US4031707A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cryothermal manipulation of petroleum spills on water
Assignee: SHUFFMAN ROSE
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Filing: 1972-04-24
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Granted: 1977-06-28
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Expires: 1992-04-24
Abstract
Abstract The subject invention relates to method and apparatus for controlling or manipulating a body of crude, refined, or used petroleum as, for example: in the herding and recovery of an oil spill in a body of water; in temporarily stopping a leak in an oil tanker caused by a cracked hull; in recovering oil inadvertantly spilled on a beach front; in plugging an oil casing pipe to control an oil fire at sea on a drilling platform; in effecting preliminary refinement of oil at the oil rig site; in transporting oil from the Arctic or Antarctic region without resorting to complicated and costly apparatus; and in many other applications. The method basically comprises exposing a body of crude, refined, or used petroleum mass either to a transient atmosphere or environment of a freezing, sub-freezing, or cryogenics temperature, or contacting the petroleum with a substance or mechanism exhibiting freezing, sub-freezing, or cryogenics temperatures. The apparatus comprises mechanisms for handling substances at freezing, sub-freezing or cryogenics temperatures and capable of maintaining said material in the vicinity of the petroleum mass.
Inventors
- 👤 Sigmund Lance Ross
- 👤 Oscar Shuffman, deceased
- 👤 executrix Rose Shuffman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 01:07
CPC Classifications
E; E02; E02B; E02B15/00; E02B15/04; E02B15/041; B; B63; B63B; B63B43/00; B63B43/02; B63B43/10; B63B43/16; B63C; B63C7/00; B63C7/14; E02B15/043; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A20/00; Y02A20/20; Y02A20/204; Y10; Y10S; Y10S210/00; Y10S210/918; Y10S210/922; Y10S210/924
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
132 words
A method for recovering a body of petroleum constituting an oil spill on a large body of water comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of elongated booms each comprising material at a cryothermal temperature corresponding to the freezing point of water at sea level or lower, which cryothermal temperature is lower than the temperature of said body of petroleum, each of said elongated booms being disposed in adjacent end-to-end pivotally connected relationship; floating said elongated booms in the body of water with said material facing and adjacent the periphery of said body of petroleum so as to increase the surface tension of said body of petroleum that is adjacent thereto and cause it to move away therefrom into a more restricted area; and removing said body of petroleum from the water.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
132 words
A method for recovering a body of petroleum constituting an oil spill on a large body of water comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of elongated booms each comprising material at a cryothermal temperature corresponding to the freezing point of water at sea level or lower, which cryothermal temperature is lower than the temperature of said body of petroleum, each of said elongated booms being disposed in adjacent end-to-end pivotally connected relationship; floating said elongated booms in the body of water with said material facing and adjacent the periphery of said body of petroleum so as to increase the surface tension of said body of petroleum that is adjacent thereto and cause it to move away therefrom into a more restricted area; and removing said body of petroleum from the water.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method for recovering a body of petroleum as set forth in claim 1 wherein said material is dry ice.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method for recovering a body of petroleum as set forth in claim 1 wherein said booms are positioned adjacent three sides of said oil spill.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
132 words
Apparatus for recovering a body of petroleum constituting an oil spill on a large body of water comprising: an oil collection vessel; a floatable boom assembly including at least two pivotally connected, elongated booms, each boom carrying, at the level of the water, an elongated block of material at a cryothermal temperature corresponding to the freezing point of water at sea level or lower, which cryothermal temperature is lower than the temperature of said body of petroleum so as to increase the surface tension thereof when said elongated block of material is positioned adjacent said body of petroleum; a guide wire assembly interconnecting said floatable guide assembly to said oil collection vessel; and suction apparatus for removing the petroleum from said body of water and conveying same to the vessel for collection.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
132 words
Apparatus for recovering a body of petroleum constituting an oil spill on a large body of water comprising: an oil collection vessel; a floatable boom assembly including at least two pivotally connected, elongated booms, each boom carrying, at the level of the water, an elongated block of material at a cryothermal temperature corresponding to the freezing point of water at sea level or lower, which cryothermal temperature is lower than the temperature of said body of petroleum so as to increase the surface tension thereof when said elongated block of material is positioned adjacent said body of petroleum; a guide wire assembly interconnecting said floatable guide assembly to said oil collection vessel; and suction apparatus for removing the petroleum from said body of water and conveying same to the vessel for collection.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus as in claim 4 wherein the floatable boom assembly includes three pivotally connected booms.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus as in claim 4 wherein each boom of the floatable boom assembly includes pivotally mounted keels.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said block of material at cryothermal temperature comprises dry ice.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus as in claim 4 wherein each floatable boom is generally L-shaped in cross-section to accomodate said elongated block of material at cryothermal temperature.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-06-27 | 1980-12-27 | 1981-06-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-06-27 | 1984-12-27 | 1985-06-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-06-27 | 1988-12-27 | 1989-06-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |