EP0712457B1 - Device for recovering pollutants spilled on water or on the ground - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for recovering floating materials, comprising a compartment (22) with a sill (20) for receiving the material to be recovered and a system for emptying said compartment, said sill (20) forming or comprising at least one clean float at least partially immersed in the recovery compartment (22). Said apparatus is remarkable in that said sill (20) is connected to at least one float (23) borne by the body of water outside said compartment (22) so that it is sensitive both to changes of the level in the compartment and to the relative movement of the body of water outside. The connection between the sill (20) and the outside float (23) is advantageously provided by an assembly enabling relative motion between said sill and said outside float (23).

Description

The invention relates to a product recovery device. pollutants spread on water or on the ground, such as oil at sea or on beaches.

To treat pollutants on water only, the document EP-A-0 005 411 describes a device the characteristic of which is separate settling tanks carried by a boat, a device called "skimming".

Such a skimming device has a threshold compartment weir intended to receive the material to be recovered and a system of emptying of said compartment, while the weir threshold forms or has at least one clean float at least partially submerged in the recovery compartment, said threshold being already known and called "floating threshold".

When the skimming device has large dimensions, or if it is integrated with a support for the storage tank, of the type for example boat or barge, which is in particular compulsory if the emptying device is of the noria type, such a device is very insensitive to agitation or undulations (such as swell or choppy) of the water; which is a major drawback since there is therefore no adaptation accordingly to the floating threshold.

Document FR-A-2 200 859 also describes a device intended to dampen the movement of the waves.

The inventor has designed a device one of the purposes of which is to maintain the overflow threshold of the recovery compartment at a substantially constant level of immersion, regardless of movement of the water.

To achieve this, the apparatus according to the invention, of the aforementioned type with floating threshold, is remarkable in that said threshold is connected to the minus one float carried by the body of water outside said compartment, so as to be sensitive both to variations in levels in the compartment and relative movements of the outside water body.

Advantageously, the connection between the threshold and the float exterior, is provided by means that allow movement relative between said threshold and said external float.

Preferably, the recovery compartment is delimited by the threshold which is in the form of a transverse float, a bottom and side cheeks, said bottom and the threshold being connected between them by a deformable partition.

We also know a drain system which includes a carpet continuous flexible inclined, endlessly mounted between at least two drums, at least one of which is motor, and carrying a plurality of lamellae cross hoses that move snugly in a tunnel formed by two vertical flat cheeks and an inclined bottom, which is extended in its lower part by cheeks and a delimiting bottom with the threshold the recovery compartment. Systems known of this type, because the lamellae must enter the water perpendicular to the surface and that they generally have at this place a "donkey back" boss, require that said strips are mounted tangentially to the mat, which results in a work and repeated bending of the blades which wear out quickly.

However, the invention makes it possible to design a device provided with such a emptying system but which is remarkable in that the compartment space reserves between the threshold and the slats a space such that the outer edges of said strips cannot touch said threshold, the slats making, at rest, with the plane of the carpet, an angle close to 90 degrees.

In addition, floating pollution, in particular oil pollution, mostly focus on the beaches where they run aground in large quantities and existing devices cannot not operate when the depth is less than their draft of water, and a fortiori when the pollutants have failed on the ground, which then forced to use special ground equipment and often expensive.

On the contrary, a device according to the invention, equipped with a emptying system of the aforementioned type, can allow this double function and for this purpose, an embodiment is remarkable in that its lower part can be dismantled along a dividing line and replaceable with an interchangeable assembly which is open to its lower part to allow the flexible slats to protrude slightly, and which has wheels allowing it to move on the floor, while flexible scraper blades or blades are provided so as to use the device for the recovery of materials spread or washed up on the ground.

For a device carried by a floating support comprising a storage tank there is furthermore to keep as constant as possible, the average immersion of the entry threshold and therefore the draft from the support.

Means of continuous evacuation of the storage tank, based for example on the principle of vases communicating, but it is clear that other factors are involved on the draft, such as boardings, landings, movement of staff and / or equipment, etc.

An original mode according to the invention is remarkable in that the floating support is provided with an automatic holding device of a substantially constant draft, comprising a sensitive means at the external water level, mounted so as to act on a device for controlling a pump fitted to evacuate the content of said storage tank in an amount necessary to maintain a constant relative position of the outside water level with respect floating support.

According to a non-compulsory embodiment, the sensitive means at the outdoor water level has at least one float that floats on this outside body of water.

In general, for a complete device, this one can be mounted on both a floating and rolling support of the type amphibious.

• la figure 1a est une coupe verticale et la figure 1b une vue en plan, de l'ensemble d'un équipement de récupération selon l'invention dans sa configuration "flottante",
• La figure 2a représente en coupe verticale et la figure 2b en perspective, le détail de la partie basse du sytème élévateur du type noria autour de son embouchure, avec son seuil d'entrée à double flottabilité, en configuration "flottante,
• les figures 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d représentent de façon schématique, cette même partie basse dans plusieurs cas de position du seuil flottant,
• la figure 4 représente un autre mode de réalisation du seuil-flottant à double flottabilité,
• la figure 5 est une coupe de la coque du support flottant dans la zone du dispositif d'asservissement au tirant d'eau,
• la figure 6a représente en coupe verticale et la figure 6b en perspective, l'embouchure dans sa configuration "terrestre",
• la figure 7a est une coupe verticale et la figure 7b une vue en plan, de l'ensemble de l'équipement dans sa configuration "amphibie".

The invention will be clearly understood on reading the following description of embodiments given by way of nonlimiting example, and which refers to the appended drawings, in which:

• Figure 1a is a vertical section and Figure 1b a top plan view of an entire recovery equipment according to the invention in its "floating" configuration,
• FIG. 2a represents in vertical section and FIG. 2b in perspective, the detail of the lower part of the lifting system of the noria type around its mouth, with its entry threshold with double buoyancy, in "floating" configuration,
• FIGS. 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d schematically represent this same lower part in several cases of position of the floating threshold,
• FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the double buoyancy floating threshold,
• FIG. 5 is a section through the hull of the floating support in the area of the draft control device,
• FIG. 6a represents in vertical section and FIG. 6b in perspective, the mouth in its "terrestrial" configuration,
• Figure 7a is a vertical section and Figure 7b a plan view of the entire equipment in its "amphibious" configuration.

The entire pollution recovery equipment shown in Figures 1a and 1b comprises a floating support 1 of the boat type with a power unit 2, consisting for example of a heat engine which drives a hydraulic power plant. It also carries a sealed reservoir 3 on its vertical walls and on the bottom but open on the top, which contains the recovered pollutant 9, floating on water. Finally, this floating support also carries a lifting device 4 for fluids, of the noria type, with flexible lamellae, intended to serve as an emptying system, and which has at the bottom a mouth 5, located in the vicinity of the floating surface 6 , and in the upper part a pouring spout 7 which opens onto the top of the tank 3. A sealed well 8 passes through the hull in the vicinity of the elevator, and contains a float 10 acting on a device 11, of the hydraulic distributor type for example , which controls the movement of the hydraulic motor of a pump 12, placed in the bottom of the tank 3. This pump is provided with a flexible discharge pipe 13, the discharge end of which can be directed to any point at the exterior of the hull and in particular in the area of the water body located immediately upstream of the mouth 5. The flexible lamella lift is equipped in front of the mouth 5 with a set of two articulated arms strips 14, preferably floating, arranged flush with the water in the shape of a "V". This elevator is moreover articulated with respect to the floating support thanks to an axis 15 around which a hydraulic cylinder 16 allows it to move in rotation and to take various positions. This hydraulic cylinder is provided with a device making it possible, once it has been brought to a given position, to give it if necessary a degree of freedom allowing its upper end, therefore the entire elevator, to oscillate freely around this position. This can be obtained in a known manner by releasing one of the end axes of the jack which can then slide in an ovalized space, or even by using a hydraulic distributor capable of putting the two compartments of the jack in free communication located on each side of its piston.

The noria type elevator 4 with flexible lamellae is shown in Figures 2a and 2b. Its upper part of known type, with its spout 7 and its drive motor 32, is mentioned here for memory.

Its lower part or mouth has a set consisting two vertical cheeks 17 and a horizontal bottom 18, which carries upstream side, i.e. on the left in the drawing, a movable partition and deformable 19 produced here in the form of an articulated bellows, with hinges waterproof, for example made of flexible plastic. This partition is linked to a floating body, or float 20, of substantially shaped cylindrical or parallelepiped with horizontal generators, which can move vertically between the two cheeks 17, jointly with the deformation of the bellows 19.

The upper part of the float is held in the vicinity of the body of water, as explained below, and therefore plays the role weir threshold. This overflow threshold according to the invention can be a organ different from the float itself on condition of being linked to it rigidly in all its vertical displacements. The combination of these two organs in one represented here, is only a simplification and we can speak in this case of "threshold-float".

At their ends, the float threshold 20 and the partition 19 are fitted with gentle friction inside the cheeks 17 which are shaped flat, so as to achieve a quasi-sealing and at the very least a possibility of extremely low fluid leakage between the assembly bulkhead and cheeks. These cheeks 17, the bottom 18 and the partition bellows 19 define a compartment 22. Outside the cheeks 17 and arranged substantially symmetrically with respect to the plane longitudinal median of the elevator, are arranged two floats 23 resting on the water, outside the device, and free to move vertically while being guided between two slides 24. These floats 23, whose total volume is significantly greater than that of the float 20, are connected to the latter by two bars 25 each provided with a transverse axis which spans the cheeks from above 17, and are guided by the slides 24. The connection by the bars 25 between float 20 and floats 23 is made in such a way way and with a game such as the float 20 has the possibility of oscillating vertically on a small amplitude, independently of the movements floats 23, while being slaved to the movements of these floats beyond this low amplitude, as will be explained further.

As is known, the elevator 4, of the noria type, uses a flexible mat 26 rotating which moves in the direction of arrow 27. In its rising, therefore lower part, this mat 26 is adjusted to its lateral flanks with gentle friction between two cheeks 29 which extend the cheeks 17 along the entire length of the elevator to the spout pourer 7. The assembly formed by the bottom 21 and the cheeks 29 linked from tightly constitutes a tunnel or chute which has inside a "U" shaped section with sharp angles, constant on the length of the elevator. The lower part of this chute is curved up to its watertight connection with the bottom 18. The space between cheeks 29 may be different from the one that exists between the cheeks 17.

The entire mouth including compartment 22 with its different organs as well as the lower part of the chute 21, 29 is preferably made so as to be removable in one piece, with, for example, a dividing line or cut 50 with edges tightly adjusted, this mouthpiece being fixed at this cut, for example by quick couplers "romper" type 51.

The belt 26 is stretched between two rotating cylindrical drums, a lower drum 30 and an upper drum 31, one of which two, for example the superior, carries a drive motor 32, for hydraulic example. This carpet 26, in its rising part, that is to say its lower strand is guided on the inside by pressing on a slide 35. It also carries a series of pallets or strips rectangular 33 made of flexible material, fixed on the external face of the carpet 26, in a sealed manner, for example by means of rigid angles 34 held by screws, and adjusted on their edges extremes with gentle friction compared to cheeks 17 and 29 which are in the same plane.

These strips 33 are remarkable in that they do, with the plane of the carpet, an angle of about 90 °, and that they are long slightly greater than the height reserved between the slide 35 and the bottom of the trough 21, 29, which causes them to bend slightly when entering this chute and resume their shape flat when the spout 7 passes.

In addition, the dimensions of compartment 22 are such that between the float 20 and the passage of the outer edges of the lamellae 33, a space is reserved so that the slats cannot touch or even touch the float threshold 20.

The operation is as follows: the fluids present in the compartment 22 are trapped between each of the lamellae which pass and the walls 17 and 18 of compartment 22 first, then the chute walls 21, 29, and transported to the spout 7 from where they fall into the reservoir 3. Note that the counter-currents may exist under the slats before their edges touch the bottom 18 have no reflux effect on the recovered products here since they only affect the interior of compartment 22. The gentle friction between three of the faces of each of the lamellae and the rigid walls that guide them, maintains a seal in each of the intervals between lamellae, such that these intervals are behave like so many elevating buckets close together, constituting a noria, and creating a continuous withdrawal of fluid in the compartment 22.

We see that the passage of the lamellae in compartment 22, without touching or even touching the float threshold 20, cannot produce no rupture of the pollutant film which passes above this threshold.

Finally, the flexible lamellae being at their base substantially perpendicular to the support mat 26, they are not brought to bend only slightly in the trough 21, 29, by an angle of the order 45 °, causing only deformation and therefore very tired limited material.

The diagrams in FIGS. 3a to 3d make it possible to understand the operation of the recuperator according to the invention for its part located near the mouth.

• la partie basse de la noria, avec son tambour et ses lamelles flexibles, n'est pas représentée et l'on peut remarquer à ce propos que dans ce qui suit, qui est relatif au fonctionnement de la partie représentée sur les figures 3, le système de vidage n'intervient que par son débit et peut donc être d'un type quelconque, autre que la noria à lamelles flexibles;
• pour une compréhension plus aisée, les deux flotteurs extérieurs 23 sont représentés sur lesdits schémas 3a à 3d, par un seul flotteur disposé en face du flottteur 20, donc à sa droite sur les schémas, alors que les flotteurs 23 sont en réalité sur les côtés;
• de plus, le compartiment 22 n'est représenté que partiellement et coupé par une ligne de tirets verticaux. Enfin, la barrette 25 est représentée dans un plan perpendiculaire à celui qu'il occupe en pratique.

In order to make the explanations below clearer, these schematic representations 3a to 3d adopt the following simplifications:

• the lower part of the noria, with its drum and its flexible strips, is not shown and it can be noted in this connection that in the following, which relates to the operation of the part shown in Figures 3, the emptying system only intervenes by its flow rate and can therefore be of any type, other than the noria with flexible lamellae;
• for easier understanding, the two external floats 23 are represented in said diagrams 3a to 3d, by a single float arranged opposite the float 20, therefore to its right on the diagrams, while the floats 23 are actually on the sides ;
• in addition, compartment 22 is only partially shown and cut by a line of vertical dashes. Finally, the bar 25 is shown in a plane perpendicular to that which it occupies in practice.

In diagrams 3a to 3d, we find the following elements described in FIGS. 1 a , 1b and 2a, 2b: the external buoyancy surface 6, the compartment 22, the threshold float 20, the bellows partition 19, the cheek 17, the bar 25, the float 23, the vertical guide rails 24. In addition, the connection between the float 20 and the float 23 is shown there in more detail, although schematically. This connection comprises an axis 36 fixed at the end of the bar 25 and free to move vertically in an open light in a vertical extension 37 of the float 23, between the limits of a high stop 38 and a low stop 39. This maximum vertical displacement is characterized by a stroke 40. Finally, in these diagrams, the layer of floating pollutant 41 is shown.

Figure 3a shows the mouthpiece in its normal position immersion on a calm body of water and before setting in motion the noria or any other pumping system in compartment 22. This compartment 22 is therefore normally filled to the maximum, i.e. at the level of the external water body, by the play of slight leaks inevitable at the ends of the float 20 and the bellows 19.

Under these conditions, the upper level of the float threshold 20 is such that the floating pollutant cannot pass over it. Adjustment by construction of the relative position of the floats 20 and 23 is realized in such a way that under these conditions the axis 36 touches the bottom stop 39.

From this position, the operation is as follows. As soon as one pumps into compartment 22, the level of the liquid which it contains drop, causing in its descent the float 20 which deforms the bellows 19 slightly and releases at its upper part a space through which the floating pollutant layer 41 flows towards the compartment 22 as it appears in representative Figure 3b of what happens at the beginning of this phase, that is to say that there remains a little more water at the bottom of compartment 22. The drop in level in compartment 22, and therefore layer thickness 41 that can pass over threshold 20, are all the more important that the pumping regime is itself important. We can therefore, by simple action on this pumping regime, adapt the threshold level to the thickness of the pollutant layer encountered, to recover the maximum without allowing excessive amounts of water to enter. This is the known operation of all the recuperators of the downstream float weir threshold type. The maximum stroke 40 is relatively small, on the order of 2 to 4 centimeters for example, this which corresponds to the maximum thicknesses of the usual layers of floating pollutants such as oil.

The invention is remarkable on this point in that this displacement vertical of float threshold 20 is free within the limits of this clearance 40 between stops 38 and 39 but is also linked to movements of the floats 23, thus being subjected to a double control.

If the float 20 is requested to descend beyond the position of FIG. 3b which corresponds to the contact of the axis 36 with the upper stop 39, as a result of a possible further drop in level in compartment 22, it cannot do so because it is retained by the buoyancy of the float 23 on the external water body. This buoyancy, given the significantly larger dimensions of the float 23, is such that the loss of buoyancy of float 20 does results for the float 23, that by an additional depression negligible.

If, from the configuration in Figure 3b, level 6 is raised, for example by the passage of an undulation towards the top of the water, such as swell, chop or relative oscillation of the floating support, the float 23 will follow this level and raise, by support up the axis 36 on the upper stop 38, the extension 37 and therefore the float threshold 20, which instantly takes the position shown in Figure 3c. Under these conditions, the passage of the ripple does not increase the passage height possible above threshold 20. There is therefore no overflow of outside towards compartment 22, which would have happened if had to wait for the rise of the float threshold 20 under the effect of filling of compartment 22, the time necessary for this filling allowing a large useless entry of water. The set is then in the configuration of FIG. 3c. We can get an idea of the overflow avoided if we know that the amplitude of such a ripple, in relative value, therefore compared to the floating support, is commonly around ten centimeters or more, therefore incommensurate with the normal passage height above of the threshold, which goes from a few millimeters to a maximum of 3 to 4 centimeters. The bellows 19 is by construction capable of deformation compatible with the amplitude of these undulations.

If instead of starting, as we did, from the configuration 3b, we started from an intermediate position, between that of the Figure 3b and that of Figure 3a, the operation would have been identical after adjusting the play between the axis 36 and the stop high 38. This catch-up corresponds to a slight increase in the passage height which is in any case incommensurate with the overflow avoided.

In the opposite case where, starting from configuration 3b by example, level 6 is lowered by the passage of a ripple in the hollow of the water, as in FIG. 3d, the float 23 descends, first freely until a play equal to the race is made up 40, then involves in its descent the threshold-float 20 which sinks more in compartment 22, its low buoyancy not being able to oppose the downward force of float 23, transmitted by pressing the pin 36 on the lower stop 39. The upper level of the float threshold 20 is therefore forced to follow the movement downwards float 23, that is to say that of the water body 6. One avoids thus the break in passage above the threshold that would have occurred if the float threshold had only been linked to the fluid level in the compartment 22. Indeed, in this case, it would have been necessary to wait until this level drops as a result of the pumping flow rate on the one hand, and the absence of fluid arrival above threshold on the other hand, for lower the float threshold. This reduction would therefore have been made at against time compared to the passage of the hollow ripple.

As such a ripple is generally followed by a ripple up, we would have further accentuated the overflow reported above.

Starting from an intermediate configuration between that of the Figure 3b and that of Figure 3a, the operation would be identical after taking up the play existing at the start between axis 36 and the stop low 39, play then less than stroke 40.

The invention therefore in particular has the effect of substantially maintaining constant the height of passage of the fluid above the threshold and to make it automatically adapt to flow variations of pumping, by speed variation of the noria for example, this constancy and this adaptation not being affected by the movements relative verticals of the body of water with respect to this noria. This provision also applies to all pumping systems other than a noria and in general, to all emptying systems.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the mouth of the noria in an embodiment of the double-controlled float threshold, where the movements in vertical translation of this float threshold 20, as shown in Figures 3, are replaced by rotational movements, also substantially vertical.

In this case, the role of the deformable wall of the bellows 19 is played by a flap 64 adjusted with soft friction at its ends at the inside of the cheeks 17, linked to the bottom 18 by means of a waterproof flexible blade 65, and which can move by rotation around two axes 66 to which it is linked by two arms 67. The flap 64 is fixed over the entire length and tightly to the float threshold 20 whose displacements therefore follow the same rotation symbolized by the arrow 68.

Note that the axis of rotation 66 located in the vicinity from the horizontal of the top of the float threshold 20 in the middle position, this vertex moves substantially vertically.

