use in transferring fluid holding tank loads between a marine vessel and an offshore platform

Abstract

A cargo rack for transferring loads between a marine vessel and an offshore marine platform (for example, oil and gas well drilling or production platform) provides a frame having a front, a rear, and upper and lower end portions. The lower end of the frame has a perimeter beam base, a raised floor and a pair of open-ended parallel fork tine tubes or sockets that communicate with the perimeter beam at the front and rear of the frame, preferably being structurally connected (e.g., welded) thereto. Openings in the perimeter beam base align with the forklift tine tubes or sockets. The frame includes a plurality of fixed side walls extending upwardly from the perimeter beam that include at least left and right side walls. A plurality of gates are movably mounted on the frame including a gate at least at the front and at least at the rear of the frame, each gate being movable between open and closed positions, the gates enabling a forklift to place fluid holding tanks on the floor by accessing either the front of the frame or the rear of the frame. A manifold arrangement with specially configured fittings enables transfer of fluid in any tank to a common outlet.

1 . A cargo rack comprising:
 a) a frame having a front, a rear, and upper and lower end portions;   b) a plurality of fluid load modules that are supported with the frame during use;   c) the lower end portion having a perimeter beam base with a floor providing multiple load holding positions, each configured to hold a separate one of the fluid load modules;   d) the frame including a plurality of side walls that attach to and extend upwardly from the perimeter beam base and including at least left and right side walls, the frame having four corners with a corner column at each corner;   e) a plurality of gates that are movably mounted to the frame, including a pair of gates at the front and a pair of gates at the rear of the frame, each gate being movably between open and closed;   f) a header under the floor having a plurality of branch flow lines and a common discharge, each branch flow line being positioned to form a fluid conveying connection with a fluid tank;   g) a discharge fitting on each tank that is connectable with a branch flow line; and   h) wherein at least two of said branch flow lines connect to form a connection that is spaced inwardly of said perimeter and upstream of said common discharge.   
     
     
         2 . The cargo rack of  claim 1  wherein there are four load holding positions. 
     
     
         3 . The cargo rack of  claim 1  wherein there are a pair of gates at the front of the frame. 
     
     
         4 . The cargo rack of  claim 1  wherein there are a pair of gates at the rear of the frame. 
     
     
         5 . The cargo rack of  claim 1  wherein at least a part of the floor is inclined. 
     
     
         6 . The cargo rack of  claim 5  wherein the floor attaches to an upper end portion of the perimeter beam. 
     
     
         7 . The cargo rack of  claim 5  wherein each branch flow line extends to a different load holding position. 
     
     
         8 . The cargo rack of  claim 1  wherein a part of the floor is a raised floor that attaches to an upper end portion of the perimeter beam. 
     
     
         9 . The cargo rack of  claim 1  further comprising clamps movably attached to the upper end of the frame between clamping and release positions for restraining vertical movement of a load that is placed on the floor. 
     
     
         10 . The cargo rack of  claim 1  wherein each branch flow line extends in part through the floor to a position above the floor. 
     
     
         11 . A fluid tank cargo rack, comprising;
 a) a structural, transportable frame having a lower end portion with an undercarriage and a floor above the undercarriage;   b) sections on the frame having a plurality of storage locations for holding multiple, separate tanks;   c) a common flow outlet for discharging a selected fluid from a selected tank;   d) a branched header supported by the frame is below the floor;   e) multiple pipe sections that each connect to the branched header, enabling a selected of the tanks to transfer its contents to the branched header for transmission to the common flow outlet; and   f) wherein at least two of said pipe sections connect to form a connection that is spaced inwardly of said undercarriage perimeter and upstream of said common discharge.   
     
     
         12 . The fluid tank cargo rack of  claim 11  wherein there are at least three storage tanks. 
     
     
         13 . The fluid tank cargo rack of  claim 11  wherein there are between 2 and 4 storage tanks. 
     
     
         14 . The fluid tank cargo rack of  claim 11  wherein each of the tanks is fitted to be transportable with a forklift or with a lift line. 
     
     
         15 . The fluid tank cargo rack of  claim 11  wherein the tanks are of the same size. 
     
     
         16 . The fluid tank cargo rack of  claim 11  wherein the frame has multiple sides, and the common flow outlets is positioned on a side of the frame. 
     
     
         17 . The fluid tank cargo rack of  claim 11  wherein the branched header includes a flowline that extends to a section. 
     
     
         18 . The fluid tank cargo rack of  claim 11  wherein each tank has an outlet and the pipe sections includes a plurality of flow lines, each connectable to a tank outlet. 
     
     
         19 . The fluid tank cargo rack of  claim 18  wherein each tank has a valved outlet fitting connectable to the branched header at a riser section that extends through the floor. 
     
     
         20 . The fluid tank cargo rack of  claim 18  wherein the branched header includes multiple user sections that extend from the undercarriage to a position above the floor. 
     
     
         21 . The cargo rack of  claim 10  further comprising flexible flow lines that connect each tank to the header. 
     
     
         22 - 33 . (canceled)