Latchable flange for an underwater drilling assembly

Abstract

Underwater drilling assemblies and systems are disclosed. The underwater drilling assemblies and systems include drill assemblies, frames for drill assemblies, and connection flange assemblies to be fastened to a ship skin. The underwater drilling assemblies and systems further include waste cartridges and automatic air-bleed valve assemblies.

1 . An underwater drilling assembly, comprising:
 a drilling assembly;   a connection flange assembly configured to be attached to a ship skin by the drilling assembly, wherein the connection flange assembly comprises an upper flange and a female coupling portion; and   a frame supporting the drill assembly, wherein the frame comprises:
 a lower platform; 
 attachment legs extending from the lower platform and configured to attach the underwater drilling assembly to a ship skin; 
 a male coupling portion attached to the lower platform, wherein the male coupling portion is configured to be received by the female coupling portion, wherein the male coupling portion comprises a lower flange; and 
 a latching assembly attached to the frame, wherein the latching assembly is configured to latch and de-latch the upper flange and the lower flange to couple and decouple the male coupling portion and the female coupling portion. 
   
     
     
         2 . The underwater drilling assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the latching assembly comprises a locking ring configured to be rotated to couple and decouple the upper flange and the lower flange. 
     
     
         3 . The underwater drilling assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the locking ring comprises a plurality of radial locking tabs, wherein the lower flange comprises a plurality of slots configured to receive the radial locking tabs, and wherein the locking ring is rotatable relative to the upper flange to axially lock the male coupling portion and the connection flange assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The underwater drilling assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the latching assembly further comprises a hydraulic actuator configured to rotate the locking ring relative to the frame, the male coupling portion, and the connection flange assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The underwater drilling assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the male coupling portion comprises a seal ring configured to fluidically seal the male coupling portion and the female coupling portion. 
     
     
         6 . The underwater drilling assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the connection flange assembly further comprises guiding posts extending therefrom configured to engage the attachment legs to prevent relative rotation between the connection flange assembly and the lower platform. 
     
     
         7 . The underwater drilling assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the male coupling portion comprises a machined outer surface and the female coupling portion comprises a machined inner surface configured to interface with the machined outer surface. 
     
     
         8 . The underwater drilling assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the male coupling portion comprises a chamfered pipe edge receivable within the female coupling portion. 
     
     
         9 . An assembly, comprising:
 a frame defining a first bore;   a connection flange defining a second bore, wherein an axis extends through said first bore and said second bore, and wherein a drill is movable along the axis; and   a latch mounted to the frame, wherein the latch is rotatable about the axis between a latched position where the connection flange is secured to the frame and an unlatched position where the connection flange is disengaged from the frame such that the frame can be pulled away from the connection flange upon fastening the connection flange to a ship skin.   
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the latch comprises a locking ring configured to be rotated to couple and decouple the connection flange and the frame. 
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the locking ring comprises a plurality of radially-extending locking tabs, wherein the connection flange comprises a plurality of slots configured to receive the radial locking tabs, and wherein the locking ring is rotatable relative to the frame and the connection flange to axially lock the frame and the connection flange together. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising a hydraulic actuator configured to rotate the locking ring relative to the frame and the connection flange. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the frame comprises a male coupler comprising a seal configured to fluidically seal the frame and the connection flange. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the frame comprises a plurality of legs, wherein the connection flange further comprises guiding posts extending therefrom configured to engage the plurality of legs to prevent relative rotation between the connection flange and the frame. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the frame comprises a male coupler comprising a machined outer surface, wherein the connection flange comprises a female coupler comprising a machined inner surface configured to interface with the machined outer surface. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the male coupler comprises a chamfered pipe edge receivable within the female coupler. 
     
     
         17 . A method for extracting fluid from a sunken vessel using an underwater drilling assembly comprising a frame, a drilling assembly attached to the frame, and a connection flange assembly, the method comprising:
 attaching the connection flange assembly to the frame with a hydraulic actuator;   lowering the underwater drilling assembly onto an exterior of the sunken vessel;   actuating leg assemblies of the underwater drilling assembly to hold the frame of the underwater drilling assembly to the exterior;   driving, with a fluidic drill of the underwater drilling assembly, at least one self-tapping stud through the connection flange assembly and into the exterior to secure the connection flange assembly to the exterior;   drilling, with the fluidic drill, a hole in the sunken vessel within an inner void defined in the connection flange assembly;   sealing, with the connection flange assembly, a cavity defined inside the connection flange assembly from ambient water;   disconnecting the connection flange assembly from the frame with the hydraulic actuator; and   extracting fluid through connection flange assembly and the hole drilled by the fluidic drill.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein disconnecting the flange connection assembly from the frame with the hydraulic actuator comprises rotating a locking ring from a locked position to an unlocked position such that the frame can be separated from the flange connection assembly upon moving the locking ring into the unlocked position. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the locking ring comprises a plurality of radial locking tabs extending inwardly therefrom, and wherein disconnecting the flange connection assembly from the frame with the hydraulic actuator comprises rotating the radial locking tabs into alignment with corresponding tab slots defined in the flange connection assembly. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising lifting, after rotating the radial locking tabs into alignment with the corresponding tab slots, the frame vertically away from the flange connection assembly such that the radial locking tabs pass through the corresponding tab slots.