The connection between the float threshold 20 and the floats 23 is here ensured by the axis 66 which crosses the cheek 17 and on which are embedded, on the one hand, inside, the arm 67, and on the other leaves, on the outside, an arm 69, so that the rotation of one of these two arms necessarily tends to cause the rotation of the other. This arm 69 has at its end a light in which can move an axis 36 integral with the float 23, between two stops, one high 38, the other low 39.

We understand that the operation is identical to what has been described above, the vertical movements of the floats 23 reacting in the same way on the level of float 20, and the latter having the same freedom of vertical oscillations of low amplitude.

Figure 5 is a section of the floating support 1 in its front portion enlarged with respect to the representation of Figure 1 a, so as to show the details. We find there the elevator 4, of the noria type, represented here for the record by a simple silhouette, with its pouring spout 7, the pollutant storage tank 3, the waterproof well 8 in communication with the ambient water by its lower opening. , the float 10, the hydraulic distributor 11, the pump 12, the flexible delivery pipe 13, the articulated floating arms 14, the axis of rotation 15 and the hydraulic cylinder 16.

The invention is remarkable on this point in that the distributor hydraulic 11 is linked, for example, by a rigid rod 42 to movements of float 10, so that the rise of this float controls the hydraulic supply of the motor 43 of the pump 12 by the flexible tubing 44 and starts this pump, and vice versa, the descent of the float 10 controls the stop.

To operate, the tank 3 being a settling capacity, it is necessary to fill it with water at the start of an operation recovery. This can easily be done by using pump 12 for example.

Note that such a pump is additional equipment normal of the main equipment, as a means of emptying and transfer contents of tank 3. This pump has piping flexible and can therefore be moved. In particular, it is easy to hand or using a derrick, dip it in water surrounding the floating support while the free end of its flexible discharge pipe 13 is then placed above the tank 3. The pump 12 is started by manually raising the control lever 46 of the hydraulic distributor 11. This is done when filling tank 3 with water and you only stop at one level higher than that which will be kept during the operation. Filling causes the floating support to sink, i.e. increase in its draft. The pump 12 is then put back on the bottom of the tank and the free end of its flexible piping 13 outwards, in the positions shown in FIG. 5, then we stop acting manually on lever 46 which is no longer linked that at the position of the float 10 via the rod 42. This float is then sufficiently submerged to push towards the top the rod 42 and therefore the lever 46, which keeps the pump 12 and this until the content of the tank is sufficient lightened, and therefore the draft reduced, so that the float 10 no longer receives an upward thrust, and therefore no longer activates the distributor 11.

At this moment, it is enough to act on the control of the hydraulic cylinder 16 to rotate the elevator 4 around the next axis 15 one of the arrows 45 and bring the level of the mouth 5 into a position chosen in relation to the level of the external water level, by example the position of figure 3a. We then start the noria which, thanks to the operation of the threshold described above, sends pollutant accompanied by a little water in the reservoir 3. Pollutant 9 stays at the top and the water settles down but the increase of total weight of the contents of the tank 3 causes a slight depression of the floating support, and at the same time of the float 10 which acts immediately as before to start the pump, which therefore evacuates water until returning to the previous draft. The same operation takes place automatically whenever the tank load, or any load variation of any kind whatever, tends to increase the sinking of the floating support 1, and therefore from the mouthpiece 5. In particular, during the entire loading of the tank resulting from recovery operations, this depression is automatically kept constant, and so is the position, relative to the mean level of the water, of the mouth 5. When the pollutant 9 fills the tank 3 to the bottom, this pollutant can pass into the pump. It then appears at the end of the piping 13, thereby giving the signal to stop the operation of recovery. By relative adjustment of the position of the rod 42 and the end of the lever 46, for example using a removable pin 47 and a series of holes 48 at the end of the rod 42, it can be determined at will selected stabilized drafts, which correspond different tank load choices. We adapt each time the level of the mouth 5 using the jack 16.

This characteristic of the invention therefore has the effect of maintain the entry threshold at a selected and constant average immersion of the recuperator whatever the load variations of the floating support, regardless of the origin of these variations in charge.

