Containment Boom and Standoff

Abstract

A Containment Boom and Standoff has two embodiments, a Dual Plank Assembly and a Dual Pole Assembly. The Dual Plank Assembly is a pair of buoyant planks covered and connected with waterproof and oil impermeable material with sealed poles inside the buoyant planks and mechanical connectors on both ends of both sealed poles. The assembly has sufficient buoyancy during deployment in water so the top of the assembly will float high enough in water to block the passage of a floating oil spill over the top and low enough to prevent oil from going underneath. Structure positioning magnets attach the assembly to an aquatic structure to provide a localized containment boom that is efficient to use as a containment boom and/or a standoff. When only a standoff function is desired, a Dual Pole Assembly (the Dual Plank Assembly without the buoyant plank and without the protective cover) may be deployed.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART

The field of the invention is Hydraulic Engineering—an invention to enhance the quality of the environment by contributing to the maintenance of the basic life-sustaining natural element of water by reducing floating oil spill damage to water.

Although tanker accidents cause a great deal of damage and receive a great deal of publicity, Coast Guard Safety and Environmental Enforcement Activity Data shows that most vessel spills are the result of oil transfer activities and not the result of vessel accidents.

The Volpe Study and other studies of oil such as the Washington State Council Subcommittee on Lessons Learned (http://www.governor.wa.gov/osac/tac/lessons_learned.pdf) have found the leading contributory causes of spills are: (1) human and organizational error, including poor communications, poor training, and lack of preventive maintenance, (2) traffic congestion, and (3) severe weather conditions such as wind and waves.

One way that governments have responded to this environmental threat is by instituting regulations to prevent the release of spilled oil to open waters by “prebooming” the oil transfer areas with containment booms that surround the vessel or other aquatic structure. Many regulations further specify specific methods of containment including that the containment boom must be deployed with a minimum stand-off distance away from the sides of a vessel measured at the waterline to accommodate the rising and falling of the ship with changing load.

Some examples of these regulations from Washington State, California, Maine, and Connecticut follow:

Washington State Regulations:

“In order to preboom transfers, the deliverer must have access to boom four times the length of the largest vessel involved in the transfer or two thousand feet, whichever is less. The deliverer must deploy the boom such that it completely surrounds the vessel(s) and facility/terminal dock area directly involved in the oil transfer operation, or the portion of the vessel and transfer area that provides for maximum containment of any oil spilled. (i) The boom must be deployed with a minimum stand-off of five feet away from the sides of a vessel measured at the waterline.” (http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/wac173184.pdf).

California has similar regulations found at:

http://www.slc.ca.gov/Regulations/Article_—5.html

Maine: http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules/06/096/096c600.doc

Connecticut: http://www/cga/ct/gov/2005/pub/Chap446k.htm#Sec22a-457a.htm

While these government regulations address this need to preboom and standoff, the prior art method of encircling an entire aquatic structure with a conventional boom is an expensive and inefficient means to contain spills and the prior art means of securing booms in place with anchors, rope, cables and other means are problematic because of the cost and complication. Expensive and difficult to use solutions give argument for the commercial resistance and human and organizational failure to using these methods.

The following prior art including U.S. patents, patent applications, foreign patents and non-patent literature show that the prior art has does not address solutions to the environmental issues.

