COMPACTION ROPE STORAGE AND DISBURSEMENT SYSTEM FOR COMPACTABLE CONTAINMENT BOOM

Abstract

A compactable containment boom with an elongated flotation portion and a weighted skirt has a pull through compaction rope guided internally down the center of the boom. Pulling on an end rope that extends outside the boom compacts the boom longitudinally in an accordion-like fashion. After the boom is compacted, the excess rope is coiled and stored in a pocket on an end of the boom. The pocket is then closed with a releasable and reusable closure to keep the rope inside, and a portion of the rope outside the pocket is tied off to a loop on an end fitting of the boom to keep the rope taut and the boom compacted. The boom alternatively may be compacted by securing the end of the compaction rope to a fixed location, then manually shoving or sliding the boom up the rope into a compacted state.

Description

BACKGROUND

The increasing frequency of contamination of bodies of water such as harbors, rivers, lakes, oceans, and the like, by spills of contaminants, e.g. petroleum products or other chemicals, has increased the need for effective containment and disposal equipment. Particularly, containment barriers or booms are utilized to separate the area of a body of water having a contaminant on the surface thereof from adjacent areas of the body of water. Typically such booms comprise a flotation portion to provide buoyancy, which rises above the surface of the water, and a weighted curtain or skirt portion which extends down into the water to a distance effective to prevent contaminants from escaping underneath the flotation portion of the boom.

Because such booms are necessarily relatively long, and are desirably stored so as to be quickly deployable in the area of a contaminant spill, it is advantageous to provide a boom which is compactable, so that a smaller volume of space is required for storage, and so that it is more easily transported. However, the boom should be capable of being put into service quickly, and it has been found that storing such a containment boom in a collapsed condition in a container or wound on a reel or drum, and having the ability to expand quickly to its intended shape when free of the container or reel, satisfies these conditions.

Typical booms have a float diameter of several inches to several feet, a skirt that extends down into the water to an equal or greater length, and an overall boom length of up to 100 feet or more, when fully deployed. The boom typically has a connector or fitting at each end for connecting adjacent boom sections to each other or for connecting the boom to a tow rope used to pull boom into the desired deployment location on a body of water. Examples of contamination control booms are disclosed in my prior patents, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,068,74; 4,752,393; 4,295,755 and 5,480,201, the full disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

One device currently in use by the applicant is the SeaCurtain™ compactable oil spill containment system which can compactly store up to 250 feet or more of boom in a large barrel. The system may include a pull through compaction rope, extending longitudinally inside the flotation chamber from one end of the boom to the other. The rope is fastened securely at the trailing end of the boom and extends to the leading or tow end of the boom. Pulling the rope while holding the leading end of the boom in place compacts the boom in an accordion-like manner. The compacted boom is then ready to be packed for storage until the next deployment.

A problem with the pull through compaction rope system is what do with all the excess rope hanging outside the boom after the boom is compacted, and how to release the rope for subsequent deployment of the boom. Such rope can be a hundred feet or more in length. The present invention solves that problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, and in general terms, the present invention provides a pocket at the end of the boom for storing the excess rope. The pocket is preferably provided on the tow (leading) end of the boom and made large enough to accommodate all the excess rope. The pocket is also preferably provided with an adjustable closure to contain the rope until deployment. Preferably, the closure is releasable and reusable such as VELCRO® or similar material that can be quickly closed once the rope is stored, but which will easily open and allow the rope to escape the pocket when the boom is being deployed. In one embodiment, the pocket is formed from the same material as the outer layer of the boom and is placed on the outer surface of the boom over a solid float disposed between the flotation chamber and the fitting attached to the leading end of the boom. The pocket is preferably designed to open toward the upper (float) side of the boom. In an alternative embodiment, the pocket is located inside the boom at the leading end of the boom, large enough to accommodate the rope. The present invention is particularly suitable for sequential deployment of connected sections of boom from a container, reel or otherwise.

