Inflatable portable dam for containment of hazardous liquids

Claim 1

A method of collection and containment of hazardous liquids using an inflatable portable apparatus of the type comprising: a bottom sheet of flexible material containing a plurality of edges, a plurality of separate panels of flexible material equal in number to the plurality of edges of said bottom sheet of flexible material, said separate panels of flexible material to have two straight parallel edges and two ends, the end of one panel of flexible material attached by means, preferably thermal heat sealing, to the end of the next panel of flexible material, thereby forming a continuous piece of flexible material with a plurality an angular intersections, said continuous piece of flexible material formed into tubular shape by overlapping and preferably thermal heat sealing the straight parallel edges of each panel along their entirety, thereby forming a continuous air tight tubular structure with angular intersections, the overlap of said tubular structure attached to said bottom sheet of flexible material along its entirety by preferably thermal heat sealing, thereby forming a water tight connection, affixed in the tubular structure a device for the insertion and removal of compressed air, said method comprising the steps of: removing the deflated stowed apparatus from storage; deploying the apparatus such that the bottom is located beneath the tubular structure; inflating said tubular structure pneumatically through the air insertion device until a continuous circular shape is obtained by the tubular structure along its entirety; and positioning said apparatus such that a hazardous liquid can be collected and contained within the perimeter of the apparatus.

Claim 2

A method of collection and containment of hazardous liquids using an inflatable portable apparatus of the type comprising: a bottom sheet of flexible material containing a plurality of edges, a plurality of separate panels of flexible material equal in number to the plurality of edges of said bottom sheet of flexible material, said separate panels of flexible material to have two straight parallel edges and two ends, the end of one panel of flexible material attached by means, preferably thermal heat sealing, to the end of the next panel of flexible material, thereby forming a continuous piece of flexible material with a plurality an angular intersections, said continuous piece of flexible material formed into tubular shape by overlapping and preferably thermal heat sealing the straight parallel edges of each panel along their entirety, thereby forming a continuous air tight tubular structure with angular intersections, the overlap of said tubular structure attached to said bottom sheet of flexible material along its entirety by preferably thermal heat sealing, thereby forming a water tight connection, affixed in the tubular structure a device for the insertion and removal of compressed air, said method comprising the steps of: removing the deflated stowed apparatus from storage; deploying the apparatus such that the bottom is located beneath the tubular structure; inflating said tubular structure pneumatically through the air insertion device until a continuous circular shape is obtained by the tubular structure along its entirety; and positioning said apparatus such that a hazardous liquid can be collected and contained within the perimeter of the apparatus.