Patent Document Comparison

GB2414967 UK Patent Application by Samson published Dec. 14, 2005: A V-Shaped Oil Containment Boom. This application discloses a V-shaped boom that uses mooring lines and anchors to keep it in place. The function of the V is to direct the spilled oil using the water flow momentum to the apex of the V so that the oil can be taken off at the apex and put into a collection chamber. This device is not a closed containment system nor does it have any standoff capability. An open end is essential to the operation and the device claims no advantages or configurations to be used with an aquatic structure such as a ship or barge. Anchors and mooring lines are often a poor choice for securing booms because a boom tied directly to an anchor line can be pulled under water by the current. Anchors are also very labor-intensive, need frequent readjustment, and are prone to human error.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,136 by Donovan issued Sep. 7, 1982: Spill Oil Containment System. This patent discloses a magnetic attachment mechanism for attaching containment systems to a steel or other ferromagnetic structures and a means for removing the magnetic attachment. The device is not a containment system by itself and there is no standoff capability to be used with other booms. The concept of using magnets to attach a boom goes back as least as far as Meacham (see below) issued May 6, 1941, but a prior art system has not been suggested that is not difficult or expensive to use.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,872 by Johnson issued Dec. 2, 2003: Method, System, and Device for Deploying a Containment Boom. This patent discloses a magnetic attachment/detachment device for attaching an oil containment device using magnetic force to a structure such as a ship and discloses the advantages of establishing specific containment areas around the ship instead of encircling the entire ship. The patent does not describe the boom but rather speaks to the means of attachment to the structure and the method of attaching. The device itself is not a containment system and there is no standoff capability to be used with other booms. The concept of using magnets to attach a boom goes back as least as far as Meacham (see below) issued May 6, 1941, but a prior art system has not been suggested that is not difficult or expensive to use.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,927 by Miyazaki issued Feb. 15, 2005: Containment Boom. This patent discloses a containment boom made of a plurality of float units having housings in which adjacent float units are held together with a coupling portion, and adjustable plummets are positioned under the float units. The patent is primarily concerned with adjusting the floatation of the units and remotely operating the plummets (plum bobs). The patent does not describe how the containment boom will be attached to a structure, does not provide a standoff capability, does not address the human error issues of using a complicated device such as this to solve a problem, and does not address the commercial resistance issues to devices that are expensive and difficult to deploy. This device is a replacement for a conventional boom, not a more localized boom or an easier to use boom or a standoff device.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,545 by Ashtary (also issued as WO 91/09178) issued Dec. 10, 1991: Ship-Mounted Oil Spill Recovery. This patent discloses using ship-mounted support booms that are attached to the vessel to maintain a barrier between the structure and the floating booms. The device is limited to being ship-mounted and is not flexible for use with any other structures and the entire ship must be surrounded by the floating boom for the device to work. There is no standoff capability to be used with other booms. By its nature, this device can only be used with the ship that it is mounted on and in only one configuration. It does not address issues of oil transfer because it is not configurable to be used with another aquatic structure. It does not have a quick dispatch system to locally contain a spill, the entire ship must be boomed.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,051,029 by Ecker issued Sep. 24, 1991: Marine Spill Containment Method and Apparatus. This patent discloses a ship-mounted containment method that deploys a floating boom and has boom positioning arms mounted on the ship to keep the floating boom away from the ship. The device is limited to being ship-mounted and is not flexible for use with any other structures and the entire ship must be surrounded by the floating boom for the device to work. There is no standoff capability to be used with other booms. By its nature, this device can only be used with the ship that it is mounted on and in only one configuration. It does not address issues of oil transfer because it is not configurable to be used with another aquatic structure. It does not have a quick dispatch system to locally contain a spill, the entire ship must be boomed.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,512 by Mosley issued Feb. 15, 2000: Oil Slick Barrier Device. This patent discloses a device that is attached to a structure and contains a boom. The device is limited to being ship-mounted and is not flexible for use with any other structures and the entire ship or structure between the attachment means must be surrounded by the floating boom for the device to work. There is no standoff capability to be used with other booms. By its nature, this device can only be used with the ship that it is mounted on and in only one configuration. It does not address issues of oil transfer because it is not configurable to be used with another aquatic structure. It does not have a quick dispatch system to locally contain a spill, the entire back of the ship must be boomed.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,240,567 by Meacham issued May 6, 1941: Cofferdam. This patent discloses attaching multiple plates to build a containment fence that can be lowered into the water and held in place on the ship by magnets or other means. The device requires carrying the appropriate number and types of plates and assembling them and being able to maneuver the device once assembled. The device appears to be significantly prone to human error considering the new technology available. There is no standoff capability to be used with modem booms.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,532 by Nielsen issued Jan. 4, 1977: Fending Device for Oil Containment Boom. This patent discloses a large ring of bouyant structure material that uses tension cables to hold the structure of the ring. Because of its large size, pieces of the ring are assembled on site and tension cables added as needed after calculations to determine the proper configuration for an application. This device provides only standoff capability and is not a localized containment boom. This device does not address the issues of commercial resistance to devices that are difficult and time consuming to use.

Non-Patent Literature

Slickbar Products Corporation, 9′ Triangular Fender found at http://www.slickbar.com/slickbar/boom_accessories/TriangularStandOff.pdf. This device is a fender/standoff made of PVC pipe filled with foam that is configured in a triangle and snap-hooked to a boom to standoff the boom from a ship or barge. The device is not itself a containment boom by itself, merely a floating fender. There are no suggested means for connecting the fender to the aquatic structure leaving it free to move out of place.

