Oil spill barriers
AssigneeOffshore Devices, Inc.
InventorJerome H. Milgram
Life of this patent
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Abstract
There is disclosed in the present application, a barrier comprising a curtain fitted to stiffening struts at regular intervals along its length and provided with rigid flotation in the form of blocks of foam secured to the rearward side of the curtain. The blocks of foam are hinged so that, in use, they are located on the upper half of the curtain, but for stowing, the blocks are extended over substantially the entire width of the curtain so as to reduce the required stowage space.
Claims10
A barrier assembly comprising an elongated curtain adapted to be deployed on the water and having an oil spill contacting front side and a rear side, ballast means on the lower margin of the curtain, solid flotation means mounted on the rear side only for maintaining the curtain transversely generally erect in the water with its lower edge below the surface of the water including pairs of flotation units each consisting of an upper unit fixedly mounted on the curtain, a lower unit and a median horizontal hinge about which the lower unit is movable between an upper operative position in which it is located rearwardly and generally at the height of the upper unit and a lower compact stowing position in which the lower unit is generally coplanar with the upper unit and in which the two parts of the flotation means together are coextensive with a substantial part of the curtain width.
A barrier assembly comprising an elongated curtain having an oil spill contacting front side and a rear side and adapted to be deployed on the water, rigid stiffening struts secured to and dividing the curtain into a series of panels, solid flotation means mounted on the rear side only of the curtain and including pairs of flotation units, each pair mounted between stiffening struts and consisting of an upper unit fixed to the curtain, a lower unit and a hinge by which the lower unit is connected to the upper unit and about which it is movable with respect to the upper unit between a stowing position in which it is generally coplanar with the upper unit and an operative position in which it is deployed rearwardly and generally at the height of the upper unit, ballast means connected to the lower margin of the curtain between the struts for maintaining the curtain generally erect in the water and a tension carrying line connected only to alternate struts, thereby causing unattached struts to trail the tension line allowing the curtain and its flotation and ballast means to form pockets behind the tension line and increasing roll stability of the barrier against overturning forces and moments of waves and currents.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.