Oil spill recovery apparatus

Apparatus for removing oleaginous substances such as crude oil and refined petroleum products from entrapment in coarse bottom sediments such as submerged sand beds covered by bodies of water or sediments forming the bottom of a holding pond characterized by:

• tractor means for traversing said sand bed in shallow bodies of water in a pattern which will substantially cover the area of said sand bed in which said substances are entrapped;
• plow means on said tractor means for mechanically plowing said sand bed to a depth sufficient to overturn said sediments which have been saturated with said substances, said plow means comprising a plurality of ripper teeth mounted on said tractor means and connected to means for selectively controlling the depth of penetration of said ripper teeth into said sand bed;
• a plurality of nozzles mounted on said tractor means adjacent each of said ripper teeth, respectively, said nozzles being in communication with pump means for discharging a high velocity flow stream of water to agitate sand plowed by said ripper teeth to free said substances from the seidments for flotation to the surface of said body of water;
• boom means mounted on said tractor for supporting said pump means spaced from said nozzle means and having water intake means submerged in said body of water for circulating water through said pump means to said nozzles;
• and
• hydraulic motor means for driving said pump means to produce a flow stream of water for said nozzles.