Water rake

A craft which removes debris and chemicals from water having a wire conveyor that carries trash and other debris to a trash receptable as the conveyor moves through the water. The craft includes debris deflectors that channel the trash to a wire rope conveyor which is positioned between two large sponson floats which support the craft in water. The front of the conveyor system is submerged and the rear is above the water. The front of the conveyor system may be raised or lowered out of the water. A chemical pickup head system carries chemicals to a debris receptacle as the roller rotates in the water. A special surface is provided on the pick up head that collects the material by adhesion or absorption and carries it for removal by a rubber squeegee. A system for removing water from chemicals and redepositing water in the environment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of Invention 
The present invention relates to a device for the removing of pollution 
from water. The water rake refers specifically to an apparatus for 
removing trash and oil or other chemicals from waters including rivers, 
lakes, bays, harbors, and oceans. Depending on the size of construction of 
the water rake water may also include the high seas. 
2. Description of Prior Art 
Currently the pollution which is in rivers, lakes, and oceans is ignored or 
ineffectually handled. The trash and chemicals such as oil usually washes 
onto beaches or rocks and is then collected, or the trash and oil is often 
scooped up by someone in a boat using a net, scoop or other hand tool. The 
water rake enables trash and certain chemicals to be removed from 
waterways while the pollution is floating in the water. The water rake 
also removes significantly large amounts making it a more cost effective 
task. 
SUMMARY OF OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION 
A primary object of the present invention is to provide an effective means 
for removing trash, debris, and chemicals such as oil from water. The 
basic design uses a conveyor and roller system to collect pollution from a 
wide area. 
In accordance with the description presented other objects of this 
invention will become apparent when the description and drawings presented 
are reviewed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The water rake collects trash and chemicals from rivers, lakes, bays, 
harbors, and oceans by using a conveyor-ramp and chemical pickup head 
design which moves in water. The conveyor and chemical pickup may be 
permanently attached to a boat; however, the chemical pick up head may be 
detached and installed when needed. The inventive idea is the combination 
of conveyor-ramp, trash collector, chemical pickup head, and boat design. 
Referring to FIG. 1 trash is picked up on plastic-coated metal strands (1). 
The plastic coating on the metal stands (1) prevents rusting and enables a 
long life in water environments. The metal strands (1) are spaced one 
eighth inch apart to allow water and air to pass through. Although any 
number may be used, a ninety five cable belt conveyor system has been 
satisfactorily used. The metal strands (1) with this spacing easily retain 
trash, such as cigarettes. Other designs could allow the metal strands (1) 
to be separated further but the one eighth spacing has worked 
satisfactorily for most applications. 
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 the metal strands (1) move over a forward rotator 
(8) and a rear rotator (4). The rear rotator (4) is driven by an outboard 
motor (36), hydraulic transmission system and hydraulic motor (3) through 
a suitable belt or gear assembly. The forward rotator (8) is loose and 
rotates freely. The forward rotator (8) is submerged during operation. The 
rotators (4), (8) are grooved to maintain proper spacing of the plastic 
covered wire strands (1). 
The wire stands (1) and rotators (4), (8) are supported by a conveyor belt 
track (12). Each side is connected by cross members (13) spaced such as to 
allow water and air to pass through. This also supports the conveyor 
tension control (2) which provides proper tension to the wire stands (1). 
Support of the trash while maintaining enough tension under a unloaded 
condition to keep the wire strands (1) moving in conveyor manner is 
required. 
Referring to FIG. 2 and 3 the conveyor system is mounted on a pivot (6) at 
the rear of the craft and approximately three feet above the bottom of the 
craft. Hydraulic cylinders (10) are attached forward of the pivot (6) 
which allow an operator to lift the conveyor system out of the water when 
not collecting trash. This is especially convenient when cruising to the 
selected polluted area. The angle of inclination of the conveyor system is 
approximately fifteen to thirty degrees during operation and is 
adjustable. The hydraulic cylinders (10) allow the operator to maintain 
the proper height of the water rake in the water. 
As shown in FIG. 3 and 4 the design of the craft is such that the conveyor 
system sits between two sponson floats (16). The operator and steering 
column (17) are on a steering platform (20) which connect the sponson 
floats (16). The conveyor system is directly underneath the steering 
platform (20). Craft sides (18) support the hydraulic cylinder lifters 
(10). The pivot (6) about which the rear rotator (4) is supported is 
connected to the craft sides (18). Two outboard motors (21) each with six 
horse power propel the craft which weighs approximately fifteen hundred 
pounds. The craft travels up to five miles per hour with the conveyor 
system up and three miles an hour when the front of the conveyor system is 
down in the water. 
Baffles (7) attached to the conveyor and which move up and down with the 
conveyor, guide trash from the bow area to the conveyor system. Referring 
to FIG. 4 the shape of the bow serves as debris deflectors (9) as an 
effective guide for trash. Also the venturi effect of water flowing 
between the forty five degree angle bows and baffles increases the flow of 
surface water near the front of the conveyor system. Everything that comes 
between the extreme points of the bows is picked up because of the craft's 
motion. 
Spray jets (14) supplied with water by a water pump (15) force trash toward 
the conveyor system and are required when the craft does not have 
sufficient forward motion to place the trash on the metal strands. In 
addition debris deflectors (9) formed by the angles to the front of the 
foam sponsons (16) force trash from the sides into the front of the 
conveyor (1) to be picked up. 
The rear rotator (4), water pump (15) and hydraulic lift cylinders (10) are 
powered by an outboard motor (36) with hydraulic pump (38) motors and 
control valves comprising the power transmission system on the side of the 
steering platform (20). 
The fuel tank (19) is behind the steering column. 
At the rear of the conveyor (1) is a trash collector (5) which collects the 
trash (11) which falls off the back of the conveyor system. 
The conveyor design permits a wide variety of trash to be picked-up. Items 
from as small as a cigarette filter tip to larger items such as wood 
pieces are easily removed from water. Furthermore, the conveyor design is 
inherently nonfouling, self cleaning, and safe to operating personal since 
only smooth parallel plastic covered wires are used to transport the trash 
from water to the receptacle. 
Referring to FIG. 7, a pick up head (22) is shown which, depending on the 
chemical and physical characteristic of the material to be removed, the 
pick up head (22) surface is covered with a material to which the chemical 
to be removed is attracted or adheres. The pickup head is attached to the 
water rake boat by the cantilevered frame (23) attached to the conveyor at 
point (32). This frame system (23) allows the pickup head (22) to be 
lowered into a chemical such as an oil slick over any chemical containment 
or other devices without breaking any containment barriers that may be in 
place. The chemical can also be safely picked up by placing the craft 
within the containment devices. When use of only the chemical pickup head 
system is desired, the conveyor system may be removed and a pickup frame 
extension (34) mounted at pivot (6) with cantilevered frame (23) attached 
at point (35). 
The entire water rake boat and pickup head (22) can also be positioned in a 
chemical area and move around to pick up the contaminants. 
As shown in FIG. 8 the rotating drum (24) is caused to move in the chemical 
and water environment by the rotating drum motor (26). As the drum rotates 
the rotating drum chemical adhesion cover (25) pulls the contaminants out 
of the water as the chemical adheres to the rotating drum adhesion cover 
(25). 
Referring to FIG. 9, the squeegee (30) cleans the chemical off the surface 
of the rotating drum adhesion cover (25) into the chemical collection 
trough (29). The trough is sloped such that the chemical moves by force of 
gravity to the end of the trough by the removal pump (31). The removal 
pump (31) suctions the chemical out of the trough and pumps it to the back 
of the craft (33) to chemical debris containers. 
The drum water remover (27) roller removes water from the rotating adhesion 
drum cover (25) and deposits it back in the environment. The drum water 
remover balance (28) serves to apply pressure to the rotating drum 
adhesion cover (25) at the proper pressure to remove the water from the 
chemical which then moves on to the squeegee (30). 
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Index 
Description Number 
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Plastic-Coated Metal Strands 
1 
Conveyor Tension Control 
2 
Conveyor 3 
Rear Grooved Conveyor Rotator 
4 
Trash Collector 5 
Pivot 6 
Baffles 7 
Forward Grooved Conveyor Rotator 
8 
Debris Deflector 9 
Hydraulic Cylinder Lifters 
10 
Trash 11 
Conveyor Belt Track 12 
Belt Cross Members 13 
Spray Jets 14 
Water Pump 15 
Sponson Floats 16 
Steering Column 17 
Craft Sides 18 
Fuel Tank 19 
Steering Platform 20 
Outboard Motors 21 
Pickup Head 22 
Pickup Frame 23 
Rotating Drum 24 
Rotating Drum Adhesion Cover 
25 
Rotating Drum Motor 26 
Drum Water Remover 27 
Drum Water Remover Balance 
28 
Oil Collection Trough 29 
Squeegee to Remove Chemical 
30 
Chemical Removal Pump 31 
Pickup Head Attachment Point 
32 
Debris Container 33 
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