Apparatus for recovering material floating on a body of water and a barge for carrying such apparatus

Claim 1

A barge carrying apparatus for recovering materials floating on a body of water comprising: a pair of elongated sweeping arms, each of said arms pivotable about a vertical axis as well as a second distinct axis, said arms movably mounted on opposite sides of a recovery opening through which the materials are ingested, a float on the free end of each arm for enabling the arms to float on a water surface, means for pivotably mounting said arms about their vertical axes toward each other to sweep material into alignment with the opening and distinct means for moving said arms about said second axis so that said arms are moved out of contact with said water, a settling tank carried by the barge, means for maintaining the tank flooded to an essentially constant level comprising a vertical overflow pipe mounted in the tank and having an open bottom, the top of said pipe defining the initial water level of the tank, and a telescopically adjustable discharge pipe connected to said pipe top for conducting water from the tank to the exterior of the barge in response to the collection of material in the tank, whereby the draft of the barge is essentially constant as floating material is stored in the tank, the draft of the barge corresponding to a given depth of immersion of the recovery opening.