Abstract Apparatus for removing a film of oil from a large body of water comprising a pair of generally similar funnel assemblies, one positioned behind and in the wake of the other with a harness for towing the same along their common central axis, each funnel assembly having an impermeable cover with spaced floats to support its wide leading edge above the water to capture the oil with the rest of the cover being supported on the floating oil, depending skirts at the tapered trailing edges of the cover to funnel the oil inwardly toward its apex, an enclosing sack of reinforcing netting covering the top and bottom of the apparatus, a sump to receive the oil from the apex of the rearward assembly, and a pump to transfer the oil from the sump to a storage barge.
Apparatus as described in claim 1 in which said extender means comprises otter boards with yokes for attaching said otter boards to said harness and maintaining them in an outwardly angled orientation whereby their drag is converted to an outwardly directed tension on the lateral ends of said funnel assemblies.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus as described in claim 1 in which said bottom members of each of said funnel assemblies is made of netting.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus as described in claim 3 in which a single bottom member of netting covers both the forward and rearward funnel assemblies and the space between them.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus as described in claim 1 in which the covers of said forward and rearward funnel assemblies are connected together along said central axis.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus as described in claim 1 in which a top-reinforcing member of netting interconnects said forward and rearward funnel assemblies.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
Apparatus as described in claim 6 in which said top-reinforcing member extends over the cover members of both said funnel assemblies and downwardly around the skirt portion of said rearward funnel assembly and is attached to the trailing edge of the bottom member of said rearward assembly.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
53 words
Apparatus as described in claim 1 in which a reinforcing sack of netting extends entirely around the top and bottom and the trailing edge of said apparatus, with the leading edge of the upper portion of said reinforcing sack being attached to the leading edge of the cover of the forward funnel assembly.