LV10732B - Arragement for a boom - Google Patents

Abstract

Offering blocking construction, in some cases leaking oil or the like. product for detention and collection in water bodies (Fig. 1) with a support part and next to it - part of the shield with which the support part consists of a collapsible hose-type casing divided into several sections with expansion devices designed to extend the casing from air-filled working position. Novelty of the Invention: There is at least one inside the casing material inlay (10) of flexible, impermeable, woven or foil material that is attached to the casing material with impermeable material connection at its top and sides, but is free downwards. The material inlay is of a shape and size that allows it to form pocket (9) capable of filling with air and providing adjacent part of the ability to hold on to the water when it is damaged or filled with water.

Description

LV 10732

Technical field

The invention relates in particular to booms of the Jcind used to contain oil or similar floating materiāls or substances vhich have escaped into waterways. Such booms consist as a rule of a floating part and a shield part arranged beneath it.

Description of the prior art

In a previously disclosed boom arrangement, the supporting part consists of a collapsible and extensible and to ali intents and purposes hose-like unit made of a soft but durable voven and/or film material, and there is present inside said unit a row of expansion arrangements fitted vith spring devices so arranged and tensioned as to attempt to unfold the unit. The hose-like unit is impervious, but is equipped at its uppermost part vith valves, through vhich air is able to flov in and flov out respectively at the time of unfolding and collapsing the unit. Adjacent to the supporting part is the shield part, vhich is fitted at its lover edge vith ballast veights or similar, vhich contribute to the lateral stabilization of the arrangement as a vhole.

Obļect of the invention

It has been found that booms of the previously disclosed kind, irrespective of vhether they are subdivided into separate chambers by means of transverse valis, are capable, if they are involved in a collision in conjunction vith vhich the material of the outer casing of the floating part is damaged, of losing so much buoyancy as a result of the inflov of vater that they vill sink either partially or completely. Apart from the fact that a completely or 2 partially submerged boom is unable to perform its tas)c of containing oil or similar substances, the vork of recovery is both difficult and costly. The object of the invention is to make availabie an arrangement vhich, as far as possible, wili prevent submersion even if the material of the hose-like outer casing is damaged in such a vay that its imperviousness is lost.

Description of the present invention

The invention is based largely on existing types of booms and exhibits a similar function in ali essential respects. One requirement imposed on the design of the arrangement in accordance vith the invention vas that booms executed in accordance vith the novel arrangement should not differ from the previously disclosed arrangement vith regard to their handling and the volume occupied in the rolled-up form.

It follovs from this that ideas such as the arrangement of internai buoyancy bodies and similar could be dismissed immediately, since they vould have caused the thickness of the rolled-up casing to increase significantly, and vith it the external dimensions of the boom rolls, if the same boom length vere to be retained.

On the other hand, the desired emergency buoyancy is obtained by the arrangement as proposed here of collapsible pairs of dovnvardly open air pockets adjacent to the side valis of the casing vith appropriate spacing betveen them along the length of the boom, for example one pair in each section separated by dividing valis, and by the execution of these in such a vay that they fill vith air automatically at the same time as the boom. Even if the material of the casing becomes torn along part of the section, so that the air leaks out and the buoyancy of the boom section is reduced, the air remaining in the pockets 3 LV 10732 vili stili provide sufficient buoyancy. The pockets are so dimensioned that one or other of the pockets vin provide sufficient buoyancy to prevent total submersion, even if the material of the casing on the opposite side, part of vhich is also adjacent to the pocJcet on the same side, vere to be torn to pieces.

Distinctive design features vhich characterize the novel arrangement are that the pair of pockets is formed by veldable pieces of voven or film material, vhich have parallel end edges but side edges cut essentially into the form of a ’V’, in vhich the part of the material vith the smallest vidth is so arranged as to be velded to that part of the boom casing vhich forms its back or top, and the angle-cut sides are so arranged as to be velded essentially at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the boom, the consequence of vhich is that the free edges of the piece of material, vhich, because of the angled nature of the cutting, are much longer than the distance betveen the essentially parallel side veids, fold vhen in the collapsed State and as such do not obstruct the rolling-up of the boom, although they are present at ali times as a safety measure.

Description of the illustrative embodiment λ preferred embodiment of the arrangement in accordance vith the invention is described in more dētai 1 belov vith reference to the accompanying draving, in vhich:

Fig. 1 is a schematic, partially sectioned perspective viev of a boom arranged in accordance vith the invention in its operating position and vith the air pockets in the extended position;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the same boom along the line A-A in Fig. 1; 4

Fig. 3 similarly shovs the boom in perspective in the flattened transport position, partially sectioned, and vithout the shield part;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section through the boom in accordance vith Fig. 1 along the line B-B in Fig. i;

Fig. 5 shovs in the planē State a flattened piece of material intended to be attached by velding to the inside of the material of the casing in order to form a couple of air pocfcets. Dētailed mention vill be made here only of those elements of the design vhich have to do vith the present invention. The same is true of the dravings, in vhich only the details necessary for the understanding of the invention have been included.

The boom l consists of tvo main components; these are the supporting part 2 and the shield part 3. The latter is attached to the supporting part at its lover edge by appropriate fixing means. The shield part can also be securely velded to the supporting part.

The supporting part 2 is formed by a casing 4 consisting of reinforced plastic material vhich is velded together in a vatertight fashion. Arranged at a certain distance in relation to one another inside the casing 4 are dividing valis or bulJtheads 5 made of a similar material, vhich exhibit the form of a funnel vith the casing in its flat position, but vhich form a conical dividing vali in its unfolded position.

The dividing valis or bulkheads 5 divide the boom 1 into a number of mutually separate sections.

Inside the casing 4 there is also a number of expansion 5 LV 10732

Inside the casing 4 there is also a number of expansion devices 6 equipped vith tensionable springs 7 so arranged, vnen external pressure vhich attempts to keep the casing flattened ceases, as to fold themselves out into the position shovn in Fig. 1 and, in so doing, thanks to the vacuum which then occurs inside the casing, as to cause air to be sucked in through the air valves designated by 8.

Pocket-like emergency buoyancy arrangements are arranged in accordance vith'the invention inside the boom casing. These consist of impervious voven or film material parts attached in such a vay to the material forming the casing that a number of dovnvardly open pockets 9 occur vith the boom in its unfolded position. Emergency buoyancy arrangements may conveniently be provided vithin each section bounded by dividing valis 5.

The pockets 9 formed by the impervious voven or film material are arranged opposite one another in pairs on the inside of the boom and are produced in that, for each intended pair, a double trapezoidal piece of material 10 vith parallel end edges 11 and side edges 12 exhibiting a ’V’-shaped incision is attached to the inside of the casing material of the boom, in conjunction vith vhich the narrovest part 13 at the centre of the piece 10 is attached along the strip vhich forms the highest point of the boom, and the side edges 12 along the incisions on either side are attached along mutually parallel strips 14 situated essentially at a right angle to the strip at the top or in the longitudinal direction of the boom, and at a mutual distance essentially corresponding to the length of the narrovest part 13. The tvo end edges 11 of the piece of material, vhich are parallel from the start, are free. By velding each of the angled sides 12, vhich define the ’V’-shaped recess in the piece of material before assembly, securely to its ovn one of the tvo parallel strips 14, the end parts of the free edges ll win be fixed re lati ve to 6 anotiier vhich is essentially shorter than the length of each edge in its straightened-out condition. This results in the material betveen the strips 14, depending on vhether the boom in a rolled-up or unfolded State, either being folded up or forming a dovnwardly open pocket.

On the end edges 11 are fasteners 15 for connecting tapes of similar 16, vhich hold together the free end edges of each of the pieces of material attached along the inside of the boom, the task of vhich connecting tapes is to ensure, vhen the boom is unfolded, that the free edges 11 are caused to move avay from the inside of the casing 4 of the boom so that air is able to enter betveen the piece of material 10 and the casing in order to form the desired air-filed pocket. The pockets, vhich are arranged in pairs, extend in the embodiment shovn here dovnvards at an angle from the upper edge of the boom and past the Central part thereof and terminate at a certain distance from the bottom part.

If a boom arranged in accordance vith the invention is involved in a collision or suffers other damage such that the casing 4 is torn apart,, vater vili enter the casing and displace the air. In a conventional boom, the damaged and vater-filled section vould sink and drag dovn adjacent sections, and if several sections vere to become damaged, parts of the boom or, in the vorst case, the vhole boom vould sink. Because at least one air-filled pocket 9 vili remain in a boom arranged in accordance vith the invention, even in an othervise vater-filled section, sufficient buoyancy is provided to ensure that the boom remains veli above the surface of the vater. If the casing is torn only beyond the position of the material vhich forms the pocket, and if the pocket on the damaged side is also functioning, the buoyancy vin be tvice as great, of course.

What is achieved through the invention is the desired LV 10732 7 effect of obtaining an emergency buoyancy aid vhich, vith the boom in its rolled-up position, in no vay influences its thiclcness anā manageability and, with the boom in its operating position, and vitnout the need for special measures to be taken, ensures the buoyancy of even a partially torn boom.

The invention may, of course, be varied depending on the form and the structural design of the boom vithout departing from the invention as it is described in the folloving Patent Claims. 8 LV 10732

