US3928206A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for the collection of buoyant foreign matter
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1974-07-18
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Granted: 1975-12-23
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Expires: 1994-07-18
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for collection oil and/or debris floating on or near the surface of a body of water includes a collecting tank supported to float in water with its upper edge above water level, the tank having side walls, a rear wall and an open bottom. Water and any oil or debris present is caused to flow into the tank by means of a vaned impeller extending between the side walls of the tank and arranged for rotation about a horizontal axis positioned somewhat above water level. The oil and debris collected in the tank is retained therein by a nonreturn valve consisting of a plate which extends between the side walls of the tank rearwardly of the impeller and is pivotally mounted at its lower edge for rearward movement about an axis positioned below water level. The upper edge of the plate is provided with a float so as normally to maintain this edge above water level.
Inventors
- 👤 Frank Arthur Oakley Waren
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 14:02
CPC Classifications
E; E02; E02B; E02B15/00; E02B15/04; E02B15/046; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A20/00; Y02A20/20; Y02A20/204; Y10; Y10S; Y10S210/00; Y10S210/918; Y10S210/922; Y10S210/923
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
137 words
APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING BUOYANT FOREIGN MATTER FLOATING ON OR NEAR THE SURFACE OF A BODY OF WATER COMPRISING A COLLECTING TANK HAVING SIDE WALLS, A REAR WALL AND A SUBSTANTIALLY OPEN FRONT AND BOTTOM, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE TANK TO FLOAT IN WATER WITH ITS UPPER EDGE ABOVE WATER LEVEL, A VANED IMPELLLER EXTENDING BETWEEN THE SIDE WALLS OF THE TANK ADJACENT THE FRONT THEREOF, SAID IMPELLER BEING MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN HORIZONTAL AXIS POSITIONED SUCH THAT THE LOWER VANES EXTENDED BELOW WATER LEVEL, AND A NON-RETURN VALVE COPOSITIONED DOWNSTREAM OF SAID IMPELLER, SAID VALVE COMPRISING A PLATE EXTENDING BETWEEN THE SAID SIDE WALLS, SAID PLATE HAVING A LOWER EDGE PIVOTALLY MOUNT ON A HORIZONTAL AXIS POSITIONED BELOW WATER LEVEL AND AN UPPER EDGE SUPPORT TO EXTEND SOMEWHAT ABOVE WATER LEVEL BY AT LEAST ONE FLOAT.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
137 words
APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING BUOYANT FOREIGN MATTER FLOATING ON OR NEAR THE SURFACE OF A BODY OF WATER COMPRISING A COLLECTING TANK HAVING SIDE WALLS, A REAR WALL AND A SUBSTANTIALLY OPEN FRONT AND BOTTOM, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE TANK TO FLOAT IN WATER WITH ITS UPPER EDGE ABOVE WATER LEVEL, A VANED IMPELLLER EXTENDING BETWEEN THE SIDE WALLS OF THE TANK ADJACENT THE FRONT THEREOF, SAID IMPELLER BEING MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN HORIZONTAL AXIS POSITIONED SUCH THAT THE LOWER VANES EXTENDED BELOW WATER LEVEL, AND A NON-RETURN VALVE COPOSITIONED DOWNSTREAM OF SAID IMPELLER, SAID VALVE COMPRISING A PLATE EXTENDING BETWEEN THE SAID SIDE WALLS, SAID PLATE HAVING A LOWER EDGE PIVOTALLY MOUNT ON A HORIZONTAL AXIS POSITIONED BELOW WATER LEVEL AND AN UPPER EDGE SUPPORT TO EXTEND SOMEWHAT ABOVE WATER LEVEL BY AT LEAST ONE FLOAT.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a floor member extending between said side walls below water level, said floor member having a rear edge positioned below and spaced from said impeller and a front edge extending forwardly of said impeller.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
118 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which said floor member and said side walls define a passage leading into said tank, said passage having an inlet, a housing extending over the passage and said impeller, and means for preventing entry into the passage of floating material not required to be collected, said means including a plurality of prongs mounted at spaced locations along a shaft, a plurality of prongs being equispaced along the shaft at each location, said shaft being mounted above the inlet to said passage so that the prongs can extend into said passage, and being rotatable in a direction such that material picked up by said prongs is deposited on top of said housing.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which said prongs are arranged to pass through slots in said housing during rotation of the shaft, said slots thereby exerting a wiping action on said prongs.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which the front edge of said floor member has a separate movable lip portion to be positioned aa predetermined depth below water level.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a cage removably supported in said collecting tank, said cage having side walls, a rear wall, a floor and an open front.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 including means for lifting said cage to a position in which the floor is above water level.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said impeller is movably mounted and including means for lifting said impeller above water level.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said rear wall of the collecting tank is movably mounted and including means for lifting said rear wall above water level.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said non-return valve is movably mounted and including means for lifting said valve above water level.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
