US3691983A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Identification system for water pollution detection
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1970-09-22
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Granted: 1972-09-19
•
Expires: 1990-09-22
Abstract
Abstract In a method of identifying sources of water pollution, buoyant indicator elements which identify the source of polluting material are injected into the polluting material and discharged with the material into a body of water to enable the pollution to be traced to its source. In a preferred embodiment, the indicator elements comprise a plurality of buoyant pellets having indicia which identify the source of discharged material. The pellets can be provided with absorptive cores for absorbing a portion of the discharged material to enable the type of polluting material to be determined by examination of the discharged pellets.
Inventors
- 👤 Edward L Greenwood
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 00:23
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N33/00; G01N33/18; G01N33/1826; G01N33/1833; G01N33/1886; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A20/00; Y02A20/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
64 words
A method identifying a source of polluting material discharged into a body of water, which comprises: injecting bUoyant indicator elements which identify the source into the polluting material at the source; and discharging the polluting material and indicator elements into the body of water at the same time to enable the source of discharged material to be determined by examination of the indicator elements.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
64 words
A method identifying a source of polluting material discharged into a body of water, which comprises: injecting bUoyant indicator elements which identify the source into the polluting material at the source; and discharging the polluting material and indicator elements into the body of water at the same time to enable the source of discharged material to be determined by examination of the indicator elements.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
54 words
A method of identifying a source of polluting material discharged into a body of water, which comprises: discharging a plurality of buoyant pellets having indicia formed thereon which identify the source of discharged material into the body of water at the same time that the polluting material is discharged into the body of water.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
54 words
A method of identifying a source of polluting material discharged into a body of water, which comprises: discharging a plurality of buoyant pellets having indicia formed thereon which identify the source of discharged material into the body of water at the same time that the polluting material is discharged into the body of water.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the pellets are provided with absorptive cores for absorbing a portion of the discharged material to enable the type of polluting material to be determined by examining the cores of the discharged pellets.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
81 words
A method of identifying a water vessel that discharges contaminating fluid through a discharge line into a body of water, which comprises: injecting a plurality of buoyant indicator elements which identify the vessel into the contaminating fluid as it passes through the discharge line; and discharging the indicator elements and contaminating fluid into the body of water to provide a plurality of indicator elements on the surface of the body of water to identify the vessel that discharged the contaminating fluid.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
81 words
A method of identifying a water vessel that discharges contaminating fluid through a discharge line into a body of water, which comprises: injecting a plurality of buoyant indicator elements which identify the vessel into the contaminating fluid as it passes through the discharge line; and discharging the indicator elements and contaminating fluid into the body of water to provide a plurality of indicator elements on the surface of the body of water to identify the vessel that discharged the contaminating fluid.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 4, wherein the buoyant indicator elements are injected into the contaminating fluid at a rate determined by the rate of flow of the fluid through the discharge line.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 4, wherein the indicator elements comprise a plurality of buoyant pellets having indicia formed thereon which identify the vessel.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 6, which includes the steps of: forming a plurality of buoyant pellets as the contaminating fluid passes through the discharge line; and applying indicia on the pellets to identify the vessel prior to injecting the pellets into the contaminating fluid in the discharge line.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 6, wherein the pellets are provided with absorptive cores for absorbing a portion of the discharged fluid to enable the type of polluting material contained in the fluid to be determined by examining the cores of the discharged pellets.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
69 words
A method of identifying a source of pollution having a discharge line through which polluting material is discharged, which comprises: injecting a plurality of buoyant indicator elements which identify the source into the polluting material as it passes through the discharge line; and discharging the buoyant indicator elements and polluting material from the discharge line to provide a plurality of indicators in the polluting material to identify the source.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
69 words
A method of identifying a source of pollution having a discharge line through which polluting material is discharged, which comprises: injecting a plurality of buoyant indicator elements which identify the source into the polluting material as it passes through the discharge line; and discharging the buoyant indicator elements and polluting material from the discharge line to provide a plurality of indicators in the polluting material to identify the source.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
90 words
A method identifying an industrial site having a discharge line through which polluting material is discharged into a body of water, which comprises: injecting a plurality of buoyant indicator elements which identify the industrial site into the polluting material as it passes through the discharge line; and discharging the buoyant indicator elements and the polluting material from the discharge line into the body of water to provide a plurality of indicators on the surface of the body of water to identify the industrial site as the source of polluting material.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
90 words
A method identifying an industrial site having a discharge line through which polluting material is discharged into a body of water, which comprises: injecting a plurality of buoyant indicator elements which identify the industrial site into the polluting material as it passes through the discharge line; and discharging the buoyant indicator elements and the polluting material from the discharge line into the body of water to provide a plurality of indicators on the surface of the body of water to identify the industrial site as the source of polluting material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 10, wherein the buoyant indicator elements are injected into the polluting material at a rate determined by the rate of flow of the polluting material through the discharge line.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 10, wherein the indicator elements comprise a plurality of buoyant pellets having indicia formed thereon which identify the industrial site.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 12, which includes the steps of: forming a plurality of buoyant pellets as the polluting material passes through the discharge line; and applying indicia on the pellets to identify the industrial site prior to injecting the pellets into the polluting material in the discharge line.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 12, wherein the pellets are provided with absorptive cores for absorbing a portion of the polluting material to enable the type of polluting material to be determined by examining the cores of discharged pellets.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-09-19 | 1976-03-20 | 1976-09-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-09-19 | 1980-03-20 | 1980-09-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-09-19 | 1984-03-20 | 1984-09-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |