Patent US3779385A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3779385A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Apparatus for removing oil and other floating contaminants from a moving body of water
Assignee: United States Atomic Energy Commission
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Filing: 1971-11-30
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Granted: 1973-12-18
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Expires: 1991-11-30
Abstract
Abstract Floating contaminants such as oil and solid debris are removed from a moving body of water by employing a skimming system which utilizes the natural gravitational flow of the water. A boom diagonally positioned across the body of water diverts the floating contaminants over a floating weir and into a retention pond where an underflow weir is used to return contaminant-free water to the moving body of water. The floating weir is ballasted to maintain the contaminant-receiving opening therein slightly below the surface of the water during fluctuations in the water level for skimming the contaminants with minimal water removal.
Inventors
- 👤 J Strohecker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 07:57
CPC Classifications
E; E02; E02B; E02B15/00; E02B15/04; E02B15/06; E03; E03F; E03F5/00; E03F5/14; E03F5/16; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A20/00; Y02A20/20; Y02A20/204
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 3
Claim 1
Independent Claim
245 words
A system for separating floating liquid and solid contaminants from a moving body of water comprising in combination, means projecting across said body of water and contiguous with the surface thereof for intercepting solid and water-immiscible matter floating on said surface and directing the intercepted water-borne matter to a selected location upstream of said means, a weir in registry with said location and having a passageway therethrough for receiving said matter, ballast means connected to said weir and movable in response to the level of said body of water at said location for vertically displacing the weir to maintain a portion of the latter defining said passageway below but adjacent to said surface, a water receiving volume disposed at a locale remote to said body of water, conduit means in registry with said weir and said water receiving volume for conducting the matter received by said passageway away from said body of water and into said water receiving volume by gravitational flow, a tubulation disposed in said water receiving volume in a vertical orientation with a portion thereof projecting above the surface of the water in said water receiving volume passageways in the tubulation adjacent to the lowermost end thereof providing communication between the water in said water receiving volume and the interior of said tubulation, and further conduit means in registry with the interior of said tubulation for conveying water essentially free of said matter away from said water receiving volume by gravitational flow.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
245 words
A system for separating floating liquid and solid contaminants from a moving body of water comprising in combination, means projecting across said body of water and contiguous with the surface thereof for intercepting solid and water-immiscible matter floating on said surface and directing the intercepted water-borne matter to a selected location upstream of said means, a weir in registry with said location and having a passageway therethrough for receiving said matter, ballast means connected to said weir and movable in response to the level of said body of water at said location for vertically displacing the weir to maintain a portion of the latter defining said passageway below but adjacent to said surface, a water receiving volume disposed at a locale remote to said body of water, conduit means in registry with said weir and said water receiving volume for conducting the matter received by said passageway away from said body of water and into said water receiving volume by gravitational flow, a tubulation disposed in said water receiving volume in a vertical orientation with a portion thereof projecting above the surface of the water in said water receiving volume passageways in the tubulation adjacent to the lowermost end thereof providing communication between the water in said water receiving volume and the interior of said tubulation, and further conduit means in registry with the interior of said tubulation for conveying water essentially free of said matter away from said water receiving volume by gravitational flow.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
108 words
A system for separating floating liquid and solid contaminants from a moving body of water as claimed in claim 1, wherein said weir comprises a shell having vertically oriented spaced apart side walls and a vertically movable gate extending between said side walls for defining said passageway through said weir, said ballast means comprises buoyant tank means disposed in said side walls and connected to said gate, and wherein said tank means are in registry with said body of water at said location for effecting the flotation thereof and the vertical displacement of said gate in response to the level of said body of water at said location.
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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) | 1976-12-17 | 1977-06-18 | 1977-12-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-12-17 | 1981-06-18 | 1981-12-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-12-17 | 1985-06-18 | 1985-12-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |