Apparatus for skimming the scum, especially oil layers, from water surfaces

Claim 1

IN A SKIMMING APPARATUS FOR LIQUID SEPARATION, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A COLLECTING TANK TO SKIM A TOP LAYER OF LIQUID FROM A BOTTOM LAYER OF LIQUID, BUOYANT MEANS ON EACH SIDE OF SAID COLLECTING TANK TO FLOAT SAID COLLECTING TANK, MEANS SPACING EACH OF SAID BUOYANT MEANS FROM ONE ANOTHER, AND A FRAME MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID COLLECTING TANK AND EACH SAID BUOYANT MEANS TO MAINTAIN SAID COLLECTING TANK IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION, SAID COLLECTING TANK BEING FREELY SWINGABLE RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME MEANS BY A FIRST HORIZONTAL PIVOT MEANS JOURNALED BETWEEN SAID FRAME MEANS AND SAID COLLECTING TANK, SAID FRAME MEANS BEING FREELY SWINGABLE RELATIVE TO EACH SAID BUOYANT MEANS BY A SECOND HORIZONTAL PIVOT MEANS NORMAL TO SAID FIRST HORIZONTAL PIVOT MEANS AND JOURNALED BETWEEN SAID SPACING MEANS AND SAID FRAME MEANS, WHEREBY BECAUSE OF THE FREE RELATIVE MOVEMENT RESULTING BETWEEN EACH SAID BUOYANT MEANS AND SAID COLLECTING TANK, SAID COLLECTING TANK IS MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL IRRESPECTIVE OF THE PITCH OR ROLL OF EACH SAID BUOYANT MEANS.