In one embodiment, the invention includes a compactable containment boom with an elongated flotation portion having a first end and a second end and a skirt extending downwardly from the flotation portion, wherein both the flotation portion and the skirt are longitudinally compactable, a pull through compaction line attached to the first end and extending along the flotation portion to the second end for longitudinally compacting the boom by applying tension to the line and a pocket on the flotation portion near the second end for storing the compaction line after the boom is compacted. Preferably, the pocket is disposed on an outer surface of the flotation portion, opens upward towards an upper side of the flotation portion, and is provided with a reversible and releasable closure for selectively closing the pocket after the compaction line is stored therein. The closure can include mating strips of hook and loop (VELCRO®) material which are configured to leave gaps at sides of the pocket for the compaction line to enter and exit. In a preferred embodiment, a loop is provided on a fitting at the second end of the boom for tying off the compaction line after the boom is compacted.

In some embodiments, a solid float is disposed inside the flotation portion adjacent the fitting at the second end, and the pocket is disposed over the solid float. Preferably, the pocket is inclined along a top edge thereof, sloping toward the first end.

In one embodiment, the containment boom is compacted by holding the second end stationary, pulling on a proximal portion of the compaction line to longitudinally compact the boom, forming a series of flattened loops in the proximal portion of the compaction line as the boom is being compacted, placing the flattened loops into the pocket with the proximal end of the line disposed at the bottom of the pocket and closing the pocket with a reversible and releasable closure after the compaction line is placed into the pocket. In a preferred embodiment, a portion of the compaction line outside the pocket is tied off to a loop on the second end after the compaction line is placed into the pocket.

In yet another embodiment, the containment boom is compacted by holding the first end stationary, securing the compaction line to a fixed location, pushing the flotation portion up the compaction line toward the first end to longitudinally compact the boom, releasing the compaction line from the fixed location, forming a series of flattened loops in a proximal end of compaction line, placing the flattened loops into the pocket with the proximal end of the line disposed at the bottom of the pocket and closing the pocket with a reversible and releasable closure after the compaction line is placed into the pocket.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the features of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a series of connected booms embodying novel features of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevational view of one of the containment booms shown in FIG. 1, illustrating the pocket on the leading end of the boom with the boom in a fully deployed condition.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the leading end portion of the boom shown in FIG. 2 in a partially compacted condition, with a user pulling on the compaction rope to compact the boom.

FIG. 4 is another perspective view of the boom shown in FIG. 3, in a fully compacted condition, and showing the compaction rope tied off before the rope is stored in the pocket.

FIG. 5 is another perspective view of the boom shown in FIG. 3, in a fully compacted condition, and showing the compaction rope tied off after the rope is stored in the pocket.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the boom shown in FIG. 2 showing the boom being manually compacted for storage on a reel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the invention is embodied in a contaminant containment boom 10 of the type having an elongated flotation portion 12 that provides buoyancy and floats on the surface of a body of water, and a weighted curtain or skirt portion 14 that extends downwardly from the flotation portion into the water to a distance effective to prevent contaminants from escaping underneath the flotation portion.

The boom typically has a connector or fitting 16 at each end for connecting adjacent boom sections to each other in an end-to-end manner as shown in FIG. 1, or for connecting to the lead or tow end of the boom to a tow rope (not shown) used to pull the boom into the desired deployment location on a body of water.

Each end fitting typically includes a metal plate 18 riveted or bolted to the end of the boom, with a flange 20 extending outwardly therefrom in the longitudinal direction of the boom. The flanges 20 are designed to telescope together with one flange sliding inside the adjacent flange when two boom sections are joined together in an end-to-end fashion as shown in FIG. 1. The telescoped flanges are held together by a locking pin 22 which is inserted through aligned holes 24 in the adjoining flanges 20.

Each boom section 10 is provided with a pull through compaction rope 26, extending longitudinally inside the flotation chamber 12 from one end of the boom to the other. The rope 26 is fastened securely at the trailing end 27 of the boom and extends to the leading (or tow) end 29 of the boom, where it exits the flotation chamber through a grommet 28 in an upper wall of the chamber. Guides (not shown) inside the boom keep the rope positioned and guided internally down the center of the chamber 12 as it extends the length of the boom.