61 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a pair of hulls connected in space parallel relation to form a catamaran type vessel in which the facing side walls of the hulls constitute the side walls of the collecting tank, and a bulkhead constituting the rear wall of the collecting tank, said bulkhead extending between the hulls at the rear end thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
55 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 in which said bulkhead is mounted at its upper edge for rearward pivotal movement about an horizontal axis extending above water level, and including an hydraulic actuator for moving said bulkhead between a vertical closed position and an open position in which said bulkhead extends rearwardly above water level.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
64 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 including a cage detachably mounted on support means and positioned between said hulls forwardly of said bulkhead, said cage comprising a framework covered with wire mesh defining side walls, a rear wall and a floor, and hydraulic actuators operative on said support means to lift said cage to a position in which the floor is above water level.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
95 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 in which the impeller is carried on a shaft which is supported at its ends on the ends of links which extend forwardly to a cross beam connecting said hulls and to which the other end of said links are pivotally connected, the said shaft being also supported at its centre on one end of a bell crank lever which is pivotally connected at its centre with said cross beam and connected at its other end with an hydraulic actuator whereby said impeller may be lifted above water level.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 14 in which said links and said bell crank lever are fast with a cross shaft which is rotatably mounted in bearing brackets mounted on said cross beam.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 14 including an hydraulic motor for rotating said impeller, said motor being mounted on said bell crank lever and connected with said impeller by a chain drive.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 including a floor member extending between the facing sides of said hulls and below water level, said floor member having a rear edge positioned below the impeller and spaced therefrom and a front edge extending forwardly of the impeller.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 16 in which said floor member is curved forwardly and upwardly from said rear edge and at said front edge is formed with a short lip portion which is curved forwardly and downwardly.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
150 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 17 comprising a first cross shaft mounted for rotation in bearing brackets carried on a cross beam connecting said hulls, arms fast with said cross shaft and extending rearwardly therefrom, a shaft carrying said impeller rotatably mounted in the ends of said arms, a further arm fast with said cross shaft and connected with a first hydraulic actuator, links supporting the rear edge of the said floor member from said impeller shaft, a second cross shaft mounted for rotation in bearing brackets carried on said cross beam, arms fast with said second cross shaft and pivotally connected at their ends with the front edge of said floor member, and a further arm fast with said second cross shaft and connected with a second hydraulic actuator, operation of the first and second actuators being effective to raise said impeller and said floor member above water level.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
81 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 in which the non-return valve is supported on the forward ends of two L-shaped arms which extend downwardly and forwardly adjacent the respective facing sides of the two hulls from a rotatably mounted cross shaft to which the L shaped arms are secured, an arm fast with said cross shaft and an hydraulic actuator connected with said arm for moving said L shaped arms forwardly and upwardly to bring said non-return valve above water level.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 20 in which the plate constituting said non-return valve is pivotally mounted on a shaft extending between the forward ends of said L shaped arms.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 20 in which the lower edges of the forwardly extending portions of the two L shaped arms are curved forwardly and upwardly and are joined by a plate of similar curvature.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 20 including flexible means connecting the side edges of the non-return valve plate with the respective forwardly extending portion of said L shaped arms whereby to prevent said plate moving to a vertical position or forwardly of such position.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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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) | 1978-12-22 | 1979-06-23 | 1979-12-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-12-22 | 1983-06-23 | 1983-12-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-12-22 | 1987-06-23 | 1987-12-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |