Ships – Ballasting – Antirolling
Patent
1996-04-26
1998-03-31
Swinehart, Ed L.
Ships
Ballasting
Antirolling
134107, B63B 3900
Patent
active
057326460
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cleaning systems for boat hulls, particularly of sail and motor yachts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sports and recreational boats, particularly sail and motor yachts, are frequently cleaned with steam or high pressure water by placing the hulls of the boats on suitable support structures located in the vicinity of a port, on docks, on club properties and the like. Algae, dirt and other contaminants are removed from the boat hull with the steam and/or high pressure water. The contaminated, used water flows into sewers or directly back into open waters. Such a removal of the water leads to a significant contamination of waste water and/or of open waters because the water contains the substances washed from the hull such as grease or oil, a variety of chemicals, anti-fouling preparations, paint, lacquer and plastic remnants, solvents and the like. Such substances are difficult or impossible to remove in conventional sewage treatment plants and, if discharged into the environment, can compromise the survival of or destroy organisms living in such waters. These observations also apply to the cleaning system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,762, which is mounted on a conventional boat trailer.
Environmental concerns therefore mandate that the conventional way of cleaning boat hulls must be changed. Presently available, permanent installations for capturing contaminated water and cleaning it found in the vicinity of ports and docks typically are capable of only removing oil and paint residues and, therefore, effect only an initial decontamination of the water. They cannot prevent a significant contamination of the sewage water, or open water into which it is discharged, with contaminants remaining in the wash water.
It is also known to provide permanent boat hull cleaning installations with a subterranean sedimentation basin for collecting used water from the installation. The water is filtered and recirculated for use. Such installations require large working areas and are quite expensive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a boat hull cleaning system which is mobile, so that it can be used at different localities, and which prevents the contamination of sewers and open waters.
This object is achieved with a cleaning system that includes a transportable container defined by a catch basin at a lower end of the container and container walls extending upwardly from the basin when the container is closed and foldable downwardly and outwardly relative to the basin, and corner plates extending between the container walls when folded downwardly so that the downwardly folded container walls and the corner plates define a water drain surface tilted downwardly towards the basin; a perforated walk-on floor covering the catch basin; structure for supporting the boat hull on the floor; a steam and hot water generator; a used water treatment apparatus; first pipe means for recycling the used water from the catch basin to the used water treatment apparatus and the steam and hot water generator; and second conduit means connecting the steam and hot water generator with at least one hand-operated hose for flowing the steam and hot water through the hose for discharge onto and cleaning of the boat hull.
The boat cleaning system of the present invention has the important advantage that contaminated, used water generated by it is cleaned and recirculated for reuse. Thus, it is not discharged into sewers or open waters. This system uses a container, and in particular a container which preferably has the standard dimensions of conventional shipping containers, that can be converted into a large boat cleaning area and which has a catching basin located on the ground for collecting the used water. The boat to be cleaned is hoisted onto supports which position it above the catch basin so that the hull can be cleaned of dirt by spraying steam and/or hot water from a flexible hose onto the hull. The walls of th
REFERENCES:
patent: 2981266 (1961-04-01), Tamburri
patent: 3258019 (1966-06-01), Bellas et al.
patent: 4279263 (1981-07-01), Pulliam
patent: 5111762 (1992-05-01), Frangiamore
LandOfFree
Container with recirculation system for cleaning boat hulls on l does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Container with recirculation system for cleaning boat hulls on l, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Container with recirculation system for cleaning boat hulls on l will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-43592