GB2044623A

GB2044623A - Device for collecting materials floating on open water

Info

Publication number: GB2044623A
Application number: GB8005913A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: NYFELDT K
Current assignee: NYFELDT K
Priority date: 1979-02-22
Filing date: 1980-02-21
Publication date: 1980-10-22
Also published as: GB2044623B

Abstract

Two upright floating walls 2 towed by lines 3 converge on a collecting sleeve 1 made up of hose-like sections 1a, 1b and 1c with rear end of the last section pursed and sealed. The sections are laced together in such a way that, when the last section 1c is full, the contiguous ends of it and the next section 16 can be pursed and sealed and then separated for floating off section 1c with its parcel of collected material. A series of sections may thus be dropped off one by one as each fills. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Device for collecting materials floating on water The present invention relates to a device for collecting materials, for example oil, floating on water.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device which can be used to collect a large volume of material while periodically shedding the collected load so thatthe device can continue to be efficentlytowed.

According to the present invention, there is provided a device for collecting materials, such as oil, floating on water, the device having two upright floating walls converging on a collecting sleeve to guide the materials into the collecting sleeve during towing of the device, the collecting sleeve comprising a plurality of detachably interconnected hoseshaped sections capable of retaining collected material and of which the last trailing section is pursed and sealed at its trailing end, the hose-shaped sections being coupled in succession by means whereby the contiguous ends of the last trailing end, the hose-shaped sections being coupled in succession by means whereby the continuous ends of the last trailing section and its contiguous section can be pursed and sealed when the last trailing section has collected sufficient material to be removed, and whereby the last trailing section can be separated after such pursing and sealing.

In the following an example of embodiment of the invention will be described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a collecting device made according to the invention, Fig. 2 shows a connecting piece serving the purpose to bind together sections of the collecting device before the coupling together operation, Fig. 3 shows the same connecting piece in coupled-together condition, Fig. 4 is a detailed view of a floating body forming part of the collecting device while being mounted, Fig. 5 shows the same floating body in mounted condition, Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the rear portion of the collecting device, Fig. 7 is a view on an enlarged scale showing a detail forming part of fig. 6, and the Figs. 8A-C show three stages of the operation of separation of a section forming part of the rear portion of the collecting device for its disposaltransportation together with its contents.

The collecting device shown in the drawings and designed according to the invention exhibits two diverging portions 2 extending from a rear collecting portion, in its entirety indicated with 1, in forwards direction, i.e. to the right according to fig. 1, which portions 2 at the rear are connected each one with its opposing side of the collecting portion 1, and which at their front are provided with means for the towing of the collecting device, by way of example by two boats, which are connected with towing wires indicated with 3. Each one of the collecting device portions 2 is formed by a wall of nets standing upright in the water and at its top and bottom exhibiting a hem, in which an upper edge rope 5 and a lower edge rope 6 respectively are enclosed, which at the front are pursed up and connected with the towing wire 3.The net4 exhibits a mesh, which is adjusted in such a manner that it has a comparatively good permeabilits to water, while particles intended for the collection in question are prevented from passing through the net. In order to collect oil, it has turned out to be of advantage to use nets with a mesh of 2-5 mm, preferably 2,5 mm. Staying bodies extending between the two edge ropes are indicated with 7, and in the illustrated example also from floating bodies. As is for example evident from fig. 5, the staying bodies 7 comprise a block 8 of such floating body material as for example as for example cork. The floating block 8 is enclosed in a bag 9 of net material, which in its turn is surrounded by a girdle 10 of suitable material, for example plastics.The girdle 10 is at its lower end, at one of its laterals, and at its upper end provided with strapping portions 11, 12 and 13 respectively, of which the lower strapping portion 11 is intended to be fastened to the lower edge rope 6 by means of a lace connection 14, which also supports a sinking-weight 15 comprising a purse 15a of net-material, which is supported by a rope 16, and which holds suitable ballast material, as for example a chain of suitable length. The lace portion 12 in the active condition of the collecting device is connected with a lace connection 17, as is shown in fig. 5. The upper lace portion 13 is likwise attached to the upper edge rope 5 by means of a lacing line 19. For clarity's sake the stay body 7 is in fig. 4 shown in a not entirely fastened condition, while in fig. 5 it is shown in a completely mounted condition.In another imaginable embodimentthefloating body7 can be completely enclosed in an envelope of waterproof material, as for example plastics. The width of the net portion 4, i.e. its extension in the vertical direction of the collecting device, is adjusted and running free from the stay bodies in such a manner that it can be bent outwards forming a bulge behind the stay bodies, so that a channel is formed, along which said impurities can move along the collecting device towards its collecting portion 1 provided at the rear.

In order to stiffen the wall of the collecting device, a number of stiffening stays 18 are inserted in the upper portion of the same, the length of said stays corresponding to the distance between the centres of the adjacent stay bodies. The stay bodies are at their ends firmly held by the flaps of the upper lace portions 13 laid round the rope 5. The wall of the collecting device can be designed with several sections, which, as is evident from the figs. 2 and 3, at one of their ends suitably can be designed as the section indicated with A in fig. 2, and at the qther end as the section indicated with B. The section A exhibits a free end portion 5a of the rope 5 and a corresponding projecting end portion 6a of the lower rope 6.The section B exhibits a corresponding projecting portion 5b of the upper rope 5 and a likewise projecting portion 6b of the lower rope 6. The two projecting end portions 5a, 5b and 6a, 6b respectively are in the coupled-together condition illustrated in fig. 3 tied together to each other. In addition the section B exhibits two covering flaps 20 and 21 respectively intended for a certain distance to over lap the end portion of the upper section A and to be tied to the upper and lower ropes 5 and 6 respectively, as is likewise evident from fig. 3, so that a joint is formed, which is impermeable to the materials, which are going to be collected by means of the collecting device. A spacing and stiffening bar 18 extends between the stay bodies 7 located nearest to the joint as well as in other portions of the collecting device.The bars 18 are inserted into the collecting device in connection with the setting of the same.

Thus, before the settling operation the collecting device can be kept in storage in folded-up or rolledup condition, and in such condition it occupies comparatively little space when transported and stored.

The collecting portion 1 of the collecting device comprises a number of in between them connected hose shaped pieces arranged one after the other, which at each one of their ends exhibit a number of connecting rings 23 located nearto the end. The pursing rings 22 and the connecting rings 23 are connected with each other and to the hose shaped sections by means of ropes 24 in zig-zag arrange mentthreaded through the net, as is best evidient from fig. 7. It is also evident from fig. 7 that one connecting ring 23b is designed in the form of a fork, which is engaged by the connecting ring 23a of the juxtapositioned section, so that their holes occupy a position in coaxial arrangement relative to each other. The connecting rings are in between them coupled together by means of a rope 25 extending through them.The front collecting section 1 a exhibits pursing rings and connecting rings at its rear end only, and the wall 2 of the collecting device extends in overlapping arrangement inside its front end portion, in the interior of which the edge ropes 5 and 6 are fastened. The separation of the filled collecting section 1 takes place from behind in the manner evident from fig. 8. The rear collecting section 1 b is from the beginning pursed-up at its rear end. Before the separation the section 1 c occupying a position ahead is pursed-up at its rear by means of its pursing rope 26, and the collecting section 1 b occupying a position behind the section 1 c is pursed-up by means of a corresponding pursing rope 26.Thereafter the section 1 b is separated from the section 1c by drawing the connecting rope 25 out of the connecting rings 23, which thus can be moved apart, as is evident from the illustration C of fig. 8.

Thereafter the separated section 1 b can be towed away with its contents or directly be hoisted up onto a ship for a pouring-out operation. The connection of empty collecting sections to the collecting device can suitably take place in the reverse order.

When the collecting device occupies a position in streaming water or is towed, the wall of the collecting device is bulged outwards behind the stay bodies 7 and, thus, forms a channel, along which the materials, which do not pass through the netmesh, slide towards the collecting portion. The water on the other side traverses the network, which means that a limited quantity of water streams into the collecting portion 1.The water streaming into the collecting portion 1 escapes through its netmesh. When taking up separate collecting sections, they can possibly be enclosed in an envelope, which is comparatively impermeable to liquids in orderto make sure that no oil leaks out during the lifting up operation.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and illustrated in the drawings by way of example only, but can be varied as to its details within the scope of the following claims. Thus it is not necessarythatthe wall of the collecting device is made of net for its whole height or length, but part of the same can comprise waterproof material. Thus, it is not either necessary that the stay bodies 7 also are floating bodies. The floating bodies can possibly be loosely attached to separate stays, or else they can possibly occupy a separate position at a distance from the stays as counted along the wall of the collecting device without therefore departing from the fundamental idea of the invention, even if the embodiment shown is a preferred one.

Claims

1. A device for collecting materials, such as oil, floating on water, the device having two upright floating walls converging on a collecting sleeve to guide the materials into the collecting sleeve during towing of the device, the collecting sleeve comprising a plurality of detachably interconnected hoseshaped sections capable of retaining collected material and of which the last trailing section is pursed and sealed at its trailing end, the hose-shaped sections being coupled in succession by means whereby the contiguous ends of the last trailing section and its contiguous section can be pursed and sealed when the last trailing section has collected sufficient material to be removed, and whereby the last trailing section can be separated after such pursing and sealing.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the means coupling the sections together comprises a series of overlapping interconnected loops spaced circumferentially aboutthe outer periphery of the contiguous sections and retained by a rope threaded through the loops.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein each said section is provided with an additional series of loops spaced circumferentially about the outer periphery of each section and further spaced from the coupling loops and coupling rope, and a pursing rope threaded through the additional loop.

4. A device for collecting materials, such as oil, floating on water substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.