Oil reclaim curtain

Claim 2

In a curtain as defined in claim 1; i. said anchoring means including cables each having an inner end connected with the upper end of the lower length of one of said strips, and an outer end, and an anchor on said outer end for securing said cables in positions extending radially outwardly of said curtain, j. yieldable means interposed in said cable for yieldably holding a portion of said cable slack to dampen tension applied to said curtain through surge forces in the body of water in which said curtain is to be supported.

Claim 3

In a curtain as defined in claim 2; k. a buoy connected with each of said cables at a point between said yieldable means interposed in said cable and said anchor for holding the portions of said cables between said curtain and said buoy extending generally horizontally with the portions extending between said buoys and said anchors extending slantingly downwardly relative to horizontal.

Claim 4

An oil reclaim curtain for restricting the spread and movement of oil surfacing in a predetermined area on a body of water from offshore, subsurface, drilling operations, comprising: a. a continuous, vertically disposed curtain having a main lower portion and a marginal upper portion, b. supporting means connected with said curtain for floatingly supporting it in said body of water at the upper surface thereof in a position with said marginal portion projecting a substantial distance above said upper surface and with said main portion extending a substantial distance into said body of water, c. anchoring means connected with said curtain for anchoring said curtain in said position. d. said curtain being flexible and extending generally annularly when in said position, for extending around the oil surfacing in said area. e. vertically extending, circumferentially spaced rigid strips secured to said curtain for reinforcing said curtain at spaced points therearound. f. said vertically extending strips each comprising an upper length thereof extending the vertical width of said marginal portion and a lower length thereof separate from said upper length extending the vertical width of said main lower portion, said lower lengths being hingedly connected with the upper lengths including said marginal portion inwardly relative to the area enclosed by said curtain, under the influence of wave force thereagainst, g. means for holding said upper lengths and said marginal portion against swinging thereof outwardly relative to said area, and h. means connected with said upper lengths for yieldably resisting swinging of said marginal portion and said upper lengths inwardly and for yieldably returning said upper lengths and said marginal portion to vertically extending position after swinging thereof inwardly. i. said anchoring means including cables each having an inner end connected with the upper end of the lower length of one of said strips, and an outer end, and an anchor on said outer end for securing said cables in positions extending radially outwardly of said curtain, j. secondary yieldable means interposed in said cable for yieldably holding a Portion of said cable slack to dampen tension applied to said curtain through surge forces in the body of water in which said curtain is to be supported, k. primary yieldable tension means connected with the upper ends of the upper lengths of said strips and with said cables at points spaced outwardly of said curtain and said secondary yieldable means being interposed in said cables outwardly of said last mentioned portion relative to said curtain.

Claim 5

An oil reclaim curtain for restricting the spread and movement of oil surfacing in a predetermined area on a body of water from offshore, subsurface drilling operations, comprising: a. a continuous, vertically disposed curtain having a main lower portion and a marginal upper portion, b. supporting means connected with said curtain for floatingly supporting it in said body of water at the upper surface thereof in a position with said marginal portion projecting a substantial distance above said upper surface and with said main portion extending a substantial distance into said body of water, c. anchoring means connected with said curtain for anchoring said curtain in said position. d. said curtain being flexible and extending generally annularly when in said position, for extending around the oil surfacing in said area. e. said curtain being in separable sections extending circumferentially of said curtain, f. rigid vertical strips secured to opposite ends of each section including means thereon for releasably holding adjacent pairs of said sections together in end-to-end relation; g. said strips each comprising a length thereof extending the vertical width of the upper marginal portion of the section to which it is secured, and a lower length thereof hingedly connected with the upper length thereover and extending the vertical width of the lower main portion of the section, h. said anchoring means including a cable having an inner end connected with the upper end of the lower length of one of said strips at one end of each section, and having an outer end connected with an anchor for anchoring each cable in a position extending generally radially outwardly of said curtain, i. yieldable means respectively connected with the upper end of the upper length of the strip that is connected with said cable for yieldably holding the upper marginal portion of each portion of each section upright, and j. means for positively restricting said upper lengths of said strips to swinging inwardly only relative to the area enclosed by said curtain, against the yieldable resistance of said yieldable means.

Claim 6

An oil reclaim curtain for restricting the spread and movement of oil surfacing in a predetermined area on a body of water from offshore, subsurface drilling operations, comprising: a. a curtain having a main lower portion and a marginal upper portion joined thereto, b. supporting means connected with said curtain for floatingly supporting it in said body of water at the upper surface thereof in a position with said marginal portion positioned upright and projecting a substantial distance above said upper surface and with said main portion extending downwardly a substantial distance into said body of water, c. anchoring means connected with said curtain for anchoring said curtain in said position, d. said curtain extending generally annularly when in said position, for extending around the oil surfacing in said area, e. said curtain being in flexibly connected sections extending circumferentially of said curtain, f. means supporting said marginal portion on said main portion for inward downward movement of the sections thereof at any point around the curtain from said upright position to a lowered position under a predetermined degree of force of wave movement against the outer side of said marginal portion at such point in a direction toward the area within said curtain and toward the opposite side whereby surface water and oil may enter said area over the mArginal portion so lowered, g. means for holding said marginal portion against downward outward movement from said upright position to a lowered position under the force of wave movement in any degree against the inner side of said curtain in a direction from within said area outwardly thereof, h. means connected with said marginal portion for automatically restoring the lowered sections to upright position upon lessening of the force of said wave movement to below said predetermined degree.

Claim 7

In a curtain as defined in claim 6; i. said means supporting said marginal portion on said main portion including members hingedly connecting said marginal portion with said main portion for inward swinging said marginal portion relative to said main portion, j. said means connected with said marginal portion for automatically restoring it to upright position from said lowered position comprising springs yieldably resistant to inward swinging of said marginal portion relative to said main portion.