Patent Publication Number: US-6669841-B2

Title: Marine vessel for collecting floating debris

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The use of marine vessels to remove debris from the surface or water is well known. However, vessels that serve this function invariably suffer from one or more problems typical with such vessels, including higher maintenance requirements, slow travel speeds, relatively low limits on the amount and type of debris they are capable of collecting in a single outing, instability caused when debris is shifted on board the vessel, an inability to handle long or heavy debris objects, and an inability to accommodate the use of standard debris collection containers such as front loading or roll off containers. 
     My vessel combines the known elements of a hull having a tapered bow for speed and cost savings, movable port and starboard bow sections to allow for the ingress of debris bearing water, ballast means for raising and lowering the vessel relative to the surrounding water, together with novel gate means and/or a novel debris collecting bucket moving means to produce a fast, efficient, versatile, relatively simple and cost efficient debris collection vessel with a high debris carrying capacity and superior debris handling abilities as compared with anything existing in the prior art. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,605 issued May 1, 1990—Chastan-Bagnis et al., describes a debris removal apparatus having, among other elements, a comb and inclined grill combination wherein the comb serves to disengage debris such as algae or seaweed from the grill and to convey the debris over a spill way immediately aft of the grill. This method of collecting and dumping floating debris on board a vessel is, however, inflexible, inefficient and primitive. Such a debris removal system is not capable of effectively and efficiently collecting, handling and dumping large, unwieldy debris items or a large amount of debris. 
     The “Rover 12” is a known vessel manufactured by Hewitt (Brockville) Ltd. of Brockville, Ontario, Canada, and is specifically designed for debris collection. The Rover 12 employs a debris removal system having, instead of a comb and grill combination, a debris collection bucket and an independent gate to halt debris. This gate, however, is not well suited to debris collection operations in that it operates independently of the debris collection bucket. During debris collection operation, the gate lifts following the rise of the bucket and lowers once the bucket has returned to the original collection position. As a consequence, a downside of the Rover 12 arrangement is that debris can and often does make its way behind the gate as it is being raised, or becomes lodged below the bucket as it is being lowered. The Rover&#39;s gate design, although previously the best gate and bucket arrangement, is problematic and results in an inefficient debris collection operation with considerable down time for maintenance. A further shortcoming is that when the bucket of the Rover 12 collects debris, it travels vertically and pivots backwards to deposit debris immediately aft of the area in which it is collected. This debris removal system may be capable of collecting somewhat larger debris items than U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,605, but it too is incapable of dumping the collected debris anywhere except in the one area immediately aft of where the debris is collected. This inability to efficiently distribute collected debris on board the vessel seriously limits the amount of debris this vessel can collect in an outing and can adversely affect the vessel&#39;s stability. Moreover, the Rover 12 is also incapable of handling large, unwieldy debris items. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,182 issued Dec. 22, 1992—Delbellian, describes a vessel which collects debris from the water surface and dumps it in a debris collection container immediately aft of where the debris is collected. A pair of inboard cranes located on deck near the starboard and port sides of the vessel are used to replace a filled debris collection container with an empty one. This method of distributing collected debris onboard is inefficient and potentially dangerous to crew involved in the container movement process. The shifting of loaded debris collection containers requires considerable time and contributes to vessel instability. Also, the collection method employed by Delbellian is, like the apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,605 and the Rover 12, incapable of handling large, unwieldy debris items. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed towards a marine vessel used for collecting floating debris from surrounding water. The marine vessel includes the well known features of a hull having a tapered bow, port and starboard bow sections moveable laterally between bow open and bow closed positions, an apron located between the bow sections, a debris collection area aft of the apron, a debris dumping area midships and aft of the debris collection area, ballast means for selectively locating the apron between positions above and below the surrounding water, and means for causing the surrounding water to flow over the apron and through the debris collection area when the apron is below the surrounding water. 
