Flotation assembly

Claim 2

A bouyancy assembly for use about a pipe comprising; a pair of arcuate wall members adapted to define an annulus, each arcuate wall member including, an outer shell of a fiberglass material, an inner core comprising a plurality of air-filled spheres substantially surrounded by an organic polymeric foam, said inner core having an arcuate inwardly facing surface, arcuately-shaped clamping means imbedded in said inner core and having an arcuate inner surface lying substantially flush with the arcuate inwardly facing surface of said inner core, and anchoring means including at least one V-shaped metal member secured to said clamping means and imbedded in said inner core.

Claim 3

A bouyancy assembly as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising means for securing said pair of arcuate wall members one to the other thereby defining the slotted annulus, and means for providing access to said securing means and said clamping means.

Claim 4

A bouyancy assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said clamping means comprises a pair of clamping halves each including at least one outwardly extending protrusion at one end having a hole therein for accommodating said securing means.

Claim 5

A bouyancy assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said means for providing access includes at least one hollow tube extending through one of said wall members from said outer shell to said clamping means.

Claim 6

A bouyancy assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein sand securing means comprises a threaded nut secured to one of said clamping halves and in alignment with the hole of said one half, and an elongated bolt adapted to fit in said tube and through the holes in another clamping half and to be threadedly engaged with said nut.

Claim 7

A bouyancy assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein each said clamping half includes two outwardly extending protrusions at its ends each having a hole therein, and wherein said means for providing access includes two hollow tubes extending both through one of said wall members from said outer shell to the holes in said clamping halves, respectively.

Claim 8

A bouyancy assembly as set forth in claim 5 further comprising sealing means including a hollow housing adapted to fit over said nut and providing a space for an end of said bolt when said wall members are joined.

Claim 9

A bouyancy assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said anchoring means includes a pair of V-shaped straps having their opposite ends secured to said clamping means.

Claim 10

A conduit-like flotation assembly comprising: a fluid-carrying pipe, a pair of arcuate wall members adapted when positioned about the pipe to define an annular collar for the pipe, each said arcuate wall member including, an outer shell of a fiberglass material, an inner core comprising an organic polymeric foam having a density less than that of water, said inner core having an arcuate inwardly facing surface, arcuately-shaped clamping means imbedded in said inner core and having an arcuate inner surface lying substantially flush with the arcuate inwardly facing surfaces of said inner core, and anchoring means secured to said clamping means and imbedded in said inner core, said clamping means having protruding end flanges having concave recesses for accommodating second and third pipes disposed on opposite sides of said fluid-carrying pipe wherein said second and third pipes are of smaller diameter than said fluid-carrying pipe, said protruding end flanges being configured to expose a portion of said smaller diameter pipes when said collar is formed.

Claim 11

A conduit-like flotation assembly comprising: a fluid-carrying pipe, a pair of arcuate wall members adapted when positioned about the pipe to define an annular collar for the pipe, each said arcuate wall member including, an outer shell of a fiberglass material, an inner core comprising an organic polymeric foam having a density less than that of water, said inner core having an arcuate inwardly facing surface, arcuately-shaped clamping means imbedded in said inner core and having an arcuate inner surface lying substantially flush with the arcuate inwardly facing surfaces of said inner core, and anchoring means secured to said clamping means and imbedded in said inner core, said clamping means having protruding end flanges having concave recesses for accommodating second and third pipes disposed on opposite sides of said fluid-carrying pipe wherein said second and third pipes are of smaller diameter than said fluid-carrying pipe, said protruding end flanges being configured to expose a portion of said smaller diameter pipes when said collar is formed.