Elastec/American Marine Boom Standoff Unit, found at: http://www.floatingbarriers.com/boomStand.html. This device is a triangular standoff made of aluminum tubing, 6 ft. long, with vinyl covered foam for buoyancy. The device is not a containment boom by itself, merely a floating standoff unit. There are no suggested means for connecting the standoff to the aquatic structure leaving it free to move out of place.

Copdel International, the Protecteur Series, found at: http:/www.copdel.com/products.htm. This device is an attachment method for a boom containment system that uses a Floating Magnetic Head system. It is not itself a containment boom, it is an accessory to use with a containment boom. The device is very heavy, requiring significant effort to deploy.

The foregoing prior art references reflect the prior state of the art of which this inventor is aware. None of the devices has the ability to both act as a standoff and a containment system. None of the prior art devices have the features of the present invention of being cost efficient and use efficient leading to less commercial cost and less human error.

Reference to, and discussion of, these patents and/or prior art devices is intended to aid in discharging Applicant's acknowledged duty of candor in disclosing information that may be relevant to the examination of prospective claims to the present invention. However, it is respectfully submitted that none of the above-indicated patents disclose, teach, suggest, show, or otherwise render obvious, either singly or when considered in combination, the invention described and claimed herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Two Environmental Quality Objectives are met by this device: (1) the reduction of harm from accidental floating oil spills by containing more localized areas than the prior art and containing them more quickly and more efficiently than the prior art and (2) the prevention of floating oil spill release to open water by efficient pre-booming of pertinent oil transfer areas. These objectives are met through two different embodiments of the device.

One embodiment is a localized containment boom that is easily deployed in single or multiple sets for prebooming (containing potential floating oil spills) around an oil transfer operation or for containing accidental floating oil spills from other operations. This embodiment is an assembly with a pair of buoyant planks covered and connected with a protective waterproof and oil impermeable material. The assembly folds together for storage and easy deployment. Sealed poles inside the buoyant planks provide rigidity, control the shape of the assembly and keep the assembly upright in the water. The assembly has sufficient buoyancy during deployment in water so the top of the assembly will float high enough in water to block the passage of a floating oil spill over the top and a bottom of the assembly sitting low enough below the waterline to prevent a floating oil spill from going underneath. Elements of the protective cover seal the assembly to the aquatic structure or seal the minimum number of assemblies together to contain a floating oil spill in a localized area. Mechanical connectors on both ends of both sealed poles provide attachment means to other devices such as the structure positioning magnets which attach the assembly to an aquatic structure. These positioning magnets allow the assembly to be quickly placed where it is needed rather than having to encircle the entire ship like a conventional boom. Other devices such as a current vane, a wind vane and a strobe light can be attached to the mechanical connectors to make monitoring the booming operation easier. This embodiment can also be used as a standoff device to keep other containment booms at a sufficient distance from an aquatic structure during an oil transfer operation or after an accidental spill from other operations.

The second embodiment is a standoff (or fender) to keep a containment boom a sufficient distance from an aquatic structure during an oil transfer operation or after an accidental spill from other operations. This embodiment is an assembly with a pair of buoyant sealed poles with mechanical connectors on both ends of both sealed poles that provide attachment means to other devices such as structure positioning magnets that attach the assembly to an aquatic structure with the sealed poles as two legs of a triangle using the aquatic structure as the third leg. These positioning magnets allow the assembly to be quickly placed and held where it is needed rather employing anchors, ropes, cables or other devices like the prior art or rather than allowing the standoff to free float as some of the prior art.

Optional features include attachable wind and current vanes to allow operators to monitor conditions in the containment area so that necessary adjustments can be made in a timely manner. An optional strobe light assists night crews in maintaining visual contact with the containment system.

The advantages that flow from the present invention relate to its ease of use, straight-forward design and dual functionality. In view of the fact that oil spreads on water very quickly and response time is critical:

A device that works in a local area subjects less area to clean-up;

A device that is fast- and easy-to-use will keep the spill more localized;

A device that is smaller can be kept on-board more vessels and at more decentralized locations;

A device that is smaller can be deployed by less crew members, from a smaller boat or storage area with greater speed and less error; and

A device that functions both as a standoff and a localized boom reduces the level of inventory that any user will have to stock.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is perspective view of the Dual Plank Assembly.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the Dual Plank Assembly with sealed poles in the sealed compartments.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the back side (faces open water) of the Dual Plank Assembly.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the back side (faces open water) of the Dual Plank Assembly.

