US3662891A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for confining floating materials
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1970-04-22
•
Granted: 1972-05-16
•
Expires: 1990-04-22
Abstract
Abstract A boom arrangement for the collection of oil or other material floating on the surface of water, the boom being suited for towed or stationary positioning. The boom comprises two flexible arms defining the sides of a converging channel and a harness located between the arms for providing the load bearing structure for supporting and maintaining the boom in proper configuration whether being drawn through the water or being used in a station keeping application. A plurality of wave attenuators may be located near the narrow end of the channel with a controllable gate linking this end of the boom and a collection device located on the side of the gate opposite the narrow end.
Inventors
- 👤 Edward E Headrick
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 16:30
CPC Classifications
E; E02; E02B; E02B15/00; E02B15/04; E02B15/048; E02B15/08; E02B15/0842; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A20/00; Y02A20/20; Y02A20/204; Y10; Y10S; Y10S210/00; Y10S210/918; Y10S210/922; Y10S210/923
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
145 words
An apparatus for entraining material on the surface of a liquid comprising: a first flexible elongated arm and a second flexible elongated arm arranged in a converging channel configuration having a wide opening at one end and a narrow opening at the opposite end, each of said arms being entrained at the liquid surface for providing a vertical barrier extending above and below the surface of the liquid a predetermined distance; and a harness located between said arms having a primary line located between the first and second arms and a plurality of secondary lines interconnecting the primary line and the first and second elongated arms, the length of the secondary lines diminishing in the direction of the wide to the narrow opening for producing a constant angle of convergence and a straight line orientation of the elongated arms on the surface of the liquid.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
145 words
An apparatus for entraining material on the surface of a liquid comprising: a first flexible elongated arm and a second flexible elongated arm arranged in a converging channel configuration having a wide opening at one end and a narrow opening at the opposite end, each of said arms being entrained at the liquid surface for providing a vertical barrier extending above and below the surface of the liquid a predetermined distance; and a harness located between said arms having a primary line located between the first and second arms and a plurality of secondary lines interconnecting the primary line and the first and second elongated arms, the length of the secondary lines diminishing in the direction of the wide to the narrow opening for producing a constant angle of convergence and a straight line orientation of the elongated arms on the surface of the liquid.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
53 words
An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein adjacent pairs of secondary lines of the harness intersect in alternately inverted 90* angular V-shaped patterns to define a succession of squares of diminishing area, the spacing of said intersection in a direction from said wide opening to said narrow opening having an approximate geometric progression.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein pairs of secondary lines of the harness intersect at 90* angles, successive pairs of said secondary lines defining inverted V-shaped patterns, the spacing of said successive pairs in a direction from said wide opening to said narrow opening having an approximate geometric progression.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the angLe enclosed by the first and second elongated arms is less than 40* .
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
65 words
An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein each of said elongated arms comprises a plurality of hollow tubes of a flexible material, at least one of said tubes being adapted to be filled with a fluid of a first specific gravity and at least one of said remaining plurality of tubes being adapted to be filled with a fluid of a second lesser specific gravity.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
An apparatus according to claim 5 including gate means located at the narrow opening end for transmitting floating material which has been confined between the arms of the apparatus through said narrow opening end.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
An apparatus according to claim 6 including a collection device connected to the narrow opening end of the apparatus for receiving a mixture of the entrained material and the liquid and for selectively retaining said material while discharging said liquid.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
An apparatus according to claim 7 including a plurality of wave attenuators located adjacent the narrow opening end within the converging channel defined by the apparatus.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus according to claim 8 including at least one check valve means located between the gate means and the collection device.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the first and second elongated arms telescope into the collection vehicle.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
An apparatus according to claim 10 including an antiseparation cable extending across the wide opening end interconnecting the ends of the first and second elongated arms.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus according to claim 11 including means located at the wide opening end for connecting said apparatus to a positioning device.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2401229A
Cited
US3221884A
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US3219190A
Cited
US3348690A
Cited
FR1528855A
Cited
US3503214A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-05-16 | 1975-11-15 | 1976-05-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-05-16 | 1979-11-15 | 1980-05-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-05-16 | 1983-11-15 | 1984-05-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |