Abstract: A spray burn floating combustible material burner apparatus is disclosed herein used to remove a floating layer of combustible material, such as oil, from a body of water. The apparatus includes a support frame attached to a buoyancy system, an air nozzle, an air nozzle adjustment means, drop-catching means, a deflection plate, a stabilization plate, and an ignition source. The air nozzle is attached to the air nozzle adjustment means, which adjusts the vertical position of the air nozzle with respect to the surface of the floating layer, and to an adjustible supply of compressed air which, during operation, vertically lifts and atomized the floating layer into droplets in the apparatus' combustion region. The ignition source located in the combustion region destroys the atomized droplets by combustion. The drop-catching means is positioned above the combustible material and prevents any ignited droplets from falling into the surrounding layer of combustible material.

Abstract: A transport unit particularly adapted to contain an injured person in a manner that the person can be moved with relative comfort and safety. There is a rigid containing structure having inflatable cushions positioned therein and arranged to fit the contours of a person's body. The person is placed in the container, and a lid of the container is placed over the person, with the cushions then being inflated to firmly, yet gently, hold the person in place.

Abstract: An insulating panel and shapes each having an outer, continuous membrane, an internal rigid frame, and an enclosed vacuum space. The outer continuous membrane is made up of a top membrane and a bottom membrane each having a plurality of biaxially curved, concave surface which are loaded in tension when the top or bottom membranes are exposed to ambient atmospheric pressure. Between each biaxially curved, concave surface is an arcuate path through which differential tension loadings on the adjacent biaxially curved, concave surfaces are offset, thereby reducing the structure requirements on the internal rigid frame. A second embodiment has an expansion joint means, the top or bottom membrane which enable the panel to maintain the tension stress loadings on the top and bottom surfaces when thermal contraction or expansion occurs in the top or bottom membranes, a corner shape, an inside corner shape, and a container embodiment are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: An insulated vacuum container comprising inner and outer wall sections, with each wall section made up of a skeletal frame, with membranes enclosing each frame. The membranes of the outer wall section curve inwardly, while the membranes of the inner section curve outwardly. The pressure loads imparted on the membranes are reacted substantially entirely in tension onto the skeletal frames. There is a rear end wall, mounted so as to be movable longitudinally relative to the outer wall section so as to permit thermal contraction and expansion of the inner wall section relative to the outer wall section.

Abstract: An insulated vacuum container comprising inner and outer wall sections, with each wall section made up of a skeletal frame, with membranes enclosing each frame. The membranes of the outer wall section curve inwardly, while the membranes of the inner section curve outwardly. The pressure loads imparted on the membranes are reacted substantially entirely in tension into the skeletal frames.

Abstract: A fire resistant spillage containment boom comprising a plurality of units connected together, each of the units comprising a float member and panels extending vertically above and below the float member, a corrugated panel having vertically disposed corrugation secured to one end of the float member, and a connecting means on the other hand of the corrugated panel and on the other end of the float member, and a connecting member for securing the adjacent units together.

Abstract: An oil recovery device having a downwardly and rearwardly traveling oil abosrbing belt, to pick up oil on a body of water. The belt travels around an upwardly and forwardly positioned drum to be engaged by a porous squeeze belt to remove the oil from the oil absorbing belt. Rearwardly of the belt is an oil collecting enclosure to collect oil not recovered by the oil absorbing belt. The device has a downwardly and rearwardly inclined bow ramp over which an oil/water liquid passes into a through passage in the device, and water having oil separated therefrom passes out longitudinally spaced bottom openings, with the flow through these openings being controlled by closure doors.

Abstract: An oil recovery device having a downwardly and rearwardly traveling oil absorbing belt, to pick up oil on a body of water. The belt travels around an upwardly and forwardly positioned drum to be engaged by a porous squeeze belt to remove the oil from the oil absorbing belt. Rearwardly of the belt is an oil collecting enclosure to collect oil not recovered by the oil absorbing belt. The device has a downwardly and rearwardly inclined bow ramp over which an oil/water liquid passes into a through passage in the device, and water having oil separated therefrom passes out longitudinally spaced bottom openings, with the flow through these openings being controlled by closure doors.