Apparatus for collecting oil slick from a body of water

• US 3,968,041 A
• Filed: 09/12/1973
• Issued: 07/06/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Edwin A De Voss
• Original Assignee: Edwin A De Voss
• Inventors: De Voss, Edwin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Granger, Theodore A.
• Application Number:
  US05/396,348
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 210/83, 210/242, 210/DIG. 21, 161/21
• US Class Current: 210/242.3
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 51/01 Hydraulic transport of articles B65G51/04 takes precedence; water roundabouts A63G3/00
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 15/104 Conveyors; Paddle wheels; Endless belts E02B15/101 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/204 Keeping clear the surface of open water from oil spills
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 210/923 using mechanical means, e.g. skimmers, pump

Abstract

A system for removing oil slicks from water surfaces such as the ocean, harbors, lakes or ponds. An endless conveyor, for example, the surface of a drum or of a belt, contacts the oil slick, which adheres to it. The slick is conveyed by the conveyor to means for its removal from the conveyor, for example, a wringer. Features of the invention which can variously be utilized are (a) the use of a flexible, relatively limber, flat blade-like cover for the conveyor, such as the well-known artificial grass "Astroturf"; (b) the use of a downwardly-facing region of the conveyor which can overhang and press against the top of the oil slick so the slick can adhere to the conveyor; and (c) the provision of a second conveyor aft of the first conveyor relative to the direction of forward motion of the system, the second conveyor extending below the elevation of the first conveyor, whereby they form an initially wedge-shaped path in which the slick tends to be trapped and drawn. The system can be mounted to floating support means for supporting it relative to the oil slick, and for moving it along the oil slick.

Claims

1. In an apparatus for removing oil from a body of water while moving along the water in a forward direction of motion:

a conveyor having a surface to which oil tends removably to adhere, said surface being contactible with the top of a slick of oil to be removed while the slick is on the surface of the body of water, and movable rearwardly of the said forward direction and upwardly relative to the water;

a secondary conveyor formed as a belt having a lower loop beneath the surface of the water, and a length disposed rearwardly of the first-named conveyor, and extending rearwardly and upwardly, whereby to form at the elevation of the oil atop the water an initially wedge-shaped path into which the oil slick tends to be drawn as a consequence of movement of the conveyors relative to one another, the first-named conveyor comprising a drum having a substantial portion of its periphery forming a downwardly-facing region so disposed and arranged as to contact the top of the oil slick.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the said surface comprises a base, and extending from and attached to the base, a plurality of thin and substantially flat blades, which are sufficiently limber so as to be pressed flat against one another, and as a group flat against the base, to squeeze oil from their surfaces, oil tending removably to adhere to said blades.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the number of blades per unit area of base is such as to cause the blades to give some side support to one another, tending to keep them directed away from the base when endwise force is exerted on the blades.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which a plurality of said blades is gathered in a tuft and attached to the base as a tuft, whereby spacings are formed between the blades into which oil can enter for adherence to the blades.

5. In an apparatus floating on and propelled through a body of water for progressively intercepting and picking up a strip from a layer of oil off the surface of the body of water, the combination of:

an endless belt conveyor means having a front end pointing in the direction of propulsion, said conveyor means embodying an endless conveyor belt rising from a lower front end loop to an elevated rearward loop, and lower front end and elevated rearward rotatable drums in said loops;

a rotatable pick-up drum conveyor means embodying a pick-up drum mounted above said belt conveyor means for rotation on a horizontal axis generally in the region above said front end drum for the conveyor belt;

buoyant carrier means floatable on the body of water and having means for supporting both said conveyor means, with said lower front end conveyor belt drum being located and positioned relative to said carrier means as to be partially below the surface of the body of water, and with said pick-up drum located and positioned relative to said carrier means so that a lower circumferential surface of said drum is located opposite to and adjacent the front end loop of said conveyor and below the surface of the body of water to encounter the layer of oil on the water;

means for driving the conveyor belt in a direction with its upper stretch travelling up said inclined path; and

means for rotating said drum so that its lower periphery travels in the same direction as said upper stretch of said belt.

6. In an apparatus for intercepting and picking up oil from the surface of a body of water:

an endless revolving conveyor belt having a lower front end loop which dips into the water below the surface thereof, and a rearward loop elevated above the water surface;

means for driving said belt so that the upper stretch of said belt travels upwardly in the direction from said lower front end loop toward said rearward loop;

a rotatable drum located over said upper stretch of said belt in a position to dip into the water and to encounter a layer of oil on the surface thereof; and

means for revolving said drum so that the underside of said drum and said upper stretch of said conveyor belt travel in the same direction, so that both tend to move oil picked up thereby in the same direction.

7. Apparatus for removing a lighter liquid floating upon the surface of a body of water, said apparatus comprising first and second substantially horizontally spaced-apart conveyor belt rollers and a third roller located above said first and second rollers, endless conveyor belt means extending around the external periphery of said first, second and third rollers, drive means operatively driving said belt around said rollers, a plurality of plastic bristle-like blades mounted on the surface of said belt on the external surface thereof, and means for removing liquid adhering to said blades, said means being located above said first and second rollers and adjacent said third roller.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 in which said conveyor belt comprises a base, and in which said bristle-like blades are thin, flexible, and substantially flat.

9. A surface according to claim 8 in which a plurality of said blades is gathered in a tuft and attached to the base as a tuft, whereby spacings are formed between the blades into which oil can enter for adherence to the blades.

10. A surface according to claim 8 in which the conveyor is a linearly-movable conveyor belt.

11. Apparatus according to claim 8 in which the blades are sufficiently limber as to be pressable against one another to lay as a group flat against the base, and in which the means for removing liquid comprises squeezer means to press the blades flat as aforesaid.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 in which buoyant mounting means supports the rollers, and propulsion means is adapted to propel the mounting means through the water in a forward direction, the drive means being adapted to drive the portion of the belt between the first and second rollers in the opposite direction.

13. Apparatus according to claim 8 in which the belt is substantially planar between the first and second rollers.

14. Apparatus according to claim 7 in combination with buoyant mounting means supporting the rollers, and propulsion means to propel the mounting means through the water in a forward direction, the drive means driving the portion of the belt between the first and second rollers in the opposite direction.

15. Apparatus according to claim 7 in which the belt is substantially planar between the first and second rollers.

16. Apparatus according to claim 11 in which the number of blades per unit area of base is such as to cause the blades to give at least some side support to one another, tending to keep them directed away from the base when endwise force is exerted on the blades.

17. Apparatus according to claim 7 in which a secondary conveyor is formed as a belt having a lower loop beneath the surface of the water, and a length disposed in general parallelism with that portion of the first-named conveyor between the second and third rollers, whereby to form an initially wedge-shaped path into which the lighter liquid tends to be drawn as a consequence of the parallel movement of the conveyors between said second and third rollers, and second drive means to drive the secondary conveyor.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 in which said first-named conveyor belt comprises a base, and in which said bristle-like blades are thin, flexible, and substantially flat.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18 in which the blades are sufficiently limber as to be pressable against one another to lay as a group flat against the base, and in which the means for removing liquid comprises squeezer means to press the blades flat as aforesaid.