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the structure positioning magnet.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the Dual Plank Assembly with a structure positioning magnet attaching the assembly to an aquatic structure.

FIG. 7 is the Dual Pole Assembly with Structure Positioning Magnets at both distal ends.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a ship or other aquatic structure with multiple Dual Plank Assemblies acting as single leg standoffs for a conventional boom.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a ship or other aquatic structure with multiple Dual Plank Assemblies acting as two legs of a triangular as standoffs for a conventional boom.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a ship or other aquatic structure with a plurality of Dual Plank Assemblies connected together being used as a localized containment boom.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view ship or other aquatic structure with a single of the Dual Plank Assembly being used as a localized containment boom.

FIG. 12 is the Dual Plank Assembly with a wind vane attached at the mechanical connector.

FIG. 13 is the Dual Plank Assembly with a current vane attached using a mechanical connector.

FIG. 14 is the Dual Plank Assembly with a strobe light attached at the mechanical connector.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A Containment Boom and Standoff, embodied in a Dual Plank Assembly (“assembly”), is an assembly comprising a pair of buoyant planks and a plurality of plank parts, a pair of sealed poles and a plurality of pole parts, a protective cover and a plurality of cover parts, a plurality of mechanical connectors, and a plurality of magnets including a pair of structural positioning magnets and a plurality of linking magnets.

The buoyant planks may be formed of any buoyant material of sufficient strength, buoyancy, and rigidity. The buoyant planks have a bore formed below a centerline of the buoyant plank with the bore of sufficient diameter to allow a sealed pole to be contained inside the buoyant plank. The function of the sealed pole is to add strength and stiffness to the buoyant plank and to add weight to the buoyant plank to keep it upright in water. The buoyant planks are sealed and covered in a waterproof and oil impermeable protective material of sufficient durability to stand up to harsh conditions and rough treatment and the pair of buoyant planks are connected together using the same protective material. The buoyant planks have sufficient buoyancy during deployment in water the hold the Dual Plank Assembly so that a top of the buoyant plank will float high enough in water to block the passage of a floating oil spill over the top of the buoyant plank and a bottom of the buoyant plank floating low enough in water to block the passage of the floating oil spill under the buoyant plank. The buoyant planks can be strategically sized for applications in high winds, strong currents, or high waves where a high profile is desired.

The sealed pole can be formed of any metal, plastic, wood, or other material of sufficient strength, buoyancy, and rigidity and sealed at the ends using any means employed by those skilled in the art. The sealed pole may gain buoyant capabilities by being strategically filled with buoyant material or lose buoyant capability by being filled with nonbuoyant material depending on counteracting buoyancy of the plank and how far the buoyant plank extends above and below water when in use.

The protective cover extends beyond the sealed portions of the buoyant planks at both a distal ends of the sealed poles as a protective flap. The protective cover also extends at a proximal ends (where they are connected) as a flat section between the buoyant planks. A mechanical connector the each sealed pole end extends outside the sealed sections. The flat section between the proximal ends of the two sealed poles enables folding of the assembly during storage and deployment and seals a front side of the assembly that faces the floating oil spill or an oil containment field. The protective flaps at the distal ends are equipped with a flap magnet to allow the device to seal against an aquatic structure or to seal to between the assemblies when a plurality of assemblies are deployed.

The mechanical connectors at the proximal ends of the sealed poles may be linked together using the mechanical connectors or other connectors such as a spring. In the single assembly embodiment, the mechanical connectors at the distal ends of the sealed poles are linked to a pair of structure positioning magnets which are attached to the aquatic structure or other mechanical connectors may be used for connecting to the aquatic structure. In the plurality of assemblies embodiment, the mechanical connectors at the distal ends of the sealed poles may be linked to the structure positioning magnets or to other assemblies or a plurality of other devices.

A plurality of linking magnets in mechanical connection with the back side of the assembly holds the assemblies folded to store efficiently when not in use, during deployment and after deployment if desired.

The Dual Plank Assemblies can be used as a standoff for a conventional boom in preventive prebooming applications during oil transfers or as a localized containment boom.

