Apparatus for separating an oil slick from a large body of water

Claim 1

A barge for receiving and separating oil from the surface of a body of water comprising: a compartment within the barge defined by a bottom wall and upright side walls extending therefrom; an Opening in one of said side walls located so as to intersect said surface of said body of water and in communication with the interior of said compartment; a water pump having an inlet means located within said compartment spaced apart from and below said opening, and an outlet means located exteriorly of said compartment; and a subcompartment within said compartment and spaced apart from said opening and defined by a bottom plate located below said opening and spaced above said bottom wall of said compartment, upright wall means connected to said bottom plate and extending upwardly therefrom above the bottom of the opening, said upright wall means having spaced apart ends defining an entrance therebetween, and gate means positioned within said entrance for limiting the flow of said body of water from said compartment into said subcompartment to the upper portion of said body of water; said opening, said water pump inlet means and said gate means being so constructed and arranged that said inlet means induces flow of said body of water through the opening into the compartment and past the gate means.