     The marine vessel of my invention includes an open chamber located below and aft the apron and which has defining walls which include water passageways therethrough. It further includes a debris collection bucket having water passageways extending therethrough. The bucket collects debris when it is in a first position where the bucket is located in the open chamber and water containing the debris is made to flow through both the open chamber and the bucket. The vessel incorporates means for moving the bucket between the first position and a second position where the bucket is located at the debris dumping area. 
     In order to effectively prevent any entry of debris into the collection area when the bucket is removed from the open chamber, the vessel employs gate means on its apron. Advantageously, the gate means cooperates with the bucket and moves between a gate open position when the bucket is located in the open chamber to thereby permit debris to enter into the debris collection area, and a gate closed position to impede entry of debris into the debris collection area. Preferably, the gate means may have water passageways through it to facilitate water flow through the vessel when the gate is in the gate closed position. Since the gate means and the bucket cooperate one with the other so that the position of the gate means is dependent on the bucket, this debris collection system effectively prevents debris becoming lodged on top of the gate or finding its way in behind the gate. This way, a much more efficient debris collection operation is achieved than is possible with the vessels described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,921,605 and 5,173,182, and with the Rover 12. 
     Preferably, means for biasing the gate means in the gate closed position are provided. To this end, one or more extension fingers may be included on the bucket and engagable with a corresponding number of extension finger receiving means included on the gate means. Thus, when the bucket is in the first position, the extension fingers on the bucket maintain the gate means in the gate open position. As a consequence, the bucket remains in contact with the gate such that debris is not able to find its way behind the gate or lodge itself below the bucket. 
     In accordance with another aspect of my invention, the marine vessel can advantageously include a primary boom which extends centrally and longitudinally of the vessel with one of the boom ends being pivotally connected to the vessel rearward of the debris dumping area, while the other end is pivotally connected to the bucket. This primary boom is telescopically and vertically movable between the debris collection area and the debris dumping area. Further, the bucket is preferably movable from a debris collection position in the debris collection area to a debris dumping position when in the debris dumping area. The primary boom provides the very desirable capability in a debris collection vessel of being able to place collected debris in areas other than the one area directly aft the collection area. Moreover, as the boom moves centrally and longitudinally relative to the vessel, its movement as well as the debris it dumps do not adversely affect the stability of the vessel. In fact, up to a point, the more debris evenly distributed centrally and longitudinally of the vessel, the more stable the vessel may become. Also, the boom is capable of assuming a position whereby its overall height can be minimized to accommodate situations where overhead clearance is an issue. 
     In accordance with another aspect of my invention, provision can advantageously be made for a secondary boom which is telescopically movable relative to the primary boom and is located at the other end of the primary boom. The secondary boom has grappling means located at its distal end for grappling debris forward of the debris collection area and can be in the form of a pair of pincers pivotally connected to the distal end of the secondary boom. This enables the grasping and handling at and forward of the debris collection area of large, unwieldy items of debris which may be encountered in certain debris collection operations. This permits the vessel to continue debris collection operations notwithstanding encountering large, unwieldy debris items of the sort that would oblige previously existing vessels to halt operations to separately address such debris items. 
     The pincers, relative to the primary boom, are preferably movable on the secondary boom from a position within the bucket to a position forward of the bucket. When the pincers are not needed they may be stationed in the bucket and positioned so as to interfere as little as possible with the debris collection function of the bucket. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan illustrating a marine vessel constructed in accordance with the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the marine vessel of FIG. 1, and also showing internal ballast tanks, the debris collection bucket in its second position and debris collection containers. 
     FIG. 3 is a similar side elevation view of the vessel of FIG. 1 but shows the internal debris collection area, the internal debris dumping area, the internal conduit through which water moves as it travels through the vessel and internal means for causing water to so flow. 
     FIG. 4 is a top view of the bow portion of the vessel seen in FIG. 1 with the port and starboard bow sections open. 
     FIG. 5 is a rear cut-away perspective view of the apron, open chamber and the gate means in the gate open position, with the bucket being omitted for clarity. 
     FIGS. 6 a  and  6   b  are, respectively, a side view of the bucket and a view of the bucket along line VI—VI shown in FIG. 6 a.    
     FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of the bucket, gate means, primary boom, bucket and debris containers illustrating the cooperation between and relative motion of the bucket and gate means when the bucket moves from its first position to its second position. 
     FIG. 8 is a side view of the bucket attached to the primary extension boom which further includes a secondary extension boom to which is attached grappling means, with the grappling means shown stationed in the bucket and extended forward of the bucket. 
     FIG. 9 is a front elevation view of the bucket and the pair of pincers located inside the bucket. 
    
    
     Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The marine vessel  1  as best seen in FIGS. 1,  2 ,  3  and  4  includes a tapered bow  2  and stern drive motors  5   a  and  5   b  which provide the motive means for the vessel. The majority of the controls for the vessel (not shown) are located in wheelhouse  6  which itself is positioned near the rear of the vessel. 
     The bow  2  is comprised of port and starboard bow sections  3   a  and  3   b,  respectively, which are shown in FIG. 1 in the bow closed position, and in FIG. 4, in the bow open position. The vessel normally assumes the bow closed position when travelling to and from debris collection locations for vessel speed purposes. Bow sections  3   a  and  3   b  are illustrated in FIG. 4 in the bow open position in order to capture debris when the vessel is in its operative mode and which may be when it is stationary or moving at a low speed. Also shown in FIG. 4 are guide plates  4   a  and  4   b,  which guide opening and closing bow sections  3   a  and  3   b  in a manner known in the art. 
     Positioned between bow sections  3   a  and  3   b  is apron  7 . Debris collection area  8  is located aft of apron  7 . Debris dumping area  9 , as seen in dashed lines in FIG. 3, is located midships and aft of debris collection area  8 . Ballast means comprising water ballast tanks  11 , as seen in dashed lines in FIG. 2, are located forward and low in the vessel. Employing suitable pumps (not shown) but well known in the art, the volume of water in the tanks can be varied thereby raising or lowering apron  7  relative to the surrounding water. Apron  7  is lowered below the surface level of the surrounding water during debris collection operations to permit the flow of water thereover and through the vessel, and having passed over the apron, then passes through open chamber  14  and water discharge conduit  13 . A continuous flow of water over apron  7 , through open chamber  14  which is in water communication with water discharge conduit  13  is achieved using a pump, such as axial pump  12  also seen in FIG.  3 . 
     During debris collection operations, water and floating debris are carried over apron  7  and into debris collection area  8 . Debris collection area  8  is located downstream of apron  7  and includes the inside of debris collection bucket  17  when in open chamber  14 . Open chamber  14  having, as best seen in FIG. 5, defining walls including two side walls  15   a  and  15   b,  downwardly and rearwardly inclined bottom wall  15   c,  Rear bottom wall  15   d  and back wall  15   e  as seen in FIG.  3 . Rear bottom wall  15   d  further includes water passageways  16  therethrough and which communicates with water discharge conduit  13 , as described above. 
     As also best seen in FIG. 5, gate means in the form of a hinged gate  19 , shown in the gate open position, is located on apron  7  and forward of rear bottom wall  15   d  and is pivotable about gate axis  30  for reasons discussed in further detail below. Like rear bottom wall  15   d,  gate  19  is provided with water passageways  18  to permit the continuous flow of water therethrough whilst impeding entry of debris into open chamber  14  when gate  19  is pivoted upwards in its gate closed position as seen in dashed lines in FIG.  7  and as also discussed below. 
     As generally illustrated in FIGS. 1,  2  and  3 , and in detail in FIGS. 6 a  and  6   b,  debris collection bucket  17  is pivotally connected to primary extensible boom  23  by means of a pivot bar  28  carried on bucket  17 . Boom  23  in turn is pivotally attached to the vessel by means of a pivot base  27 , between wheelhouse  6  and debris dumping area  9 . Bucket  17  includes water passageways  31 , the purpose of which is to strain debris from the incoming water when the bucket is located in open chamber  14  while allowing the water to flow through water passageways  31  in bucket  17 ; after which the water flows into open chamber  14 , through water passageways  16  and into water discharge conduit  13 , as previously discussed. 
     Debris which is captured by bucket  17  when in debris collection area  8  is subsequently dumped in one or more suitable containers  10   a,    10   b  or  10   c  loaded in debris dumping area  9 . Debris dumping area  9  can accommodate several standard roll on or front loading debris containers, shown as  10   a,    10   b  and  10   c  in FIGS. 2 and 7. 
     FIG. 7 best depicts the movement of bucket  17  during the debris collection and dumping operations. Bucket  17  when located in open chamber  14 , by virtue of extension fingers  21  on the bucket which engage extension finger receiving means in the form of pivot bar  22  extending across the top free end of gate  19 , holds gate  19  in the gate open position thereby permitting water and floating debris to enter bucket  17 . As bucket  17  is moved out of its first position, as shown in dashed lines, gate  19  which is biased toward the gate closed position is permitted to close, disengaging itself from extension fingers  21 . 
     The biasing means, housed in protective cover  20  as best seen in FIG. 5, may be in the form of one or more compression springs, not shown but well known in the art, which at one end are connected to the hull and at the other to or proximate to pivot bar  22 . It will be understood that the gate  19  as shown in FIG. 5 is illustrated in the gate open position but that it would not normally take that position unless bucket  17  was located within open chamber  14 , as discussed above. 
     As illustrated in dashed lines in FIG. 7, bucket  17  carried by boom  23  is initially swung upward along an arcuate path depicted by arrow  40  and as indicated previously, while simultaneously permitting gate  19  to pivot upwardly into it gate closed position thereby preventing the entry of debris into the open chamber  14  when the bucket  17  is not in debris collection area  8 . Boom  23  is then retracted in the direction of arrow  41  to a selected position above debris dumping area  9 ; with physical dumping of the debris taking place when the bucket  17  is in arcuately pivoted downwardly as seen with reference to direction arrow  42 . The telescopic extension and retraction of the boom as well as the raising and lowering of the boom and the pivoting of the bucket is achieved by hydraulic or other means which is well known in the art. 
     FIGS. 8 and 9, illustrate a further embodiment of the invention, wherein provision is made for a secondary extension boom  24  carried by the primary boom  23  and which at its free end includes grappling means  25 , in the form of a pair of pincers, which inter alia can be employed in clearing “debris jams” or grasping and holding large and unwieldy debris items located at or forward of the apron. 
     FIG. 9 is front view of pincers  25  located within bucket  17  and arranged so as to minimize interference with the ingress of debris into bucket  17 . The grappling and holding movement of the pincers is effected by hydraulic or other means (not shown) but well known in the art. 
     Prior to operation, the stationary or slowly moving vessel is lowered relative to the surrounding water by means of ballast tanks  11  so that apron  7  is below the surface level of the surrounding water. Bow sections  3   a  and  3   b  are fully opened, the bucket is in the collection area  8  and gate  19  is in the gate open position. Pump  12  in water discharge conduit  13  causes water and floating debris to continuously flow over apron  7  and gate  19  with debris and water separation taking place in bucket  17 . 
     When a sufficient amount of debris has been collected in bucket  17 , it is moved from its first position in open chamber  14 , while simultaneously allowing gate  19 , which is biased upwardly, to move to its gate closed position. The cooperation of bucket  17  and gate  19  during this operation prevents debris from lodging on top of gate  19  or entering the open chamber  14  when the bucket is removed therefrom, and then brought to the second position at debris dumping area  9  by the vertical pivoting and retraction of primary extensible boom  23  to which it is attached. The debris is dumped in one of debris containers  10   a,    10   b  or  10   c  by the pivoting of bucket  17  at the end of primary extensible boom  23 . After dumping is completed, bucket  17  is returned to its first position, at which time gate  19  is moved synchronically to its gate open position, and the process is repeated.