Reel mountable boom arrangement

In an improved containment boom section, the improvement comprising, in combination:

• flotation means having a predetermined buoyancy to provide upper portions thereof above the surface level of a liquid body for the condition of the boom section deployed in said liquid body, and a lower portion, below the surface level of said liquid body;
• said flotation means comprising:
• a longitudinally elongated, flexible, generally tubular member having walls defining and internal cavity, upper portions and lower portions and said tubular member transversely collapsible-expandable, between a transversely flattened storage condition and a transversely expanded, deployed condition, and said elongated, flexible, generally tubular member windable on a reel in said transversely flattened storage condition;
• a flexible liner means in said cavity of said tubular member, and movable therewith, between said transversely flattened, storage condition, and said transversely expanded, deployed condition thereof, and adjacent said walls of said tubular member, and said liner means having walls defining a liner cavity, and said liner means having lower portions at said lower portions of said tubular member and upper portions spaced from said lower portions, and said walls of said liner extending a first predetermined circumferential distance from regions at said lower portion of said tubular member toward regions at said upper portion thereof;
• means for coupling said walls of said liner means to said walls of said tubular member;
• a resilient, generally spring-like member having a plurality of helical coil means about a longitudinally extending helix axis and said helical coils having a predetermined helix angle in a helical condition thereof, and said spring-like member extending longitudinally in said cavity of said liner means, and said helical coils maintaining said walls of said liner means and said tubular member in said transversely expanded, deployed condition thereof for said spring-like member in said helical condition thereof, and said spring-like member resiliently deformable from said helical condition to a transversely flattened condition for said tubular member in said transversely flattened storage condition thereof, and said spring-like member having a predetermined energy stored therein in said transversely flattened condition, and said predetermined energy having a value at least equal to the energy required to cause said spring-like member to move from said transversely flattened condition to said helical condition thereof for said flotation means deployed in said liquid body;
• a plurality of pocket means in said cavity of said liner means, and coupled to the walls thereof in a predetermined, spaced array, each of said pocket means having walls defining a coil receiving cavity having side edges extending a second predetermined circumferential distance around said walls of said liner means, from regions adjacent said lower portions thereof toward regions adjacent said upper portions thereof, and said side edges of said pocket positionable adjacent said walls of said liner means for said tubular member in said transversely expanded, deployed condition thereof, and one of a first group of said plurality of coil means of said spring-like member in said coil receiving cavity of each of said pocket means, and each of said pocket means movable from a transversely upright position for said tubular member in said transversely expanded, deployed condition thereof to a flattened position for said tubular member in said transversely flattened condition thereof.

In an improved containment boom section, the improvement comprising, in combination:

• flotation means having a predetermined buoyancy to provide upper portions thereof above the surface level of a liquid body for the condition of the boom section deployed in said liquid body, and a lower portion, below the surface level of said liquid body;
• said flotation means comprising:
• a longitudinally elongated, flexible, generally tubular member having walls defining an internal cavity, upper portions and lower portions and said tubular member transversely collapsible-expandable, between a transversely flattened, storage condition and a transversely expanded, deployed condition, and said elongated, flexible, generally tubular member windable on a reel in said transversely flattened storage condition;
• a resilient, generally spring-like member having a plurality of helical coil means about a longitudinally extending helix axis and said helical coils having a predetermined helix angle in a helical condition thereof, and said spring-like member extending longitudinally in said cavity of said tubular member, and said helical coils maintaining said walls of said tubular member in said transversely expanded, deployed condition thereof for said spring-like member in said helical condition thereof, and said spring-like member resiliently deformable from said helical condition to a transversely flattened condition for said tubular member in said transversely flattened storage condition thereof, and said spring-like member having a predetermined energy stored therein in said transversely flattened condition, and said predetermined energy having a value at least equal to the energy required to cause said spring-like member to move from said transversely flattened condition to said helical condition thereof for said flotation means deployed in said liquid body;
• and said spring-like member having a first predetermined spacing greater than zero between adjacent coil means thereof for the condition of no axial forces applied thereto;
• coupling means for coupling said spring-like member to said walls of said tubular member to space adjacent coil means thereof at a second predetermined spacing.

In an improved containment boom section, the improvement comprising, in combination:

• flotation means having a predetermined buoyancy to provide upper portions thereof above the surface level of a liquid body for the condition of the boom section deployed in said liquid body, and a lower portion, below the surface level of said liquid body;
• said flotation means comprising:
• a longitudinally elongated, flexible, generally tubular member having walls defining an internal cavity, upper portions and lower portions and said tubular member transversely collapsible-expandable, between a transversely flattened, storage condition and a transversely expanded, deployed condition, and said elongated, flexible, generally tubular member windable on a reel in said transversely flattened storage condition;
• a resilient, generally spring-like member having a plurality of helical coil means about a longitudinally extending helix axis and said helical coils having a predetermined helix angle in a helical condition thereof, and said spring-like member extending longitudinally in said cavity of said tubular member, and said helical coils maintaining said walls of said tubular member in said transversely expanded, deployed condition thereof for said spring-like member in said helical condition thereof, and said spring-like member resiliently deformable from said helical condition to a transversely flattened condition for said tubular member in said transversely flattened storage condition thereof, and said springlike member having a predetermined energy therein in said transversely flattened condition, and said predetermined energy having a value at least equal to the energy required to cause said spring-like member to move from said transversely flattened condition to said helical condition thereof for said flotation means deployed in said liquid body;
• and said spring-like member having a first predetermined spacing greater than zero between adjacent coil means thereof for the condition of no axial forces applied thereto;
• coupling means for coupling said spring-like member to said walls of said liner means to space adjacent coil means thereof at a second predetermined spacing.