Pulling on the compaction rope 26 while holding the leading end 29 of the boom in place compacts the boom in an accordion-like manner for storage. FIG. 3 shows one way of compacting the boom, where a user sits on the ground and uses his feet to hold the leading end 29 of the boom in place, while he pulls on the compaction rope 26 with his hands. While this method of compaction is often preferred, other ways of compaction are also possible and at least one of those will be described later.

In accordance with the present invention, a pocket 30 is provided for storing the excess rope 26 which hangs outside the boom 10 after the boom is compacted. The pocket 30 is preferably provided on the leading or tow end 29 of the boom and made large enough to accommodate all the excess rope. The pocket is preferably formed from the same material as the outer layer of the boom (typically vinyl-coated fabric) and is placed on the outer surface of the boom over a solid float 32 disposed inside the boom between the flotation chamber 12 and the adjacent end fitting 16 on the leading end 29 of the boom, as best shown in FIG. 2. The pocket 30 is preferably designed to open toward the upper (float) side of the boom, and is provided with an inclined top edge 34 that slopes downwardly toward the center of the boom (at about a 25° angle) to allow the rope to feed out of the pocket more easily upon deployment. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the pocket is located inside the boom at the leading end, large enough to accommodate the rope.

The pocket is preferably provided with an adjustable closure mechanism 36 to partially close the pocket and contain the rope inside the pocket until the next deployment. In one embodiment, the closure 36 is a VELCRO® fastener or another reversible and releasable mechanism that can be used to quickly close the pocket once the rope is stored inside, but which will easily open and allow the rope to escape the pocket when the boom is being deployed. In a preferred embodiment, the VELCRO® fastener includes a pair of mating hook and loop fabric strips 38 and 40, one of which is attached to the inside of the pocket 30 near the top edge thereof and extends all the way across the pocket, while the other strip 40 is attached to the outer surface of the boom opposite the top edge of the pocket 30 and extends about ¾ of the way across the pocket, as best shown in FIG. 4. Terminating the strip 40 short of the sides of the pocket creates small gaps 41 where the rope can enter or exit the pocket at the corners without getting hung up on the hook and loop strips 38 and 40, as best shown in FIG. 5. It also allows the user to jerk on the rope 26 to open up the closure 36.

After the boom 10 is compacted, the excess rope 26 coming out of the grommet 28 is manually stored in the pocket 30. Such storage can be accomplished in a variety of different ways. However, a preferred method will now be described.

When compacting the boom in the manner shown in FIG. 3, the user preferably holds the free end of the rope 26 in one hand (“holding hand”), while grasping the rope near the grommet 28 with his other hand (“pulling hand”). As the rope is pulled tight from the boom with the pulling hand, a small loop or coil 42 is formed in the rope and held by the “holding hand.” Another loop is formed and held in the holding hand each time more rope is pulled from the boom.

Once the boom is nearly (but not fully) compacted, the user flattens the coils 42 in his holding hand and stuffs the flattened coils into the pocket 30, free end first (i.e., with the free end of the rope at the bottom of the pocket), as best shown in FIG. 5. At this point, the user completes the compaction by pulling more rope tight out of the boom to take up all the remaining slack, until he has a length of rope about 4′ long extending between the grommet 28 and the pocket 30. A loop 44 about 2′ long is then formed in this segment of rope. That loop of rope is then passed through a fabric loop 46 attached to the fitting 16 at the leading end 29 of the boom, and tied off with a half-hitch, granny or similar knot 48 to secure the rope to the loop 46 with a temporary tie-off, insuring that the rope remains taut and keeps the boom compacted, as shown in FIG. 5. A half-hitch or granny knot 48 will usually suffice to secure the rope 26 to the loop 46 because there is generally not enough force on the rope to untie a half-hitch or similar knot unintentionally. After the knot 48 is secured, the pocket is then closed with the VELCRO® fastener 36, as shown in FIG. 5. Storing the rope 26 as a series of flattened coils (“fans” or “flake outs”) with no overlap and with the free end of the rope at the bottom of the pocket 30, allows the rope to feed out of the pocket more easily with no tangling when the boom is deployed. It should be noted that tying off the rope 26 to the loop 46 in the manner described is optional. Generally, a compacted boom will not open up if it is not disturbed.

