Oil skimmer

Claim 1

A skimmer barge for skimming a first liquid of relatively low density, such as oil, from a surface of a body of a second liquid of relatively high density, such as water, on which said skimmer barge is floating, said skimmer barge including: a. At least one horizontally elongated transition compartment having three walls and a floor, the upstream end thereof being disposed proximate the prow of the barge, a downstream end, and a floatIng baffle comprising at least one panel-like member disposed at the upstream end of the transition compartment and pivotally mounted along the bottom edge of the member to swing inwardly of the transition compartment to a degree determined by the pressure differential across the member when the bottom of the transition compartment is below the surface of the second liquid, b. means for controllably withdrawing said second liquid from a location proximate the bottom of the downstream end of the transition compartment, c. a recovery compartment having three walls and a floor and which is suspended in said transition compartment proximate the downstream end thereof, and attached independently to the barge, an inlet in one wall of the recovery compartment from the transition compartment, said inlet being defined by a floating baffle pivotable along its lower edge to a degree determinable by the pressure differential appearing across the baffle when liquid flows into the recovery compartment from the transition compartment, and an outlet from the bottom of the recovery compartment, d. means for controllably withdrawing first liquid from the recovery compartment outlet, e. means for selectively adjusting the depth of the transition compartment in the body of second liquid on which the barge is floating, and f. means for selectively adjusting the depth of the recovery compartment in liquid which enters the transition compartment.