Liquid purification or separation – With repair or assembling means – Sliding or rolling on guide means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-22
2001-07-17
Smith, Duane (Department: 1724)
Liquid purification or separation
With repair or assembling means
Sliding or rolling on guide means
C210S242300, C210S923000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06261451
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to the removal and recovery of oil from an oil spill in a body of water, such as in an ocean, sea, lake, river, gulf, or otherwise, and in particular, to an apparatus, its mounting on a boat structure, and the method, by which an oil slick in the form of a continuously moving or non-moving layer of oil in the body of water is collected and discharged into a hold of the boat structure.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Since the advent of super tankers that haul an overwhelming volume of oil in the hold of each of them, frequent oil spillage therefrom has become an occurrence in and detriment to the environmental life of waters, sea creatures, and coastal like, as well as effecting economic loss fully or to some extent. Such an occurrence may occur on the high seas, along coast lines, or near or far from wharves at which crude or processed oil is delivered to or from a tanker. A good example is the relatively recent Exxon company's tanker oil loss along Alaskan shores, killing fish, birds, fowl, and perhaps other life forms, marine or otherwise, which strewed its beaches. In recent weeks, off the coast of the state of Oregon, U.S.A., an oil tanker was leaking, and was deliberately set on fire to consume its oil, rather than the oil permeating the water, etc., with a consequential loss of environmental like. Labor and costs also are involved in cleaning up the damage caused by these kinds of spills. Other examples in relatively recent times is spillage from oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and the North Sea areas.
Various apparata and methods in the past have been employed to rectify water and surrounding environmental conditions brought on by an oil spillage in the water. This invention discloses a unique and novel apparatus, its mounting to a boat structure, and a methods, all of which is deployed in a body of water, to remove an oil slick therein, giant or small in size, while collecting and reclaiming the oil spillage. The oil slick, in the form usually of a continuous and deepened layer is supported by a body of water on which it rides, as it is lighter than water. The apparatus collects the layer of oil from the oil slick and thereafter transfers it into a hold of the boat structure, or even to another structure. By operation of the invention, the oil spillage or slick continues to be reduced and/or eliminated and the adverse environmental condition brought on by the spill of oil into its body of water is abated in a addition to reserving the economic loss, to a greater or lesser extent, associated with the oil spill.
Prior art teachings of apparata heretofore known for recovering oil and the like are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,612,277; 3,685,653; 3,700,107; 3,905,902; 4,834,880; 4,557,832; 4,642,185; 5,051,181; 5,066,407; and 5,089,121.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The inventive concept is directed to a method and an apparatus incorporating a blade that includes a skimming edge co-operating with an endless plastic liner mounted on a rotatable drum and to which a layer of oil of an oil spillage or oil slick adheres, the method removing such layer of oil from the plastic liner and reclaiming it. As the drum rotates, the blade's one edge engages the liner to skim the layer, directing its flow along the width of the blade to gravitate or otherwise discharge into a hold of a gravitate or otherwise discharge into a hold of a boat structure, or other structure, on or with which the device or apparatus is mounted or cooperates. The drum, including an affixed axle or axles, and the skimming blade are supported in their respective assemblies by a pair of arms situated and pivotable in compartmental structures mounted to opposing bulkheads or panels in the boat or other structure. The recovered oil is retained in the hold, and subsequently made available for later processing for its intended use or processed for other uses or applications.
The drum and its liner are floatable in water, and is maintained at an efficient floating level for picking up a later of oil, regardless of the depth at which the boat or other structure drops (sinks) or rises, depending on whether weight of oil is accumulating in the hold, or weight of oil is substantially not much or not in the hold, or while the weight of oil is being transferred out of the hold. The drum's axle or axles are operatively connected to a pair of arms freely pivotable on their mounts in their corresponding compartmental structures, the axle(s) projecting through corresponding slots formed in the bulkheads (walls) or panels forming the compartmental structures. The axle(s) and drum thus are vertically shiftable or moveable by the elevating or lowering of the pivotable arms in the operation of the apparatus, while the boat either drops father into or rises up in the depth of a body of water, due to more or less reclaimed or recovered oil in the hold. In order to maintain operability of the apparatus, the drum and liner are maintained in a position to the water level at which the layer of oil is situated, and access of the axle(s) to the arms in the compartmental structures through the provision of slots accomplishes this. A motor is mounted on one of the arms adjacent a top opening for the one compartmental structure, or elsewhere, and cooperates with a pulley belt system to deliver the motor's power to the drum's axle(s), thus rotating the drum and its liner. A structural formation, such as an elbow arrangement, mounted to each of the arms and over the top of the compartmental structures provides the support for the blade in its cooperation with an along the length of the drum. A guard is provided adjacent a terminus for a front bulkhead or panel, i.e., at a boat's bow, or at an entry point or line at which the layer of oil is transferred into the boat's hold, to prevent introduction of water into the hold with the separated oil.
An object of this invention is to provide a novel apparatus and method that separates a layer or depth of oil from a body of water.
An object of this invention is to provide for the cleaning up and the ridding of an oil slick from a body of water.
Another object of the invention is to unpollute the immediate and surrounding environment, water or otherwise, as soon as possible or practicable upon an oil spillage, say, from a tanker, or from an oil derrick positioned in a body of water, and out of which an oil slick of sufficient dimensions requiring its removal occurs.
A further object of the invention is to save fish, fowl, birds, and other living beings of marine and other natures.
Yet another object of this invention is to contribute to responsible environmental conduct and usage by cleaning up an oil slick in water, while reversing a disaster and an economic loss.
A further object of the invention is to initiate the process of reclaiming oil in a positive economic program, ultimately reducing or erasing monetary loss that would arise by the occurrence of the oil slick itself.
Still another object of the invention is to create a plastic liner on a rotatable drum and by which oil adheres as the drum rotates within an oil slick.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent by a full and complete reading of the following description, the appended claims thereto, and the accompanying drawing comprising three (3) sheets of eight (8) FIGURES.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3700107 (1972-10-01), Flaviani
patent: 3968041 (1976-07-01), De Voss
patent: 4116833 (1978-09-01), Stagemeyer et al.
patent: 4315818 (1982-02-01), Thomas
patent: 5030363 (1991-07-01), Pole
patent: 5043064 (1991-08-01), Abell et al.
Lawrence Frank M.
Smith Duane
Zugglter Frank L.
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