Skimmer

Abstract

A self-floating skimmer that can operate remotely from a vessel. Pontoons allow the skimmer to float at the surface of a body of water. An inclined belt conveyor whose lower end is submerged just below the surface of the water conveys material to be collected up the incline to the upper end where it is dumped from the surface of the belt into a collection tank below. For convenience in storage or transit, the skimmers can be stacked atop one another. The belt conveyor can include a bidirectional conveyor belt that is driven in either direction by a selectively reversible drive motor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A skimmer comprising:
 a frame;   a pair of floats mounted on opposite outer sides of the frame and having parallel float axes defining a horizontal plane when floating in a body of water;   a belt conveyor mounted to the frame between the pair of floats and defining a conveying path inclined relative to the horizontal plane between a lower end and an upper end, wherein the belt conveyor includes:
 a rotating drive element at the upper end of the belt conveyor; 
 a reversing element at the lower end of the belt conveyor; 
 an endless conveyor belt trained around the rotating drive element and the reversing element and driven by the rotating drive element along the conveying path including an underwater portion at the lower end of the belt conveyor at which material to be skimmed is captured; 
   a trough positioned below the conveyor belt to catch skimmed material falling off the conveyor belt.   
     
     
         2 . A skimmer as in  claim 1  wherein the trough has a bottom that extends below the horizontal plane and floats in the body of water. 
     
     
         3 . A skimmer as in  claim 2  wherein the bottom of the trough is angled to form a bow for the skimmer. 
     
     
         4 . A skimmer as in  claim 1  wherein the floats are hexagonal tubes. 
     
     
         5 . A skimmer as in  claim 1  wherein the floats have a U-shaped hull. 
     
     
         6 . A skimmer as in  claim 1  wherein the floats have angled end plates to prevent diving. 
     
     
         7 . A skimmer as in  claim 1  wherein the frame includes vertical posts attached to the outer sides of the frame and having plates at top ends of the posts for stacking skimmers atop each other. 
     
     
         8 . A skimmer as in  claim 1  further comprising a pair of lower vertical posts attached to the frame on opposite sides of the conveyor belt near the lower end of the belt conveyor and a pair of upper vertical posts attached to the frame on opposite sides of the conveyor belt near the upper end of the belt conveyor, wherein the lower vertical posts are vertically offset from the upper vertical posts. 
     
     
         9 . A skimmer as in  claim 8  further comprising a flat horizontal plate at a top end of each of the upper and lower vertical posts. 
     
     
         10 . A skimmer as in  claim 1  wherein the belt conveyor further includes a plurality of Z-shaped transverse supports supporting the conveyor belt between the upper and lower ends of the belt conveyor. 
     
     
         11 . A skimmer as in  claim 1  further comprising a grooved flat hull attached to the trough and extending below the belt conveyor to the lower end, wherein the flat hull is below the bottoms of the pair of floats. 
     
     
         12 . A skimmer as in  claim 1  wherein the trough does not extend below the horizontal plane. 
     
     
         13 . A skimmer as in  claim 1  comprising a selectively reversible conveyor motor rotating the rotating drive element and selectively changing the direction of travel of the conveyor belt along the conveying path. 
     
     
         14 . A skimmer as in  claim 1  further comprising a scraper contacting the conveyor belt proximate the trough to scrape skimmed material from the conveyor belt and direct the skimmed material into the trough. 
     
     
         15 . A skimmer comprising:
 a frame;   a pair of floats mounted on opposite outer sides of the frame and having parallel float axes defining a horizontal plane when floating in a body of water;   a belt conveyor mounted to the frame between the pair of floats and defining a conveying path inclined relative to horizontal plane between a lower end and an upper end, wherein the belt conveyor includes:
 an endless conveyor belt arranged to advance along the conveying path including an underwater portion at the lower end of the belt conveyor at which material to be skimmed is captured; 
 a selectively reversible motor to selectively drive the conveyor belt in either direction along the conveying path; 
   a trough positioned below the conveyor belt to catch skimmed material falling off the conveyor belt.   
     
     
         16 . A skimmer as in  claim 15  wherein the trough has a bottom that extends below the horizontal plane and floats in the body of water. 
     
     
         17 . A skimmer as in  claim 16  wherein the bottom of the trough is angled to form a bow for the skimmer. 
     
     
         18 . A skimmer as in  claim 15  wherein the floats are hexagonal tubes. 
     
     
         19 . A skimmer as in  claim 15  wherein the floats have a U-shaped hull. 
     
     
         20 . A skimmer as in  claim 15  wherein the floats have angled end plates to prevent diving. 
     
     
         21 . A skimmer as in  claim 15  wherein the frame includes vertical posts attached to the outer sides of the frame and having plates at top ends of the posts for stacking skimmers atop each other. 
     
     
         22 . A skimmer as in  claim 15  further comprising a pair of lower vertical posts attached to the frame on opposite sides of the conveyor belt near the lower end of the belt conveyor and a pair of upper vertical posts attached to the frame on opposite sides of the conveyor belt near the upper end of the belt conveyor, wherein the lower vertical posts are vertically offset from the upper vertical posts. 
     
     
         23 . A skimmer as in  claim 22  further comprising a flat horizontal plate at a top end of each of the upper and lower vertical posts. 
     
     
         24 . A skimmer as in  claim 15  wherein the belt conveyor further includes a plurality of Z-shaped transverse supports supporting the conveyor belt between the upper and lower ends of the belt conveyor. 
     
     
         25 . A skimmer as in  claim 15  further comprising a grooved flat hull attached to the trough and extending below the belt conveyor to the lower end, wherein the flat hull is below the bottoms of the pair of floats. 
     
     
         26 . A skimmer as in  claim 15  wherein the trough does not extend below the horizontal plane. 
     
     
         27 . A skimmer as in  claim 15  further comprising a scraper contacting the conveyor belt proximate the trough to scrape skimmed material from the conveyor belt and direct the skimmed material into the trough.