Abstract: A boom is disclosed having an elongated flexible skirt confined between and secured to a series of floats arranged in pairs. The floats of each pair are identically formed, and are oppositely arranged at opposite sides of the skirt, to which they are secured in such fashion as to dispose the upper edge portion of the skirt above the water level. The lower edge of the skirt extends downwardly below the water level a suitable distance to confine pollutants, such as oil, floating upon the surface of the water. A tension member extends along the bottom edge of the skirt, in the form of a flexible cable. The tension member is retained in position through passage thereof within longitudinal bores provided in clamp assemblies regularly spaced along the length of the skirt. Each clamp assembly comprises complementary metal clamp elements, particularly shaped as to permit their being formed as extrusions.

Abstract: A swimming pool is provided with side walls made up of a plurality of panels each embodying upper and lower receptor beams in the form of oppositely facing channels supporting the upper and lower horizontal edges of plywood sheets, with bracing members located between the vertical edges of the plywood sheets and secured at their upper and lower ends to the receptor beams so as to support each sheet about the entire peripheral edges thereof. The panels are secured together in selected arrangements by fasteners and splice plates at the adjacent ends thereof to establish a unitary structure of exceptional strength which may be made up of a limited number of inexpensive elements adapted to be assembled and erected with a minimum of labor.