It is not always necessary or practical for the user to coil the rope 26 while he is compacting the boom, as described above. Instead, the free end of the rope can be left loose or lying on the deck of a vessel or dock while the user pulls on the rope to compact the boom. Once the boom is fully compacted, the user can first tie off the rope to the loop 46 with a half-hitch or granny 48 as previously described (see FIG. 4), then coil the rest of the rope before stuffing it into the pocket 30. This method also can be used when the user compacts the boom by pushing it up the rope, as will be shown and described later with reference in FIG. 6.

After the boom 10 is compacted and the excess rope 26 manually stored in the pocket 30, the boom is ready for storage. The boom can be stored flat on a dock or the deck of a vessel, or it can be stored in container. A common method for storing booms is to wind connected sections of compacted boom onto a large storage reel 50 of the type shown in FIG. 6, trailing end first.

In some cases, it will not always be possible to compact the boom by pulling on the rope 26 as illustrated in FIG. 3. Compaction can also be achieved by securing the free end of the rope 26 to a fixed structure beyond the boom and simply shoving or sliding the boom up the rope toward the trailing end 27 as shown in FIG. 6

FIG. 6 shows connected boom sections 10 being wound onto a storage reel 50, trailing end first. The free end of the compaction rope 26 exiting the grommet 28 at the leading end of the boom 10 is secured to a post or other fixed structure (not shown), while a user pushes or slides the boom 10 manually up the rope 26 toward the reel 50 as depicted in FIG. 6. Once the boom is fully compacted, the free end of the rope 26 is detached from the post, coiled and stuffed into the pocket 30 at the leading end of the boom as previously described. Regardless of the compaction method used, when fully compacted, the length of the boom is typically reduced to about 25% or less, of its fully deployed length.

Regardless of the compaction method used, deployment of the boom is achieved by pulling on the leading end 29 of the boom 10 to first peel (unwind) the compacted boom from the reel or remove it from the storage container. Releasing the temporary securement (i.e., knot or half-hitch) if one is used, by pulling on the end of the rope 26, allows the deployment to then proceed in a free-wheeling manner, i.e., continued pulling on the lead end 29 of the boom after the knot is released allows the boom to extend and the flotation portion 12 to self-expand to its full length. As the boom extends, the compaction rope 26 feeds out of the pocket 30 and into the interior of the boom through the grommet 28 until the boom is fully extended. The force of the rope 26 pushing against the closure 36 as the boom is extended quickly, can cause the VELCRO® closure 36 to release and automatically open the pocket 30, allowing the rope to freely deploy from the pocket 30 for fast deployment as the boom is being extended. The VELCRO® closure 36 may remain closed if the boom is extended more slowly. The free end of the compaction rope 26 can be tied off to the loop 46 after deployment (as shown in FIG. 1), to prevent the end of the rope from being unintentionally pulled into the flotation chamber. Alternatively, the free end of the rope 26 can be placed in the pocket 30, or a knot (not shown) large enough to prevent the free end of the rope from passing through the grommet 98 can be formed in the free end of the rope.

For most applications, the pocket will be located at the leading end of the boom as described above. However, the pocket also can be located on the trailing end if desired. Placing the pocket on the trailing end would be particularly useful when the boom is going to be stored by being laid flat on the deck of a vessel or dock, as in common in the industry.

While the invention has been described primarily in the context of a single continuous boom as noted above, the invention is also applicable to booms made up of detachable sections connected to each other end-to-end, as shown in FIG. 1. Each boom section preferably will have its own rope pocket on the towing (leading) end and no pocket on the trailing end of the section, as shown in the figures. If the boom sections are compacted without the use of temporary securements (e.g., the compaction ropes 26 are not tied off to the loops 46), then pulling on the lead end of the lead boom section will cause each boom section to deploy automatically and sequentially without further user intervention.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated the compaction rope storage and disbursement system of the present invention allows a containment boom to be quickly and easily compacted for storage, while providing a convenient way for neatly and compactly storing the excess compaction rope after compaction. The system also allows the compacted boom to be quickly and easily deployed with minimal steps and with a reduced risk of tangling the compaction rope.

While several particular forms of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modification can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A compactable containment boom, comprising: an elongated flotation portion having a first end and a second end;a skirt extending downwardly from the flotation portion, both the flotation portion and the skirt being longitudinally compactable;a pull through compaction line attached to the first end and extending along the flotation portion to the second end, for longitudinally compacting the boom by applying tension to the line; anda pocket on the flotation portion near the second end for storing the compaction line after the boom is compacted.

2. The compactable containment boom of claim 1, wherein the pocket is disposed on an outer surface of the flotation portion, and opens upward towards an upper side of the flotation portion.

3. The compactable containment boom of claim 1, wherein a reversible and releasable closure is provided for selectively closing the pocket after the compaction line is stored therein.

4. The compactable containment boom of claim 3, wherein the closure comprises mating strips of hook and loop material, one of which is attached to an inside surface of the pocket near a top end of the pocket, and the other of which is attached to the outer surface of the flotation portion.

5. The compactable containment boom of claim 3, wherein the closure leaves a gap at sides of the pocket that permit the compaction line to enter and exit the pocket through the gaps.

6. The compactable containment boom of claim 1, wherein the pocket and the flotation portion are formed of vinyl-coated fabric material.

7. The compactable containment boom of claim 1, wherein the compaction line extends longitudinally inside the flotation portion from the first end to the second end where it exits through an opening on an outer surface of the flotation portion.

8. The compactable containment boom of claim 1, further comprising fittings at the first and second ends of the flotation portion for connecting adjacent boom sections to each other.

9. The compactable containment boom of claim 8, wherein a loop is provided on the fitting at the second end for tying off the compaction line after the boom is compacted.

10. The compactable containment boom of claim 8, wherein a solid float is disposed inside the flotation portion adjacent the fitting at the second end, the pocket being disposed over the solid float.

11. The compactable containment boom of claim 1, wherein the first end is a trailing end and the second end is a leading end of the boom.

12. The compactable containment boom of claim 1, wherein the pocket is inclined along a top edge thereof, sloping toward the first end.

13. A method for compacting a containment boom having an elongated flotation portion with a first end and a second end, a skirt extending downward from the flotation portion, a pull through compaction line having a distal end attached to the first end and a proximal portion at the second end, and a pocket on the flotation portion near the second end, the method comprising: holding the second end stationary;pulling on the proximal portion of the compaction line to longitudinally compact the boom;forming a series of loops in the proximal portion of the compaction line as the boom is being compacted;flattening the loops;placing the flattened loops into the pocket with the proximal end of the line disposed at the bottom of the pocket; andclosing the pocket with a reversible and releasable closure after the compaction line is placed into the pocket.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: tying off the compaction line to a loop on the second end after the compaction line is placed into the pocket.

15. A method for compacting a containment boom having an elongated flotation portion with a first end and a second end, a skirt extending downward from the flotation point, a pull through compaction line having a distal end attached to the first end and a proximal portion at the second end, and a pocket on the flotation portion near the second end, the method comprising: holding the first end stationary;securing the compaction line to a fixed location;pushing the flotation portion up the compaction line toward the first end to longitudinally compact the boom;releasing the compaction line from the fixed location;forming a series of loops in a proximal end of compaction line;flattening the loops;placing the flattened loops into the pocket with the proximal end of the line disposed at the bottom of the pocket; andclosing the pocket with a reversible and releasable closure after the compaction line is placed into the pocket.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: tying off the compaction line to a loop on the second end.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the first end is a trailing end and the second end is a leading end of the boom.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first end is a trailing end and the second end is a leading end of the boom.