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US 6,471,862 B1Granted
Oil skimming apparatus
OwnerRobert John Rockwellinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An oil skimming apparatus for collecting oil from a surface of a water body is provided comprising a floatable hull, a hollow non-floating cylinder rotatably mounted adjacent a bow of the hull, and an arrangement of scrapers and troughs for scraping oil from the inner and outer surfaces of the cylinder and transporting the collected oil to an oil collection tank. The cylinder has port and starboard open ends, which allow oil to collect on the inner surface of the cylinder during rotation. A pair of bulkheads are fixed inside of the cylinder. A pair of pontoons extend fore of the bow of the floatable hull. The pontoons are spaced apart to form an oil collection area. The cylinder is rotatably mounted in the oil collection area via a drive shaft-member passing through the port and starboard bulkheads.
Claims21
An oil skimming apparatus for collecting oil from a surface of a water body comprising:
- a floatable hull, said hull having an oil collection tank therein,
- a pair of pontoons extending fore of a bow of said floatable hull, said pontoons spaced apart to thereby form an oil collection area therebetween,
- a hollow cylinder, said cylinder having port and starboard open ends, said cylinder having a density greater than water,
- a port bulkhead and a starboard bulkhead, said bulkheads fixed in spaced apart relation within said cylinder,
- said cylinder rotatably mounted in said oil collection area via a driveshaft-member passing through said port and starboard bulkheads, a rotational axis of said cylinder aligned substantially parallel to the surface of the water body and substantially perpendicular to a centerline of said floatable hull, a bottom edge of said cylinder positioned below a waterline of said floatable hull,
- a drive means for selectively rotating said drive shaft,
- an outer oil collection trough mounted along a fore outer surface of said cylinder,
- an outer scraper blade, said outer scraper blade positioned to scrape oil from said fore outer surface of said cylinder and to divert said scraped oil into said outer oil collection trough,
- a port inner oil collection trough, said port inner oil collection trough mounted along a fore inner surface of said cylinder between said port bulkhead and said port open end,
- a port inner scraper blade, said port inner scraper blade positioned to scrape oil from said fore inner surface of said cylinder and to divert said scraped oil into said port inner oil collection trough,
- a starboard inner oil collection trough, said starboard inner oil collection trough mounted along said fore inner surface of said cylinder between said starboard bulkhead and said starboard open end,
- a starboard inner scraper blade, said starboard inner scraper blade positioned to scrape oil from said fore inner surface of said cylinder and to divert said scraped oil into said starboard inner oil collection trough,
- a port oil transfer trough, said port oil transfer trough positioned and configured to transfer oil from said outer oil collection trough and said port inner collection trough to said oil collection tank, and
- a starboard oil transfer trough, said starboard oil transfer trough positioned and configured to transfer oil from said outer oil collection trough and said starboard inner collection trough to said oil collection tank.
11 more elements
An oil skimming apparatus for collecting oil from a surface of a water body comprising:
- a floatable hull, said hull having an oil collection tank therein,
- a pair of pontoons extending fore of a bow of said floatable hull, said pontoons spaced apart to thereby form an oil collection area therebetween,
- a hollow cylinder, said cylinder having port and starboard open ends, said cylinder having a density greater than water,
- a port bulkhead and a starboard bulkhead, said bulkheads fixed in spaced apart relation within said cylinder,
- said cylinder rotatably mounted in said oil collection area via a driveshaft-member passing through said port and starboard bulkheads, a rotational axis of said cylinder aligned substantially parallel to the surface of the water body and substantially perpendicular to a centerline of said floatable hull, a bottom edge of said cylinder positioned below a waterline of said floatable hull,
- a drive means for selectively rotating said drive shaft,
- an outer oil collection trough mounted along a fore outer surface of said cylinder,
- an outer scraper blade, said outer scraper blade positioned to scrape oil from said fore outer surface of said cylinder and to divert said scraped oil into said outer oil collection trough,
- a port inner oil collection trough, said port inner oil collection trough mounted along a fore inner surface of said cylinder between said port bulkhead and said port open end,
- a port inner scraper blade, said port inner scraper blade positioned to scrape oil from said fore inner surface of said cylinder and to divert said scraped oil into said port inner oil collection trough,
- a starboard inner oil collection trough, said starboard inner oil collection trough mounted along said fore inner surface of said cylinder between said starboard bulkhead and said starboard open end,
- a starboard inner scraper blade, said starboard inner scraper blade positioned to scrape oil from said fore inner surface of said cylinder and to divert said scraped oil into said starboard inner oil collection trough,
- a port oil transfer trough, said port oil transfer trough positioned and configured to transfer oil from said outer oil collection trough and said port inner collection trough to said oil collection tank,
- a starboard oil transfer trough, said starboard oil transfer trough positioned and configured to transfer oil from said outer oil collection trough and said starboard inner collection trough to said oil collection tank,
- a port bulkhead scraper blade, said port bulkhead scraper blade positioned to scrape oil from said port bulkhead and to divert said scraped oil into said port inner oil collection trough, and
- a starboard bulkhead scraper blade, said starboard bulkhead scraper blade positioned to scrape oil from said starboard bulkhead and to divert said scraped oil into said starboard inner oil collection trough.
13 more elements
An oil skimming apparatus for collecting oil from a surface of a water body comprising:
- a floatable hull, said hull having an oil collection tank therein,
- a pair of pontoons extending fore of a bow of said floatable hull, said pontoons spaced apart to thereby form an oil collection area therebetween,
- a hollow cylinder, said cylinder having port and starboard open ends, said cylinder having a density greater than water,
- an annular shoulder depending inward from each of said open ends of said cylinder,
- a port bulkhead and a starboard bulkhead, said bulkheads fixed in spaced apart relation within said cylinder,
- said cylinder rotatably mounted in said oil collection area via a driveshaft-member passing through said port and starboard bulkheads, a rotational axis of said cylinder aligned substantially parallel to the surface of the water body and substantially perpendicular to a centerline of said floatable hull, a bottom edge of said cylinder positioned below a waterline of said floatable hull,
- a drive means for selectively rotating said drive shaft,
- an outer oil collection trough mounted along a fore outer surface of said cylinder,
- an outer scraper blade, said outer scraper blade positioned to scrape oil from said fore outer surface of said cylinder and to divert said scraped oil into said outer oil collection trough,
- a port inner oil collection trough, said port inner oil collection trough mounted along a fore inner surface of said cylinder between said port bulkhead and said port open end,
- a port inner scraper blade, said port inner scraper blade positioned to scrape oil from said fore inner surface of said cylinder and to divert said scraped oil into said port inner oil collection trough,
- a starboard inner oil collection trough, said starboard inner oil collection trough mounted along said fore inner surface of said cylinder between said starboard bulkhead and said starboard open end,
- a starboard inner scraper blade, said starboard inner scraper blade positioned to scrape oil from said fore inner surface of said cylinder and to divert said scraped oil into said starboard inner oil collection trough,
- a port oil transfer trough, said port oil transfer trough positioned and configured to transfer oil from said outer oil collection trough and said port inner collection trough to said oil collection tank, and
- a starboard oil transfer trough, said starboard oil transfer trough positioned and configured to transfer oil from said outer oil collection trough and said starboard inner collection trough to said oil collection tank.
