Method and appratus for confining and collecting an oil slick

Claim 2

Method of confining and collecting an immiscible slick from the surface of a body of water, comprising: A. buoyantly supporting a perforated boom upon said body of water and in contact with said slick, said boom including an oil eduction means at one end; rB. attaching a skirt depending from the boom and extending over said perforations with a lower edge below the surface of said body of water; C. supporting an oil collecting receptacle in communication with said oil eduction means; D. providing pumping means to remove oil from said receptacle and supply said oil to said eduction means whereby oil is collected through said perforations in said boom and conveyed to said receptacle by said eduction means.

Claim 3

Method of confining and collecting an oil slick floating upon the surface of the body of water as in claim 1, wherein said skirt is attached at the top of said boom so as to extend laterally downwardly into the ambient air/slick interface on both sides of said boom so as to prevent air ingestion through said perforations.

Claim 4

An oil slick confining and collecting boom of type which can be floated upon the surface of a polluted body of water comprising: A. a resilient boom having a series of laterally extending perforations on both sides; B. a skirt supported over the upper portion of said boom, so as to extend downwardly in offset relation with respect to said perforations with a lower edge below the surface of said body of water; C. at least one buoy attached to said boom such that said perforations extend into an oil slick floating upon the surface of said polluted water. D. an eductor located at one end of said boom; E. an oil collection receptacle independently supported in communication with said eductor; and F. a pump connected to said oil collection receptacle and means communicating between said pump and said eductor, whereby oil is removed from said receptacle and supplied to said eductor so that oil is collected through said perforation in said boom and conveyed to said receptacle by said eductor.

Claim 5

An oil slick confining and collecting boom of type which can be floated upon the surface of a polluted body of water comprising: A. a resilient boom having a series of laterally extending perforations on both sides; B. a skirt supported over the upper portion of said boom, so as to extend downwardly in offset relation with respect to said perforations with a lower edge below the surface of said body of water; C. at least one buoy attached to said boom such that said perforations extend into an oil slick floating upon the surface of said polluted water. D. an eductor located at one end of said boom; E. an oil collection receptacle independently supported in communication with said eductor; and F. a pump connected to said oil collection receptacle and means communicating between said pump and said eductor, whereby oil is removed from said receptacle and supplied to said eductor so that oil is collected through said perforation in said boom and conveyed to said receptacle by said eductor.

Claim 6

An oil slick confining and collecting boom as in claim 3, including: E. a weight means connected to said skirt, so as to project the bottom of said skirt into said oil slick.

Claim 7

An oil slick confining and collecting boom as in claim 4, wherein said boom perforations extend on both sides of said boom, and said skirt is secured at the top of said boom and extends peripherally over the sides of said boom and into the oil slick, so as to shield said perforations from the ingestion of air, as said boom rolls and pitches.

Claim 8

An oil slick confining and collecting boom as in claim 3, wherein said weights are supported at the bottom end of said skirt on either side of said boom and said buoy is interposed between said boom and said skirt above said lateral perforations.