FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to floating debris collection.

This invention also relates to apparatus for floating debris collection.

In a specific instance this invention relates to a floating debris collection device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is common to find debris floating along rivers or streams and in many other instances such as on the sea, in outfalls from storm water drains and on bodies of water.

The collection of such floating debris is difficult.

In one instance well known to the applicant, a river flows through a major city and that river is attractive other than the fact that a considerable amount of floating debris is continually seen thereon. That floating debris has resulted from debris discarded into the river itself or washed down from the catchment area of the river or poured into the river via tributary rivers or creeks or via storm drains which open to the river.

Since the river in question flows through a major city, it would be highly desirable to provide a method of collecting the debris.

In various previous attempts, floating booms have been provided across part of the river to collect the debris but such floating booms have in practice been substantial in size and have presented difficulties in confining the debris.

In particular, when the direction of water flow changes, at least at the surface, whether due to tide, current or wind, debris which had previously been collected was often washed away from the boom so that the previous collection had effectively been wasted.

The present invention seeks at least in part to alleviate some of the above problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a floating debris collection device comprising flotation members adapted to maintain the device floating in a body of water; channel means defining a channel extending from a first end of the device to a second end of the device into which water and floating debris can flow at the first end and towards the second end; first closure means for said channel adjacent said first end; second closure means for said channel adjacent said second end; wherein the first closure means and the second closure means are each adapted to restrict floating debris in the channel from flowing out of the channel but are not such as to substantially restrict water from flowing therethrough; wherein the first closure means is movable from an open position in which said water and floating debris can flow at least substantially unrestrictedly into the first end towards the second end to a closed position in which floating debris in the channel is substantially restricted from flowing out of the channel at the first end but water in the channel is not substantially restricted from flowing out of the channel; and means sensitive to the direction of water flow with respect to the channel and operative, when said direction is generally from the first end towards the second end, to move the first closure means to said open position and operative, when said direction is generally from the second end towards the first end, to move the first closure means to said closed position.

In use, the device of the present invention should result in floating debris being collected

when said direction is from the first end towards the second end and being substantially restricted against escape when said direction is from the second end towards the first end.

Preferably, each of the first closure means and the second closure means comprises a panel, such as a mesh, having openings through which water can flow but which restrict floating debris from flowing therethrough.

Preferably the second closure means is movable from a closed position, in which it permits water flow but restricts floating debris, to an open position whereby to enable removal of floating debris from the device at the second end.

Preferably the second closure means is raisable from said closed position to said open position.

Preferably releasable means is provided for holding the second closure means in said closed position and in said open position.

Preferably the flotation members comprise two elongate members which are spaced apart and extend generally from the first end to the second end. The two elongate members advantageously at least in part define the channel, preferably a skirt depends from each elongate member. Each elongate member may comprise a pipe or series of pipes, for example of at least 200mm in diameter.

Preferably the channel is open at its bottom. It would be possible to provide a bottom to the channel to collect such floating debris as sinks after collection but this is not preferred. The channel may advantageously be wider intermediate the first and second ends than at the first and second ends.

Preferably, spaced arms are provided at the first end to direct flowing floatmg debris towards the first end. Advantageously, each arm is adapted to float. Preferably the angular

orientation of the arms can be varied so as to vary the direction and width of capture of floating debris.

Preferably the first closure means comprises a panel adapted to pivot about a generally horizontal axis between the closed position and the open position. The panel is advantageously biased to normally be in the closed position.

The means sensitive to the direction of water flow preferably comprises at least one vane which is movable by water flowing in said direction generally from the first end to the second end to cause the first closure means to move from the closed position to the open position.

Preferably towing and/or mooring means is provided to enable the device to be towed and/or moored.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

One embodiment of a floating debris collection device in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of non-limited example only with respect to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of the floating debris collection device;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view on line A-A in Figure 1 but shows a component in a different position to that shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-section on line B-B in Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a cross-section on line C-C in Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH RESPECT TO THE DRAWINGS

The floating debris collection device 1 shown in the drawings comprises two flotation members 2 which are each made of lengths of hollow polyethylene pipe 3 which are held apart in the middle by spreader bars 4 which are connected to the lengths of pipe 3 by

encircling bands 6 and which are also held apart by a first end structure 7 and a second end structure 8 but relatively convergent with respect to their width in the region of the spreader bars 4.

Beneath the lengths of pipe 3 depend skirts 9.

The function of the skirts 9 is to ensure an adequate depth for containment of material and to deal with wave action as may be present.

The flotation members 2 together with the skirt 9 define a channel 19 through the device 1 which has a first end 21 and a second end 22.

At the second end 22 is located the second end structure 8 which comprises a frame 24 secured to the lengths of pipe 3 at that second end by bands 23 which are in two pieces.

The frame slidably supports a gate 26 for vertical motion.

The gate 26 comprises a mesh 27 which has a mesh size such that water will readily pass through the mesh 27 but of size sufficiently small as to restrain floating debris above a few centimetres, for example 2-4 cm.

