Method and apparatus for removing oil from a body of water
OwnerWilliam R. Beckerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for capturing and removing oil from a body of water with equipment using rod and film technology, which includes a streamlined oil tank that moves in the water and collects surface oil from an attached skimmer, arrays of inverted funnels lowered into the water to concentrate oil for removal, and containment tents to capture leaking fuel or cargo oil from a sunken ship or any underwater oil leak and channel it into a partially submerged rod and film storage tank at the surface.
Claims18
An inverted funnel apparatus for recovering oil from the surface of water comprising:
- an inverted funnel;
- a top cap detachably coupled at the neck of the inverted funnel, the coupling forming a hermetic seal;
- a hose detachably coupled to the top cap, the detachable coupling forming an hermetic seal;
- and
- the hose detachably coupled at its opposite end to a vacuum device, the coupling forming an hermetic seal.
A vacuum apparatus for recovering oil from the surface of water comprising:
- one or more hoses connected to a vacuum device, the hoses operable to deliver water, oil or air into the vacuum device when the vacuum device is under a vacuum;
- a pump connected to the vacuum device;
- a water sensor chamber connected to the pump, the pump operable to pump the contents of the vacuum device into the water sensor chamber;
- a water sensor within the water sensor chamber operable to detect when water enters the water sensor chamber;
- and
- an oil outflow hose connected to the water sensor chamber.
A method for removing oil from the surface of water comprising:
- lowering the dipping trap apparatus into the water so that surface oil enters the hoses connected to top caps of inverted funnels of the dipping trap apparatus;
- siphoning oil from the hoses using a vacuum device;
- and
- raising the dipping trap apparatus above the surface of the water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.