Liquid purification or separation – Structural installation – Grated inlet surface drain
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-08
2001-04-24
Simmons, David A. (Department: 1724)
Liquid purification or separation
Structural installation
Grated inlet surface drain
C210S170050, C210S232000, C210S242400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06221243
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to storm water capturing systems, and more particularly to a device for removing hydrocarbons from storm water as it exits the catch basin of a storm water capturing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Precipitation that falls on a surface that cannot absorb it must be directed to a reservoir or a waterway that carries the water away from the surface. This occurs commonly in paved parking lots and streets. Ordinarily the water is directed by gravity into catch basins, which are steel, cast iron, or pre-cast concrete receptacles buried in the ground. The catch basins' openings are at the surface level and are covered by perforated metal covers, through which water can flow into the catch basins, and over which vehicles can drive. Underground pipes connect the catch basins together to direct storm water into a nearby river, stream, or reservoir.
Unfortunately, much of the storm water that washes into storm water systems carries foreign matter with it. This foreign matter can include naturally occurring materials such as soil, sand, branches and leaves. However, it often also includes refined chemicals such as automobile antifreeze, motor oil, fuel and other hydrocarbons that leak from automobiles. Additionally, the very pavement that makes up many road and parking lot surfaces includes hydrocarbons (in the form of asphalt) that leach into storm water.
Hydrocarbons, which float on water, become an environmental concern because they end up in water that is a potential source of drinking water and/or contains wildlife. It is therefore desirable to remove hydrocarbons that are carried by storm water.
Many people have attempted to address this environmental concern by constructing devices for removing hydrocarbons from storm water. U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,535 discloses a fabric that is mounted in a storm sewer catch basin beneath the perforated cover. The fabric absorbs oily pollutants but does not absorb water. However, hydrocarbons in the water coming in through the perforated cover will not be thoroughly removed because the water falls onto the top of the fabric material and prevents it from absorbing the hydrocarbons that float on top of the water.
It is also known conventionally to use filters at the opening of a catch basin. However, such filters often become blocked as larger objects, such as sticks and leaves, are filtered out and eventually obstruct the passage of water through the filter. Such obstruction can cause the storm sewer system to overflow, thereby defeating the purposes of both the storm sewer system and the hydrocarbon removal device.
Therefore, the need exists for a hydrocarbon removal apparatus that is reliable and does not block water flow. This apparatus should be easily accessed from the surface of the parking lot or roadway, and should remove substantially all of the hydrocarbons from storm water.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is an improved storm water capturing system. In storm water capturing systems, water flowing across a surface of ground is captured and directed away from the surface of the ground into a catch basin. The catch basin is mounted with an upper lip beneath the surface of the ground. A catch basin sidewall extends from the upper lip downwardly to a floor beneath the upper lip. The sidewall and floor define a catch basin chamber. An outlet pipe extends through the catch basin sidewall into the catch basin chamber. Thus, the catch basin chamber is disposed in fluid communication with a passageway through the pipe defined by an inner pipe surface, which passageway removes water that flows into the catch basin chamber.
The improvement to the storm water capturing system described above includes a pair of sheet-retaining fasteners, such as hooks, mounted near an upper pipe edge. Furthermore, a hydrophobic, hydrocarbon-absorbing fabric sheet has a first end mounted to the sheet-retaining fasteners, and a second, opposite end extending downstream away from the catch basin chamber into the passageway through the outlet pipe.
An objective of the invention is that as water fills the catch basin chamber and begins to flow through the outlet pipe, the sheet in the outlet pipe floats on top of the flowing water. The water passes beneath the always floating sheet thereby allowing the sheet to absorb hydrocarbons floating on the water.
The direction of water flow maintains the sheet extending downstream from the sheet-retaining hooks away from the catch basin chamber into the outlet pipe. The orientation of the sheet, and the structure retaining it at only one end, prevent the invention from causing any overflow of the water falling into the catch basin. The sheet cannot become clogged with debris, but even if some debris becomes lodged in the sheet, the sheet does not block water flow, because water is not forced through it. The water's upper surface merely flows against the lower surface of the floating sheet.
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Foster Frank H.
Kremblas, Foster, Millard & Pollick
Lawrence Frank M.
Simmons David A.
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