The gate 26 may be held in a lowered position as shown in Figure 4 or raised to an upper position in which it is above the surface level of a river 45.

When in either the upper position or the lower position, the gate 26 can be locked in such a position by locking means which are not depicted but which may be any convenient device.

The first end structure 7 wliich is located at the first end 21 comprises bands 31 which are in two pieces connected to the respected lengths of pipe 3.

Connected to the bands 31 are uprights 32 which support sleeves 33.

A rod 34 is carried by the sleeves 33 such as to be rotatable in the sleeves 33.

Connectors 36 are non-rotatably attached to the rod 34 and support a gate 37 which is made of mesh 38.

The mesh 38 is similar to the mesh 27 in that it will allow water to flow through it but will restrict against passage through the mesh of floating debris in excess of the predetermined size.

The gate 37 can, by rotation of the rod 34, move from a closed position which is shown in Figure 2 to an open position which is shown in Figure 1 and vice versa as will be described hereinafter.

Also non-rotatably mounted to the rod 34 is an arm 39 which carries a counter-weight 41 which may be adjusted in position along the arm 39 to give a more or less counter-weighing effect.

Connectors 42 are non-rotatably secured to the rod 34 and carry vanes or paddles 43 which, as shown in Figure 2 when the gate 37 is in the closed position, extend well below the surface 45 of the river.

As shown in Figure 1 the vanes or paddles 43 are relatively more horizontal and thus will be less penetrating below the surface 45 of the river.

Lugs 48 are provided at the first end 21 of the channel 19 and carry deflector arms 49 which are conveniently made of similar pipe to the lengths of pipe 3.

The angular position of the deflectors arms 49 may be adjusted by telescopic adjusters 51.

The function of the deflectors arms 49 is to gather floating debris towards the first end 21 if river flow is appropriate.

Lugs 52 having openings therethrough are provided at the second end 22 and may be used for mooring the device 1 to a river bank or to anchors or other mooring means as may be convenient and may also be used for towing purposes when the device 1 is to be shifted from one place to another.

The lugs 48 may also have openings therethrough to be used for mooring purposes or towing purposes if desired.

In normal use of the device 1 the river will be flowing in the direction of the arrow 46 and this may be considered to be normal flow.

As a result of such flow in the direction of arrow 46 water will be passing the device 1 and through the channel 19 and in so doing will act on the vanes or paddles 43 to cause them to take up the position shown in Figure 1 to move the gate 37 to the open position as shown in Figure 1 with the aid of the counter- weight 41.

As described, the first end 21 will be open and debris will be able to flow into the channel 19.

For the purposes of collection of debris, the gate 26 will be in the down position shown in Figure 4 and while water may pass through the mesh 27, floating debris above a particular size will be captured by the mesh 27 and will be located within the channel 19 for subsequent removal when desired.

When it is desired to remove floating debris from the channel 19 it may be scooped therefrom by any convenient means and, if desired the gate 26 may be moved upwards to an open position and locked in that position so that the floating debris may be removed at the second

end 22.

As described, the device 1 will collect debris flowing down a river when the river is flowing the direction of normal flow as indicated by arrow 46.

However, as a result of tide or wind or some other reason whereby the river flows "backwards", it will be found that the flow of the river is generally in the direction of arrow 47 and this may be considered to be reverse flow.

In that circumstance, it would be a potential risk that floating debris which had previously been captured would simply float out the first end 21 to escape into the river.

However, in the reverse flow direction indicated by arrow 47 the water will act on the vanes or paddles 43 to take up the position shown in Figure 2 with the gate 37 thereby being pivoted into the closed position.

When the gate 37 is closed, water can flow through the mesh 38 but floating debris of more than a particular size will be captured by the mesh 38.

It is appreciated that water flows may not always be in the direction or arrows 46 or 47 and rather that it may be oblique or at some other direction with respect to the device 1.

However, in most situations the component of motion will have a significant direction or component in the direction of arrow 46 or 47 and will thus result in the allowance of floating debris to enter into the channel 19 and prevent substantial escape of floating debris from the channel 19.

By adjusting the position of the deflector arms 49 the device 1 may collect from a different portion of the river and in this last respect, applicant states that in various tests that he has made it has become clear that in any particular river there are certain places where floating

debris tends to be most common and, obviously, the device 1 should be positioned in such an area and the deflector arms 49 oriented as is appropriate to catch the maximum amount of debris.

In a specific device, the first end was approximately 1.5 metres wide, the second end was 1 metre wide, the spacing between the flotation members 2 in the region of the spreader bars 4 was 3 metres and the overall length between the first end and the second end was 8.9 metres.

The above dimensions are in no way critical but it is mentioned that a device 1 of those dimensions, on one occasion, collected 32 cubic metres of floating debris in a single day but on average collected about 2 to 4 cubic metres.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. It is to be understood that the invention includes all such variations and modifications which fall within its spirit and scope. The invention also includes all of the steps, features, compositions and compounds referred to or indicated in this specification, individually or collectively, and any and all combinations of any two or more of said steps or features.