GB1349328A - Submergible floating boom assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

1349328 Floating booms BRIDGESTONE TIRE KK 16 March 1972 [20 March 1971] 12441/72 Heading E1H A floating boom comprises a plurality of elongate wall members 6 arranged to float in an upright position by inflatable tubular members 7, 7' and connected via submersible buoys 2 secured to the sea bed by chains 4 and anchors ), 3', each buoy 2 comprising an inflatable bag within a perforated casing, the. bags and members 7, 7' being linked together and to an air valve 11 whereby the system can be pressurised or depressurised to make the boom float or sink. The valve 11 may be mounted on a buoy 9 connected to one end of the boom by a chain 10. The end buoy 2 remote from air valve 11 may be connected pneumatically to a submerged buoy of similar construction, Fig. 4 (not shown), secured to the chain 4, so that when the boom is depressurised, the submerged buoy acts as a weight to sink that end of the boom first. One end of the boom may abut a vessel T or a dock wall, and in order to keep it in contact therewith, one end buoy 2 Fig. 8 has an eye ring 23 through which a cable 26 from the vessel is passed the cable then being attached to a buoy 24 connected via a flexible hose 25 and a control valve 27 to the end buoy 2. After the cable 26 is secured to buoy 24 the valve 27 is moved to vent the buoy 24 which sinks drawing the cable 26 into a vertical position and thus maintaining the end buoy 2 in close proximity to the vessel T, an insert 6a if necessary closing any remaining gap. The boom may be arranged in a closed loop the two halves of which are independently submersible. In this case the two ends of the boom are connected by a strap 6a, and the members 7 are terminated by end members 7a, 7b connected via suitable valving to a pressure source S, so that boom portions 1a or 1b may be controlled independently. A tension member 28 holds the boom in place. At the mid-point of the boom diametrically opposite the strap 6a, a weight (32) Fig. 12 (not shown) is connected to the boom by inflatable tubes (33) which communicate with members 7, the weight (32) and tubes (33) acting as variable ballasting means. In another embodiment of boom, Fig. 13 (not shown) the buoys 2 are replaced by tubular members (2a) extending along the boom, connected to, and of a greater diameter than, the members 7, the free end of the boom being weighted by a weight (32) and tubes (33) as described above.