When only the standoff function is desired, a Dual Pole Assembly (the Dual Plank Assembly without the buoyant planks and without the protective cover) may be deployed. The Dual Pole Assembly comprises the pair of sealed poles that are sealed and connected with the mechanical connectors. The sealed poles are of sufficient durability to stand up to harsh conditions and rough treatment and have sufficient buoyancy during deployment and can be formed of any metal, plastic, wood, or other material of sufficient strength, buoyancy, and rigidity and sealed at the ends using any means employed by those skilled in the art. The sealed pole may gain buoyant capabilities by being strategically filled with buoyant material.

In the single Dual Pole Assembly embodiment, the mechanical connectors at the distal ends of the sealed poles are linked to the pair of structure positioning magnets which are attached to the aquatic structure. Other mechanical connectors may be used for connecting to the aquatic structure. In the multiple Dual Pole Assembly embodiment, the mechanical connectors at the distal ends of the sealed poles may be linked to the structure positioning magnets or to the other assemblies or the plurality of other devices.

A number of connectors and devices can be attached to the mechanical connectors at a vertex of the Dual Plank Assembly or the Dual Pole Assembly. An elongated hook is attachable to the mechanical connectors for attaching the Dual Plank Assembly to the conventional boom. The mechanical connector may attach to a wind vane, a current vane, or a strobe light to allow for operators to keep apprised of changing conditions in order to make any necessary changes to their operation. Any combination of the wind vane, the strobe light and the current vane may be used with this device (they may share the same pole) and made retractable or collapsible and can be held in place along the side of the Dual Plank Assembly with a suitable mechanical connector until deployed for use.

Now referring to FIGS. 1-14 containing the best mode of the invention, wherein like numbers refer to like elements in the various views, FIG. 1 is perspective view of a Dual Plank Assembly 20. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the Dual Plank Assembly 20 comprises a pair of buoyant planks 24 that are covered on all sides with a protective cover 29. The buoyant plank 24 has a bore 32 running lengthwise through the buoyant plank 24 located below a centerline 27 of the buoyant plank 24. A sealed pole 40 is contained inside the bore 32. The Dual Plank Assembly 20 has a top 28, a front side 25 (usually faces floating oil spill), a back side 26 (usually faces open water), and a bottom 30. The back side 26 has a plurality of linking magnets 34 for holding the Dual Plank Assembly 20 folded in half lengthwise during storage, deployment and during use as a single leg standoff.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional lengthwise view of the Dual Plank Assembly 20. A sealed pole end 46 is connected to a mechanical connector 36 at each of the two sealed pole ends 46. The mechanical connectors 36 at each of the sealed pole ends 46 extend past the protective cover 29 at both a proximal sealed pole ends 39 and a distal sealed pole ends 41 (see FIG. 4). At the proximal sealed pole ends 39, the protective cover 29 is a flat section 31 which covers the front 25 of the Dual Plank Assembly 20 while leaving the back side 26 of the Dual Plank Assembly 20 open to leave access to the mechanical connectors 36 and to make the Dual Plank Assembly 20 easier to fold.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the back side 26 of the Dual Plank Assembly 20. A plurality of linking magnets 34 are configured to match the other linking magnets 34 when the Dual Plank Assembly 20 is folded in half lengthwise. The protective cover 29 extends beyond the distal ends 41 to form a protective flap 21. A flap magnet 23 is mechanically connected to the protective flap 21.

As shown in FIG. 6, the protective flap 21 folds back toward the front side 25 of the Dual Plank Assembly 20 so that a structure positioning magnet 42, (see FIG. 5 and FIG. 6), is protected from the floating oil spill 74 and so that the Dual Plank Assembly 20 fits tightly against the aquatic structure 70 as shown in the top view in FIG. 6.

As shown in FIG. 7, a Dual Pole Assembly 43 (the Dual Plank Assembly 20 with no buoyant planks, no protective cover) comprising of the pair of sealed poles 40 each with the pair of mechanical connectors 36 (at each end) connected together at the sealed pole proximal ends 39 with the pair of structure positioning magnets 42 attached with the pair of magnet connectors 44 at both the distal ends 41 of the sealed poles using the mechanical connectors 36. The Dual Pole Assembly 43 acts as a standoff at an aquatic structure 70 attached at the waterline 72 in conjunction with a conventional boom 76 as shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 show an application where either the Dual Plank Assembly 20 (shown) or the Dual Pole Assembly 43 can be deployed with the conventional boom 76. In any application, a plurality of the Dual Plank Assemblies 20 can replace the conventional boom 76.

FIG. 8 shows multiples of the Dual Plank Assemblies 20 acting as single leg standoffs for the conventional boom 76. The Dual Plank Assemblies 20 are connected at the structure using the structure positioning magnets 42 (hidden from sight by the protective flap 21) or other suitable interface. The Dual Pole Assembly 43 could be substituted for the Dual Plank Assembly 20 since the application is for a standoff, however if the Dual Plank Assembly 20 were used here, the floating oil spill 74 could be locally contained rather than spread all the way around the ship or other structure 70.

FIG. 9 shows multiples of the Dual Plank Assemblies 20 acting as standoffs for the conventional boom 76 providing two legs of a triangle with the structure 70 acting as the third leg of the triangle. The Dual Plank Assemblies 20 are connected at the structure using the structure positioning magnets 42 (not shown) or other suitable interface. The Dual Pole Assembly 43 could be substituted for the Dual Plank Assembly 20 since the application is for a standoff, however if the Dual Plank Assembly 20 were used here, the floating oil spill 74 could be locally contained rather than spread all the way around the ship or other structure 70.

FIG. 10 shows a plurality of the Dual Plank Assemblies 20 connected together with mechanical connectors 36 between the Dual Plank Assembly 20 and the plurality of Dual Plank Assemblies 20 connected to the aquatic structure 70 with the structure positioning magnets 42. The protective flap 21 protects the structure positioning magnets from the floating oil spill 74. The floating oil spill 74 is locally contained in the localized area requiring a minimal use of the containment boom.

FIG. 11 shows one of the Dual Plank Assembly 20 functioning as the localized containment boom, providing two legs of the triangle with the structure 70 acting as the third leg of the triangle. The Dual Plank Assemblies 20 are connected at the structure using the structure positioning magnets 42 or other suitable interface. FIG. 11 shows the Dual Plank Assembly 20 being used as the localized containment boom for the floating oil spill 74. Because of the compact design of the Dual Plank Assembly 20 and fast deployment, the area affected by the floating oil spill 74 can be kept localized.

FIG. 12 is the Dual Plank Assembly 20 with a wind vane 50 attached at the mechanical connector 36. The wind vane 50 may be retractable or foldable to hold next to the Dual Plank Assembly 20 during storage or other nonuse and held in place in storage using some suitable mechanical connector.

FIG. 13 is the Dual Plank Assembly 20 with a current vane 52 attached with the mechanical connector. The current vane 52 may be retractable or foldable to hold next to the Dual Plank Assembly 20 during storage or other nonuse and held in place in storage using some suitable mechanical connector.

FIG. 14 is the Dual Plank Assembly 20 with a strobe light 54 attached at the mechanical connector 36. The strobe light 54 may be retractable or foldable to hold next to the Dual Plank Assembly 20 during storage or other nonuse and held in place in storage using a suitable mechanical connector.

The above disclosure is sufficient to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention, and provides the best mode of practicing the invention presently contemplated by the inventor. While there is provided herein a full and complete disclosure of the preferred embodiments of this invention, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction, dimensional relationships, and operation shown and described. Various modifications, alternative constructions, changes and equivalents will readily occur to those skilled in the art and may be employed, as suitable, without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. Such changes might involve alternative materials, components, structural arrangements, sizes, shapes, forms, functions, operational features or the like.

Claims

1. A Containment Boom and Standoff, embodied in A Dual Plank Assembly (“assembly”) comprising:

a pair of buoyant planks which can be formed of any buoyant material of sufficient strength, buoyancy, and rigidity wherein the buoyant planks have sufficient buoyancy during deployment in water so that a top of the buoyant planks will float high enough in water to block the passage of a floating oil spill over the top of the buoyant planks, and a bottom of the buoyant planks floating low enough in water to block the passage of the floating oil spill under the buoyant planks, and a bore formed in the buoyant planks below a centerline of the buoyant planks with the bore of sufficient diameter to allow

a pair of sealed poles to be contained inside the bore of the buoyant planks where the sealed poles function to add strength and stiffness to the buoyant planks and to add weight to the buoyant planks to keep the buoyant planks upright in the water where the sealed pole can be formed of any metal, plastic, wood or other material of sufficient strength, buoyancy, and rigidity and sealed at the ends using any means employed by those skilled in the art and the sealed pole may gain buoyant capabilities by being strategically filled with a buoyant material depending on the counteracting buoyancy of the plank and how far the plank extends above and below the water line when in use and a pair of proximal ends to the sealed poles, and a pair of distal ends to the sealed poles, and

