Flotation confinement apparatus

Claim 1

A flotation confinement apparatus consisting of a plurality of shell members connected serially to envelope a body of oilbearing water, each of said shell members comprising: first elongated float means defining an upper chamber; flotation material of high buoyancy characteristic disposed within said upper chamber; second elongated float means defining a lower chamber, said second float means being rigidly secured below said first elongated float means; bAllast means of predetermined amount contained within said lower chamber; cable guide arm means secured transversely across said first elongated float means at one end of each of said shell members, each alternate arm means as between alternating shell members being laterally displaced in an opposite off set position relative to the shell member alignment; connecting means disposed on each end of said first and second elongated float means for pivotal, sealing interconnection to adjacent shell members serially connected therewith, said connecting means including first latch means which includes a bracket having one or more apertures disposed therethrough connected to one end of each of said shell members, and second latch means including one or more tongue means connected to the opposite ends of each of said shell members, such that said shell members are interconnected by joinder of each second latch means to a first latch means by locked insertion of respective tongue means within a respective bracket means; and, first and second cables led along opposite sides of said flotation confinement apparatus as movably retained by opposite ends of said guide arm means as secured across each shell member.