The above involves equipment and controls of the hydraulic type, which correspond to the example chosen on the FIG. 1, a power unit 2 composed of a heat engine and a hydraulic power plant, which can also lead in this case the propeller engine shown in 49 on the Figure 1. It is obvious that without departing from the scope of the invention the means of energy transmission, both for these functions and for those mentioned below, may be different, for example air tablet or electricity. In this case, the elevator motors, of the pump and the propeller, are of the same nature, that is to say respectively pneumatic and electric. The hydraulic distributor 11 then becomes, depending on the case, either a pneumatic distributor or an electrical contactor. In the latter case, the float 10 can not be necessary and be replaced by a relay contactor known type working in contact with water by current flow in this water and interruption as soon as the relative level drops. Of even, the free end of the flexible pipe 13 is disposed on Figure 1 and Figure 5 upstream of the mouth 5. This position is not compulsory and simply corresponds to the possibility to guard against an inadvertent release of pollutant (at the end of filling of reservoir 3 when the pollutant reaches the bottom) to an area of the water where its presence is undesirable.

Figures 6 show in longitudinal section (Figure 6a) and in perspective view (Figure 6b), the mouth of the noria adapted to the recovery of pollution that is stranded, or is being stranded, on beaches, or even simply liquid or semi-liquid pollution widespread on the ground, on roads for example. This figure shows a different realization of the lower part of the noria, which is for the rest identical to the previous one. We can make a special full equipment but it may be preferable that this lower part or an interchangeable accessory mounted on the same basic equipment. We can therefore dismantle, as described above, the assembly or mouthpiece comprising compartment 22 with its different organs and the lower part of the trough 21, 29, and replace it by the interchangeable mouthpiece of FIG. 6. This mouthpiece, also tightly adjusted to the chute 21, 29 at the level of the cutout 50 and fixed to this chute by quick couplers 51, includes two cheeks 52, a bottom 53, and two wheels 54. The cheeks 52 are terminated in their lower part by blades 60 made up of a sheet of flexible material, which extends to the rear of the entry edge 55 of the bottom 53. Along this edge, is fixed tangentially a flexible transverse strip 56 of length equal to the width of the bottom 53. Furthermore, the fulcrum of the wheels 54 on the ground is preferably close to the vertical of the axis of rotation of the drum 30, the diameter of these wheels being such that the strips 33 which touch the ground in the vicinity of this fulcrum naturally take a curvature similar to that which they have in the chute 21, 29.

A crossbar 58 for example, allows to give this interchangeable mouthpiece sufficient rigidity. Moreover, the cheeks 52 can be extended forward, i.e. towards the left of Figure 6, by two symmetrical arms in "V" 59, removable or not, provided at their base with flexible blades 61 similar to blades 60.

The invention is remarkable on this point by the fact that the recovery lift on the water is able to easily receive an open mouth at the bottom with elements scraping blade.

The operation in use at the elevator scl is the next. After the interchangeable mouthpiece of the figure 6, the noria type elevator is brought in, by actuating the jack hydraulic 16, in a position such that its wheels 54 are located slightly above the ground. At this time, the elevator is released from its connection to cylinder 16, as explained above, and therefore comes rest on the ground in its lower part through said wheels 54. The drum 30 and therefore the carpet 32 being set in motion in the direction of arrow 27, the strips 33 bend and "scrape" the ground. By advancing the entire elevator towards the left of Figure 6 by a rolling support for example, the whole meets pollutants which are "swallowed" and pushed by strips 33 towards the bottom 53 and the chute 21, 29 along which they go up to the spout 7. The flexible lamellae 56 prevent these products to escape from the rear and the blades 60 of escape from the sides. These products, often hydrocarbons viscous, are therefore scraped off the ground and recovered continuously. Freedom of vertical oscillation and support on the elevator wheels in the vicinity of the scraping zone causes the strips 33 follow exactly any unevenness of the ground, for example wet sand at low tide. Use in addition to the arms such as 59 with their flexible blades 61 can sweep a more large ground width, the forward movement of the channeling assembly and concentrating pollutants towards the space between both cheeks 52.

We see that such a provision allows, by simple change a removable mouthpiece and also using the same device that for floating pollution, to recover pollutants stranded, or being washed up, on beaches, or products spread on the ground on substantially flat surfaces.

