Apparatus for recovering, separating, and storing fluid floating on the surface of another fluid

Apparatus for collecting a lower density fluid that is substantially immiscible in water and is floating on the surface of a body of a higher density fluid, separating the lower density fluid from the higher density fluid and storing the lower density fluid comprising a container having a peripheral wall of a flexible fluid-impermeable material, the peripheral wall having a top edge and a bottom edge, a roof joined in sealed relation to the peripheral wall adjacent its top edge, and an opening in the bottom, the container being adapted to be stored and transported in folded condition;

• a buoyant substantially geometrically stable collar having a shape-corresponding to that of the perimeter of the container, the collar being composed of a multiplicity of sections, which are of a size such that they can be stored and transported conveniently and means for releasably joining the sections end to end;
• means for joining the container to the collar;
• a weighted submersion ring, means for joining the submersion ring to the peripheral wall adjacent its bottom edge;
• a plurality of collection vessels adapted to skim the fluids from the surface of the body of higher density fluid;
• a pump associated with each vessel having an intake for receiving the skimmed fluids and an outlet for discharging the fluids;
• and conduit means connecting the outlet of the pump of each vessel to an inlet into the container located proximate to the bottom edge such that the fluids pumped from the vessel are confined within the container, the conduit means being of lengths sufficient to enable the skimmer vessels to move substantial distances relative to the container while the container either drifts or is anchored as it is being filled from the skimmer vessels.