Patent Claims 1. Arrangement for a boom, in particular a boom intended for confining and collecting oil or a similar floating product or substance vhich has escaped, comprising a supporting part (2) and adjacent to it a shield part (3), vhich at the same time has the function of a keel, in conjunction with vhich the supporting part consists of a hose-like casing (4) filled with air in its operating position and totally collapsible in the empty position, split up into several sections by dividing valis and made of a tough, soft material, to vhich casing are attached expansion devices (6) equipped vith tensionable springs or similar (7), vhich are so arranged as to expand the casing from the collapsed position of repose into the air-filled operating position, at the same time taking in air via air valves (8) situated in the upper part of the casing, and then to hold the casing in the unfolded position, but upon folding together the casing (4) and rolling up same, vhilst the spring devices (7) are tensioned, to be folded up at the same time as the casing is emptied of air via the air valves (8) as the sides of the casing move together, characterired in that there is arranged on the inside of the casing (4) at least one piece of material (10) in the form of a flexible, impervious voven or foil material attached to the casing, vhich is attached to the material of the casing vith an impervious connection to it at the top (13) and at the sides (12, 14), but is free tovards the bottom (11), vhich piece of material exhibits vithin its parts vhich are attached to the material of the casing a form and an extent vhich permit the piece of material to move avay from the surface of the material of the casing in order to producē a dovnvardly open pocket (9) capable of 9 being filled with air and ensuring the buoyancy of an adjacent part of the boom in a damaged and vater-filled condition. 2. Arrangement in accordance with Patent Claim l, characterized in that dovnwardly open pockets (9, 10) are arranged in pairs directly in line vith one another inside the casing (4) to either side of an upper centre line of the boom, in that these pockets are formed by a continuous piece of material (10) vhich,.in its spread-out position, essentially exhibits the form of two trapezes joined together along the shorter of the parallel sides, and the narrovest part (13) of vhich, as defined by the join betveen the trapezes, is imperviously attached to and along the inside of the highest part of the boom (4), and in that the side edges (12) of the respective trapeze-like part vhich diverge from this point are attached to pairs of essentially parallel strips (14) situated essentially at right-angles to the longitudinal direction of the boom situated to either side on the inside of the boom, vhereas the remaining end edges (11) of the piece of material are free, in conjunction vith vhich each of the tvo parts of the piece of material vhich are attached along three of their edges to the material of the casing exhibits a vidth vhich exceeds the distance betveen the attachment strips (14), vhich are arranged at right-angles, and as such are capable of being folded out in such a vay that each forms a pocket (9). 3. Arrangement in accordance vith Patent Claim 2, characterized in that the soft, impervious piece of voven or film material (10) vhich forms the pockets (9) is velded or is imperviously attached in some other suitable fashion to the inside of the material of the casing. 4. Arrangement in accordance vith Patent Claim 1, characterized in that the lover free edges (11) of the LV 10732 10 voven or film material forming the pockets are provided vith means (16) for their mutual connection for the purpose of causing the free edge (ll) of the respective pocket to move away initially from the inside of the casing material 5 (4) of the boom and to create an opening for the entry of the air into the pocket, as the boom is being unfolded.

Claims (4)

EN 10732 PATENT FORMULA 1. Blockage construction, in this case, construction of leaking oil or similar overlapping and collection of floating products or substances containing support part (2) and adjacent shield (3), which simultaneously performs wedge function, having a shield, together with the support part, is a hose-like casing (4) filled with air in its working position and completely flattened in an empty space, which is divided into several sections by bulkheads and made of durable, soft material, with the casing attached to it equipped with tensioned springs or similar components (7) equipped with expansion devices (6) designed to extend the casing from the stagnant state of air into the air-filled working position, while closing the air valves (8) at the top of the casing to hold the casing open position but at the fold (4) fold and t the tumbling spring devices (7) are tensioned so that the shell folds out through the air valves (8) so that the edges of the casing coincide, the insertion of at least one insert (10) inside the casing (4) flexible, impervious in the form of a woven or foil material which is attached to the casing material by an impermeable connection to its top (13) and edges (12, 14), but is free in the direction of the bottom (11), the insert being attached to the casing material the inside of the parts has a shape and a volume that allows the insert to move away from the surface of the shell material to form an open pocket (9) capable of filling with air and to hold the adjacent portion of the blockage over the water when it is damaged or filled with water water. 2. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the downwardly open pockets (9, 10) are paired directly on one side of the overlapping centerline (4) on each side of the clamping upper center line so that the pockets are made of a whole material the insert (10), which in the retracted state essentially looks like two trapezoids connected together along the shortest parallel edge and the narrowest part (13), as defined by the connection between the trapezoids, is tightly attached to the inside of the upper part of the housing (4), and that the lateral lateral edges (12) of the respective trapezoidal part of this point are attached to substantially two pairs of parallel strips (14) disposed on both sides of the inside of the obstruction substantially at right angles to its longitudinal direction, while the remaining end edges (11) of the material insert are free, with a total of 5 insertion pieces attached to each of the two enveloping materials along the three edges a for the distance between the straight-angled fastening strips (14), and as such parts are capable of folding in such a manner that each pocket (9) forms. 3. The construction according to claim 2, wherein the soft, impermeable insert (10) of the woven or film material forming the pocket (9) is welded or sealed to the inside of the casing material in any other suitable manner. 4. Design according to claim 15, characterized in that the lower free edges (11) of the pocket-forming weave or film material are provided with means (16) for interconnecting them with the purpose of causing the free edge (11) of the pocket in question to depart from the beginning. from the inside of the clamping housing (4) and forming an opening for the air to enter the pocket so that the clogging is open. 20