a waterproof and oil impermeable protective cover material that covers and seals the buoyant planks on a front side and a back side, the top and the bottom and an ends of the buoyant planks where the waterproof and oil impermeable protective cover is of sufficient durability to stand up to harsh conditions and rough treatment and where the waterproof and oil impermeable protective cover extends beyond the sealed portions containing the buoyant planks at a flat portion of the protective cover between the proximal ends of the two sealed poles enabling folding of the assembly during storage and deployment and provides a smooth surface on the front side of the covered buoyant planks that faces the floating oil spill, and a pair of protective flaps on the front side of the Dual Plank Assembly that extends from both distal ends of the Dual Plank Assembly to allow the device to seal against the aquatic structure or to seal between a plurality of the Dual Plank Assembly when multiple Assemblies are deployed, and

a plurality of mechanical connectors with at least one mechanical connector for each sealed pole end that extends outside the waterproof and oil impermeable cover and connects to the mechanical connectors on other sealed poles and other devices, and

a plurality of linking magnets in mechanical connection with the back side of the Dual Plank Assembly protective cover that allows the assembly to magnetically attach folded together to store efficiently when not in use and to hold together during deployment and after deployment if desired, and

a pair of structure positioning magnets to hold the Dual Plank Assembly at a waterline of an aquatic structure, and

a magnet connector on the structure positioning magnets to link the structure positioning magnet to the mechanical connectors of the sealed pole ends.

2. The Dual Plank Assembly of claim 1, wherein multiples of the Dual Plank Assembly are used as a containment boom and the structure positioning magnets are used at the interface to the aquatic structure and are replaced by other of the mechanical connections or devices where the Dual Plank Assemblies are joined together.

3. The Dual Plank Assembly of claim 1, wherein the other device that is attached to the mechanical connector at the back side of the Dual Plank Assembly is a wind vane.

4. The Dual Plank Assembly of claim 1, wherein the other device that is attached to the mechanical connector at the back side of the Dual Plank Assembly is a current vane.

5. The Dual Plank Assembly of claim 1, wherein a strobe light is attached to the assembly using mechanical fastening means.

6. The Dual Plank Assembly of claim 1, wherein the other device that is attached to a mechanical connector at the back side of the Dual Plank Assembly is an elongated hook or other connection mechanism enabling the Dual Plank Assembly to be used with a conventional boom.

7. The Dual Plank Assembly of claim 1, wherein the other device that is attached to the mechanical connector at the back side of the Dual Plank Assembly is any combination of the current vane, the wind vane and the strobe light on one pole.

8. A Dual Pole Assembly comprising:

a pair of sealed poles wherein the sealed poles may be filled with a buoyant material, and each one of the sealed poles has a proximal end and a distal end, and

a pair of mechanical connectors at each end of the pair of sealed poles wherein the pair of sealed poles are connected at the proximal ends with a plurality of mechanical connectors, and

a pair of structure positioning magnets are attached to the mechanical connector at the distal ends of the sealed poles with the connection between the distal sealed pole end and the structure positioning magnet made with a mechanical connector so that the Dual Pole Assembly can be magnetically attached to an aquatic structure where the magnets are positioned at the water line of the aquatic structure where the sealed poles are in a variably open position to act as a standoff for the conventional boom.

9. The Dual Pole Assembly of claim 8, wherein a wind vane is mechanically attached to the mechanical connector at the proximate sealed pole ends.

10. The Dual Pole Assembly of claim 8, wherein a current vane is mechanically attached to the mechanical connector at the proximal sealed pole ends.

11. The Dual Pole Assembly of claim 8, wherein a strobe light is mechanically attached to the mechanical connector at the proximal sealed pole ends.

12. The Dual Pole Assembly of claim 8, wherein an elongated hook or other mechanical connector is mechanically attached to the mechanical connector at the distal sealed pole ends so that the Dual Pole Assembly can be attached to the conventional boom.

13. The Dual Pole Assembly of claim 8, wherein the other device that is attached to the mechanical connector at the proximal sealed pole ends is any combination of the current vane, the wind vane and the strobe light on one pole.