US3980559A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and an apparatus for collecting substances and objects on a liquid surface
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1974-09-09
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Granted: 1976-09-14
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Expires: 1994-09-09
Abstract
Abstract A method and an apparatus for collecting substances and objects floating on a liquid surface, e.g. for collecting oil and oily substances on a water surface. The apparatus performing the method comprises means for separating the upper layer of the liquid and the substances and objects floating in this layer from the rest of the liquid; means for distributing the liquid over a comparatively large collecting area; means for collecting the substances and objects floating in said liquid layer; and means for draining off the cleaned liquid.
Inventors
- 👤 Ernst Sune Netzell
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 15:39
CPC Classifications
E; E02; E02B; E02B15/00; E02B15/04; E02B15/10; E02B15/104; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A20/00; Y02A20/20; Y02A20/204; Y10; Y10S; Y10S210/00; Y10S210/918; Y10S210/922; Y10S210/923
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
218 words
Apparatus for collecting material floating on the surface of a body of water, said apparatus being characterized by spaced apart pontoon members which form between them an inlet section that is adapted to conduct a collected liquid layer between said pontoon members, said liquid layer containing material floating thereon, endless belt means located between said pontoon members and constructed and arranged so that the rear discharge end of said endless belt means is at a higher elevation than the generally horizontal front end portion of said endless belt means, transferring means for transferring the liquid collected through said inlet section between said pontoon members onto the upper surface of the front end portion of said endless belt means, said transferring means including a generally horizontal distribution surface that is disposed above the generally horizontal front end portion of said endless belt means, said transferring means being in fluid communication with said inlet section between said pontoon members, said generally horizontal distribution surface including discharge means for discharging liquid downwardly from said horizontal distribution surface onto the top of the front end portion of said endless belt means, and means for removing collected material from the discharge end of said endless belt means and depositing it in a receptacle located adjacent the discharge end of the endless belt means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
218 words
Apparatus for collecting material floating on the surface of a body of water, said apparatus being characterized by spaced apart pontoon members which form between them an inlet section that is adapted to conduct a collected liquid layer between said pontoon members, said liquid layer containing material floating thereon, endless belt means located between said pontoon members and constructed and arranged so that the rear discharge end of said endless belt means is at a higher elevation than the generally horizontal front end portion of said endless belt means, transferring means for transferring the liquid collected through said inlet section between said pontoon members onto the upper surface of the front end portion of said endless belt means, said transferring means including a generally horizontal distribution surface that is disposed above the generally horizontal front end portion of said endless belt means, said transferring means being in fluid communication with said inlet section between said pontoon members, said generally horizontal distribution surface including discharge means for discharging liquid downwardly from said horizontal distribution surface onto the top of the front end portion of said endless belt means, and means for removing collected material from the discharge end of said endless belt means and depositing it in a receptacle located adjacent the discharge end of the endless belt means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a collecting sheet is disposed around said endless belt means, said collecting sheet being pervious to water but impervious to at least some of the material floating on the water.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said discharge means for discharging liquid downwardly from said generally horizontal distribution surface extends in an elongated path which is in alignment with the direction of movement of said endless belt means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
52 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 in which the discharge means for discharging the liquid downwardly from said generally horizontal distribution surface includes a number of openings spaced over said generally horizontal distribution surface through which openings the liquid and floating material flow down onto and spread over the endless belt means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
65 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a dividing means is disposed in the path between said pontoon members and adjacent said transferring means so that the inflowing liquid is divided into at least two portions, the said horizontal distributing surface being inclined in such a way that the divided portions of the liquid flow toward said discharge means from at least two different directions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
142 words
An apparatus according to claim 2 particularly for collecting oil floating on water surfaces, including a basin beneath said collecting sheet and at least one plate extending forwards from the basin, the front edge of the plate being arranged to be positioned at a desired distance under the surface of the body of water and the rear edge of the plate being arranged to be positioned above the surface of the body of water so that when the basin is moving forward through a body of water said upper layer and objects floating in it are forced up on the plate, the generally horizontal distributing surface being arranged adjacent to the rear edge of the plate, so that the said upper layer flowing up on the plate may flow over the rear edge of the plate and out onto said distributing surface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
An apparatus according to claim 2 in which the distributing surface comprises substantially parallel arms, the arms being arranged on either side of the collecting sheet and slanting towards the collecting sheet, the inner edges of the arms running over the collecting sheet substantially parallel with the collecting sheet.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
104 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the portion of the endless belt means which extends under said discharge means is arranged in such a way that the liquid flowing down from the substantially horizontal distributing surface flows first through the rearwardly moving portion of the endless belt means and then through the lower forwardly moving portion of the endless belt that is immediately below the rearwardly moving portion of the endless belt means so that both the upper and the lower portion of the endless belt means is used to separate the substances and objects floating in the liquid from the liquid itself.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus according to claim 6 in which a liquid reservoir is positioned between said forward extending plate and the generally horizontal distributing surface, so that heavy wave motions of the entering liquid are reduced.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
54 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 in which the generally horizontal distributing surface is provided with a number of elongated guiding flanges which are substantially perpendicular to the distributing surface and which, between themselves, form a number of channels through which the liquid flowing over the distributing surface is channelled toward said discharge means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
44 words
An apparatus according to claim 6 in which the forwardly extending plate is adjustable with regard to the inclination in relation to the body of water and arranged to rest with its rear end upon a support at the front end of the basin.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
214 words
A method for collecting material floating on a body of water, comprising the steps of a. separating from said body of water an upper layer of water together with the material floating thereon by channelling said upper layer between two pontoon members, b. spreading out said separated upper layer and floating material over a substantially horizontal distribution surface, c. directing the horizontally distributed layer and floating material formed in step (b) to flow toward a discharge means of restricted area that is located inwardly from the sides of said distribution surface and centrally with respect to said pontoon members, d. depositing the material discharged downwardly from said restricted discharge means upon a filtering surface that includes an endless belt means which effects at least a partial separation between liquid and solid materials floating thereon, e. extending the deposition of said material discharged from said restricted discharge means upon said filtering surface along an elongated path that is aligned with the direction of movement of the endless belt means, f. moving said filtering surface to a collection zone and discharging to said collection zone the collected solid materials, and g. draining off the liquid flowing through said filtering surface so quickly that there will be a space substantially free from liquid under said filtering surface.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
214 words
A method for collecting material floating on a body of water, comprising the steps of a. separating from said body of water an upper layer of water together with the material floating thereon by channelling said upper layer between two pontoon members, b. spreading out said separated upper layer and floating material over a substantially horizontal distribution surface, c. directing the horizontally distributed layer and floating material formed in step (b) to flow toward a discharge means of restricted area that is located inwardly from the sides of said distribution surface and centrally with respect to said pontoon members, d. depositing the material discharged downwardly from said restricted discharge means upon a filtering surface that includes an endless belt means which effects at least a partial separation between liquid and solid materials floating thereon, e. extending the deposition of said material discharged from said restricted discharge means upon said filtering surface along an elongated path that is aligned with the direction of movement of the endless belt means, f. moving said filtering surface to a collection zone and discharging to said collection zone the collected solid materials, and g. draining off the liquid flowing through said filtering surface so quickly that there will be a space substantially free from liquid under said filtering surface.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
62 words
A method according to claim 12 which includes elevating said upper layer in step (a) to a level above the level of the body of water and then causing the said layer to flow down from this level over said substantial horizontal distribution surface and through said filtering surface including an endless conveyor into a liquid reservoir located beneath said filtering surface.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method according to claim 13 in which said upper layer is caused to flow up over a guiding surface to said horizontal distribution surface by moving said guiding surface forward through the body of water.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method according to claim 14 in which said elevated liquid layer is divided into two substantially equal portions by a dividing means located in the path between said pontoon members and caused to flow over said substantially horizontal distribution surface towards the filtering surface in two different directions.
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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) | 1979-09-14 | 1980-03-15 | 1980-09-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-09-14 | 1984-03-15 | 1984-09-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-09-14 | 1988-03-15 | 1988-09-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |