Apparatus and method for collecting marine debris
AssigneeTechnika Engineering Ltd.
InventorRadé Svorcan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for collecting floating marine debris comprises a frame, a debris collection container in communication with a rear opening of the frame, a pair of helicoidal screws mounted to the frame in a symmetrical V-arrangement that tapers inwardly from a front opening of the frame to the rear opening, and at least one prime mover rotationally coupled to the pair of helicoidal screws. The prime mover is operable to rotate the helicoidal screws in opposite directions at the same angular velocity in water to move the apparatus forward through the water, such that floating marine debris enters the apparatus through the front opening, passes through the rear opening and is collected in the debris collection container.
Claims20
An apparatus for collecting floating marine debris, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a frame having a front opening, and a rear opening;
- (b) a debris container in communication with the rear opening;
- (c) a pair of helicoidal screws mounted to the frame in a symmetrical V-arrangement that tapers inwardly from the front opening to the rear opening, the frame spacing apart front ends of the pair of helicoidal screws, the frame spacing apart rear ends of the pair of helicoidal screws;
- and
- (d) at least one prime mover rotationally coupled to the pair of helicoidal screws, and operable to rotate first and second helicoidal screws of the pair of helicoidal screws in opposite directions in water to move the apparatus forward through the water, such that floating marine debris enters the apparatus through the front opening, passes through the rear opening and is collected in the debris container.
A method for collecting floating marine debris, the method comprising:
- (a) positioning a pair of helicoidal screws in water in a symmetrical V-arrangement that tapers inwardly to define a front opening and a rear opening that is narrower than the front opening, a first member spacing front ends of the pair of helicoidal screws apart from one another, a second member spacing rear ends of the pair of helicoidal screws apart from one another;
- (b) rotating the pair of helicoidal screws in opposite directions in the water, such that first and second helicoidal screws of the pair of helicoidal screws move forward through the water and towards the floating marine debris;
- and
- (c) collecting the floating marine debris passing through the front opening and the rear opening in a debris container in communication with the rear opening.
An apparatus comprising:
- (a) a debris collection area;
- (b) a first helicoidal screw comprising a first end opposite a second end;
- (c) a second helicoidal screw comprising a third end opposite a fourth end;
- (d) a spacing member spacing the first end from the third end by a first amount, the second end being spaced apart from the fourth end by a second amount that is less than the first amount;
- and
- (e) at least one prime mover connected to the first and second helicoidal screws, the at least one prime mover being operable to rotate the first and second helicoidal screws to propel the first and second helicoidal screws through liquid and cause floating debris to be moved by the first and second helicoidal screws toward the debris collection area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.