12 more elements
An oil skimming apparatus for collecting oil from a surface of a water body comprising:
- a floatable hull, said hull having an oil collection tank therein,
- a pair of pontoons extending fore of a bow of said floatable hull, said pontoons spaced apart to thereby form an oil collection area therebetween,
- a hollow cylinder, said cylinder having port and starboard open ends, said cylinder having a density greater than water,
- a port bulkhead and a starboard bulkhead, said bulkheads fixed in spaced apart relation within said cylinder,
- said cylinder rotatably mounted in said oil collection area via a driveshaft-member passing through said port and starboard bulkheads, a rotational axis of said cylinder aligned substantially parallel to the surface of the water body and substantially perpendicular to a centerline of said floatable hull, a bottom edge of said cylinder positioned below a waterline of said floatable hull,
- a drive means for selectively rotating said drive shaft,
- an outer oil collection trough mounted along a fore outer surface of said cylinder,
- an outer scraper blade, said outer scraper blade positioned to scrape oil from said fore outer surface of said cylinder and to divert said scraped oil into said outer oil collection trough,
- a port inner oil collection trough, said port inner oil collection trough mounted along a fore inner surface of said cylinder between said port bulkhead and said port open end,
- a port inner scraper blade, said port inner scraper blade positioned to scrape oil from said fore inner surface of said cylinder and to divert said scraped oil into said port inner oil collection trough,
- a starboard inner oil collection trough, said starboard inner oil collection trough mounted along said fore inner surface of said cylinder between said starboard bulkhead and said starboard open end,
- a starboard inner scraper blade, said starboard inner scraper blade positioned to scrape oil from said fore inner surface of said cylinder and to divert said scraped oil into said starboard inner oil collection trough,
- a port oil transfer trough, said port oil transfer trough positioned and configured to transfer oil from said outer oil collection trough and said port inner collection trough to said oil collection tank,
- a starboard oil transfer trough, said starboard oil transfer trough positioned and configured to transfer oil from said outer oil collection trough and said starboard inner collection trough to said oil collection tank, and
- said hull having a tapered bow, said tapered bow separated from said oil collection tank via an internal bulkhead, said bulkhead preventing oil from collecting in said tapered bow to thereby prevent said hull from listing forward during collection of oil.
12 more elements
An oil skimming apparatus for collecting oil from a surface of a water body comprising:
- a floatable hull, said hull having an oil collection tank fixed therein,
- said hull having a suction outlet for use in pumping collected oil from said oil collection tank,
- a pair of pontoons extending fore of a bow of said floatable hull, said pontoons spaced apart to thereby form an oil collection area therebetween,
- a hollow cylinder, said cylinder having port and starboard open ends, an inner and an outer surface of said cylinder having a scratch surface to thereby improve adhesion of oil to said surfaces during collection of oil from the water body, said cylinder having a density greater than water,
- an annular shoulder depending inward from each of said open ends of said cylinder,
- a port bulkhead and a starboard bulkhead, said bulkheads fixed in spaced apart relation within said cylinder,
- a lengthwise annular collar passing through said pair of bulkheads,
- said cylinder rotatably mounted in said oil collection area via a driveshaft-member passing through said annular collar, a rotational axis of said cylinder aligned substantially parallel to the surface of the water body and substantially perpendicular to a centerline of said floatable hull, a bottom edge of said cylinder positioned below a waterline of said floatable hull,
- a drive means for selectively rotating said drive shaft,
- an outer oil collection trough mounted along a fore outer surface of said cylinder,
- an outer scraper blade, said outer scraper blade positioned to scrape oil from said fore outer surface of said cylinder and to divert said scraped oil into said outer oil collection trough,
- a port inner oil collection trough, said port inner oil collection trough mounted along a fore inner surface of said cylinder between said port bulkhead and said port open end,
- a port inner scraper blade, said port inner scraper blade positioned to scrape oil from said fore inner surface of said cylinder and to divert said scraped oil into said port inner oil collection trough,
- a starboard inner oil collection trough, said starboard inner oil collection trough mounted along said fore inner surface of said cylinder between said starboard bulkhead and said starboard open end,
- a starboard inner scraper blade, said starboard inner scraper blade positioned to scrape oil from said fore inner surface of said cylinder and to divert said scraped oil into said starboard inner oil collection trough,
- a port bulkhead scraper blade, said port bulkhead scraper blade positioned to scrape oil from said port bulkhead and to divert said scraped oil into said port inner oil collection trough,
- a starboard bulkhead scraper blade, said starboard bulkhead scraper blade positioned to scrape oil from said starboard bulkhead and to divert said scraped oil into said starboard inner oil collection trough,
- each of said scraper blades set at an angle of between 10 to 70 degrees relative to the surface of the body of water,
- a port oil transfer trough, said port oil transfer trough positioned and configured to transfer oil from said outer oil collection trough and said port inner collection trough to said oil collection tank,
- a starboard oil transfer trough, said starboard oil transfer trough positioned and configured to transfer oil from said outer oil collection trough and said starboard inner collection trough to said oil collection tank,
- each of said oil collection troughs declining outboard and each of said oil transfer troughs declining aft to thereby facilitate flow of collected oil to said oil collection tank.
18 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.