Floating disc oil spill cleanup apparatus

A portable skimming apparatus for skimming oil and/or other liquid from water surfaces comprising a pump for pumping liquid, a floating intake assembly for floating on a liquid surface includes a circular float, a circular plate secured coaxially within the float, central inlet connected by a flexible conduit to the pump, and a peripheral inlet spaced around inside the periphery of the circular float connected by a flexible conduit to the pump for receiving liquid from the liquid surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to oil spill cleanup devices and pertains 
particularly to an improved oil spill cleanup apparatus. 
Oil spills on the world's oceans and waterways are a frequent occurrence in 
modern times due to the high volume of petroleum, crude and other products 
transported over the waterways. The products of these oil spills are 
frequently swept by wind, waves and currents to the world's beaches and 
coastlines before they can be contained and recovered. It is desirable 
that the products of these spills be cleaned from the water surfaces and 
from the coastline as rapidly as possible. 
Many coastline areas are remote and rugged with various conditions, 
including rocky shores and beaches, tide pools, and other conditions. Once 
oil has been swept to these areas, it is difficult to extract or recover 
and remove from the areas. Therefore, it is desirable that any spill be 
recovered from the water surface prior to reaching these areas. 
Once a rugged coastline has been contaminated with oil and the like, the 
common practice is to attempt to clean the shores by means of straw or 
other absorbent materials placed over the areas in an effort to absorb the 
oil. The absorbent materials are then removed and disposed of. 
The present invention was conceived and developed as an alternate and 
improved means of quickly extracting oil spills from water surfaces before 
they spread to shorelines and the like. 
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an 
environmentally safe and improved portable oil cleanup skimming pump 
system for rapidly and effectively skimming oil from water surfaces, 
including rivers, harbors and oceans. 
In accordance with a primary aspect of the present invention, a cleanup 
apparatus for pumping oil and/or debris laden liquid from remote areas 
comprises a reciprocating piston pump, with an elongated tubular barrel 
having a distal end and a proximal end, an elongated plunger having a 
piston reciprocably mounted in said barrel, and a valving assembly 
detachably mounted on the distal end of said barrel, and comprising a 
flexible inlet conduit connected to a floating skimmer assembly having a 
central inlet port, and a peripheral inlet port, the pump barrel having a 
one-way inlet valve in an inlet port therein, and a one-way outlet valve 
in an outlet port therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, there is illustrated 
an exemplary embodiment of the present invention in operation from the 
deck of a ship. The invention, designated generally by the numeral 10, 
comprises a highly portable skimming system for skimming oil spills and 
other floating liquids from the surfaces and near surfaces of water and 
the like. The overall system, designated generally by the numeral 10, 
comprises a pump system designated generally by the numeral 12 and a 
remotely positionable floating skimmer intake system 14. 
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the floating intake system comprises a floating 
assembly comprising a circular or peripheral float 16, which may be a ring 
of impervious foam or the like for supporting the skimming structure on or 
near the surface of a body of water or the like. Disposed within the float 
is a circular plate or disc 18 having slightly upwardly sloping peripheral 
edge 20 secured to and supported by the float 16 concentrically therewith. 
A plurality of slot openings 22 are formed in the upturned portion of the 
disc for admitting liquid from a water surface to the interior thereof. A 
central drain or intake opening 24 communicates with an elongated flexible 
tubing or conduit 26 to the pump assembly. 
As shown in FIG. 3, the circular disc 18 is disposed slightly below the 
circular float 12, and the slots 22 therein permit the flow of surface 
liquids into the central area where it is skimmed off by the intake 24. A 
plurality of peripheral intake ports 30, 32, 34 and 36 are formed in a 
circular conduit 28, which is disposed inside the float 16 and positioned 
to be disposed at just slightly below the water surface. These intake 
ports draw surface oil and the like from the surface of water within the 
float. A similar peripheral conduit with similar intake ports may also 
extend around the outer periphery of the float assembly to draw surface 
liquids from the surrounding area. The peripheral intake assembly includes 
a plurality of the intake ports or slots 30-36 into the tubular ring 28. 
The tubular ring 28 communicates by way of an elongated tubular flexible 
conduit 38 to the pump assembly 12. A one-way flapper valve 39 may be 
provided at the inlet to intake ports or the intake lint 38 to prevent 
backflow. The floating skimmer unit 14 should be on the order of about 
twenty-five feet in diameter, but may be smaller or larger for certain 
applications. 
The pump assembly, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, comprises a support base or 
frame 40, which may be designed to mount on any boat or other floating 
platform, or may be secured or mounted on the ground or docks on the 
shoreline. A pair of support decks 41 and 43 of marine plywood or the like 
are mounted on the frame 40 to support pump units. The elongated flexible 
lines 26 and 28 may be any suitable length to position the skimming intake 
assembly 14 in any suitable remote location from the pump assembly. 
The pump assembly comprises a pair of piston pumps 42 and 44, each of which 
comprises an elongated tubular barrel having a connecting rod 46 and 48, 
respectively, connected at one end to a piston and at the other end to 
cranks 50 and 52. 
The cranks 50 and 52 are driven by suitable motors 54 and 56 through a 
suitable gear drive assembly. Suitable gear drives and motors are 
available in the marketplace. Details of the drive motors and gear 
assembly are not believed necessary to provide a complete understanding of 
the invention and how to make and use it. The motors may be electric 
motors or other suitably powered motors. The pumps 42 and 44 are 
preferably barrels that are large in diameter having one or more pistons 
mounted within the barrel and connected by the respective connecting rods 
46 and 48 to the cranks 50 and 52. Each of the pumps have a valve assembly 
58 and 60 having an inlet and outlet port and valve assembly at one end of 
the respective barrels, as illustrated in FIG. 3. These pump assemblies 
and the valve therein are more fully disclosed and described in my 
co-pending application No. 07/470,371. 
The outlets to the pumps are connected by way of elongated flexible lines 
or conduits 62 and 64 to a suitable holding tank or reservoir 66. These 
type piston pumps are preferable for this application, because they do not 
need priming, and any debris brought in with the skimming operation passes 
through the valve assembly without fouling the pistons, and without the 
necessity of passing through the pistons. The pumps can pump oil, water or 
combinations thereof along with air without interruption. 
Referring to FIG. 5, an exemplary embodiment of the pump 42 and valve 
assemblies thereof is illustrated. As illustrated, the piston barrel 42 
has a valve assembly 58 mounted on the end thereof. The valve assembly has 
an in line intake or inlet port 68 that is in line with the barrel, and an 
outlet port at 70 that is at ninety degrees to the barrel. The valve 
assemblies each have a flapper valve 72 and 74, respectively, that seat 
against a valve seat to prevent back flow. The flow through capacity of 
the valves is large and preferably on the order of close to that of the 
pump barrels themselves. The pumps are preferably constructed of 
non-corrosive materials, such as plastic and stainless steel. The pump 
barrels and valve assemblies may be constructed of polyvinyl chloride 
(PVC) or similar durable plastic. The above described system provides a 
simple, inexpensive, portable skimming system that can be stowed on 
tankers and other seagoing vessels that are likely to be in the vicinity 
of a spill. They may also be easily transported by aircraft or other means 
and deployed where needed. This eliminates the need for special skimmer 
ships or vessels that must travel great distances to the area of a spill. 
In operation, the assembly, as illustrated in FIG. 1, is taken to the scene 
of an oil spill or the like, which preferably has been boomed off by 
floating booms to contain the spill. The pump assembly is supported on a 
boat or watercraft or other suitable support structure, while the skimming 
intake assembly 14 is positioned within the spill area by hand or other 
means. The intake assembly is connected by elongated flexible tubular 
conduits 26 and 28 to the pump assembly and permitted to float or move 
throughout the spill area, skimming water and oil from the surface 
thereof, and placing it in any suitable containers such as barrels or the 
like. The skimming unit 14 may also be moved about an area by means of a 
boat, aircraft or other suitable means. A large number of the skimmer 
units may be placed on a boat or other support structure and positioned or 
moved about a spill area. 
Still further modifications of the device can include mounting of the 
device on suitable water vessels, such as boats, barges and the like, and 
powering the unit by motors, such as electrical or internal combustion 
engines. Suitable mechanical movement mechanisms, such as cranks and 
linkages, are known, which are capable of attachment to the plunger for 
operation thereof by conversion of the engines rotary motion to a 
reciprocating motion of the plunger. 
While I have illustrated and described my invention by means of specific 
embodiments, it should be understood that numerous changes and 
modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and 
scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. I further assert 
and sincerely believe that the above specification contains a written 
description of the invention and the manner and process of making and 
using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any 
person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most 
nearly concerned, to make and use the same, and further that it sets forth 
the best mode contemplated by me for carrying out the invention.