Figure 7a shows in longitudinal section and Figure 7b in top view, a floating support 1 of the type of that of the figure 1 with its various components, and in particular the elevator 4, of the noria type, which can receive either the mouthpiece for floating recovery, i.e. the mouth for scraping the ground, such that they have been described previously. In addition, this floating support 1 was made able to move on the ground. For this, it is with two sets of wheels, one at the rear 62, the other at the front 63. In the example in FIG. 7, the front wheel set is limited to a single directional wheel. In the case of an equipped support of a hydraulic power unit, the wheels can be, for example, fitted with individual hydraulic motors 70 and 71. The front axle steering maneuver can also be in this case provided by a hydraulic cylinder 72. The wheels, thanks to cylinders 73 and 74, can be eclipsed in the hull in order to improve hydrodynamics when it floats. These same cylinders 72 and 73 allow the wheelsets to be removed in order to move on the ground.

The invention is remarkable on this point by the implementation recovery means described above, from a support unique amphibian capable of moving indifferently on water and at ground.

With the equipment according to the invention, to pass from the water recovery to beach recovery, just do move the floating support on its wheels. We then continue the pollutant recovery work in the area where the shallow depth no longer floats. The float threshold mouth can be used as long as this depth is still sufficient to allow the floats 23 to float. Then, in the area where the waves, or the tide, deposited pollutants on the sand, a simple mouthpiece exchange allows to continue normally and without interruption cleaning and recovery work. It is enough for that to put the noria type elevator in the low position thanks to the jack 16. In this latter configuration, the equipment can also recover liquid or viscous products spilled on relatively flat soils like that of a road for example.

Claims (9)

1. Apparatus for recovering floating matter comprising a compartment (22) with a weir (20) designed to receive the matter to be recovered and a system for draining said compartment, while the weir (20) forms or comprises at least one float of its own at least partly immersed in the recovery compartment (20), characterised in that said weir (20) is connected to at least one float (23) supported by the sheet of water outside said compartment so as to be sensitive both to the variations in levels in the compartment and to the relative movements of the sheet of water outside.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the connection between the weir (20) and the outside float (23) is provided by means which permit a relative movement between said weir and said outside float (23).
3. Apparatus according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the recovery compartment (22) is delimited by the weir (20) which takes the form of a transverse float, a bottom (18) and side cheeks (17), said bottom and the weir being connected to one another by a deformable partition (19, 64).
4. Recovery apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 3, the drainage system of which comprises an inclined flexible continuous belt (26) mounted endlessly between at least two drums (30, 31) at least one which is a driving drum, and carrying a plurality of transverse flexible paddles (33) which move in fitted fashion in a tunnel formed by two vertical flat cheeks (29) and an inclined bottom (21), which is extended in its lower portion by cheeks (17) and a bottom (18) delimiting, with the weir (20), the recovery compartment (22), characterised in that the latter leaves a space between the weir (20) and the paddles (33) such that the outer edges of said paddles cannot touch said weir (20).
5. Recovery apparatus according to claim 4, characterised in that, when at rest, the paddles (33) form an angle close to 90 degrees with the plane of the belt (26).
6. Apparatus according to one of claims 4 and 5, characterised in that its lower portion can be removed along a separation line (50) and replaced by an interchangeable assembly which is open in its lower portion to allow the flexible paddles (33) to project slightly, and which is provided with wheels (54) allowing it to move over the ground, while flexible scraping paddles or blades (56, 60) are provided so as to allow the apparatus to be used for recovering matter spread or spilt on the ground.
7. Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 6, carried by a floating support (1) comprising a storage reservoir (3), characterised in that this floating support is provided with a device for automatically maintaining a substantially constant draught, comprising a means sensitive to the level of water outside, mounted so as to act on a device controlling a pump (12) arranged to discharge the contents of said storage reservoir (3) to the outside in the quantity needed to maintain the outside water level in a constant relative position in relation to the floating support (1).
8. Apparatus according to claim 7, characterised in that the means sensitive to the outside water level comprises at least one float (10) which floats on this outside sheet of water.
9. Apparatus for recovering floating matter or matter spread on the ground according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that it is mounted on a floating and rolling support of the amphibious type.

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