1. A jacking system comprising a mobile, marine-based platform, a plurality of supporting legs for said mobile, marine-based
platform and means for providing relative motion between the mobile, marine-based platform and the plurality of supporting
legs, each of said plurality of supporting legs including a leg chord comprising a column with a toothed rack welded on one
side of the column, the means for providing relative motion between the mobile, marine-based platform and the plurality of
supporting legs comprising: a plurality of continuous linear motion motors, with at least one continuous linear motion motor
being engaged with the toothed rack of the leg chord of each of the supporting legs, each continuous linear motion motor comprising
at least three piston/cylinder units, each of the at least three piston/cylinder units having an extendable and retractable
piston and a toothed rack engagement member driven by its piston and an engagement/disengagement means for engaging and disengaging
the toothed rack engagement member with the toothed rack; and a source of hydraulic pressure for operating the continuous
linear motion motors; and
control means for operating said plurality of continuous linear motion motors by operating a portion of the engagement/disengagement
means of each of said continuous linear motion motors and engaging a portion of the toothed rack engagement members of each
of said continuous linear motion motors with the toothed racks, and operating said engaged portion of said continuous linear
motion motors to provide said continuous relative motion while operating at least one of the engagement/disengagement means
of each of said continuous linear motion motors and disengaging at least one toothed rack engagement member of each of said
continuous linear motion motors and operating the disengaged one of the continuous linear motion motors to reposition the
disengaged toothed rack engagement member for re-engagement with the toothed rack and providing said continuous relative motion.
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