Method of securing elongated objects to a floating cover

Abstract

A method of securing elongated objects, such as weights or floats to a floating cover. A first step involves providing a sheet form substrate. A second step involves forming elongated retention pockets on the substrate. A third step involves inserting elongated objects into the elongated retention pockets. This method allows thinner lower cost substrates to be used, while still facilitating secure attachment of weights or floats.

1 . A method of securing elongated objects to a floating cover, comprising:
 providing at least one sheet form substrate;   forming elongated retention pockets on the substrate; and   inserting elongated objects into the elongated retention pockets.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , the elongated objects being at least one of elongated weights or elongated floats. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , the elongated weights being hollow weight tubes. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , including a step of forming the elongated retention pockets by bonding a leading edge of a trailing substrate to a trailing edge of a leading substrate in overlapping relation with two parallel spaced bonded seams which extend toward opposed side edges of the respective leading substrate and the trailing substrate to form one of the elongated retention pockets between the bonded seams 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , including a step of forming the elongated retention pockets by bonding a strip of material in overlapping relation to the substrate with two parallel spaced bonded seams to form one of the elongated retention pockets between the bonded seams. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 3 , including a step of inserting the weight tubes into the elongated retention pockets before the weight tubes are filled with ballast and involving a further step of pumping ballast into each of the weight tubes in situ. 
   
   
       7 . A method of securing elongated objects to a floating cover used for gas collection, comprising:
 (a) providing more than one gas impervious substrate having a leading edge, a trailing edge and opposed side edges;   (b) forming elongated retention pockets on each substrate by bonding a strip of material which extends between the opposed side edges in overlapping relation to the substrate with two parallel spaced bonded seams which extend between the opposed side edges to form one of the elongated retention pockets between the bonded seams;   (c) bonding the leading edge of a trailing substrate to the trailing edge of a leading substrate until a floating cover of a desired length has been formed;   (d) inserting at least one of elongated weights or elongated floats into the elongated retention pockets.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , involving inserting empty weight tubes into the elongated retention pockets during step (d); and
 (e) pumping ballast into each of the weight tubes in situ.   
   
   
       9 . A method of securing elongated objects to a floating cover used for gas collection, comprising:
 (a) providing more than one gas impervious substrate having a leading edge, a trailing edge and opposed side edges;   (b) bonding the leading edge of a trailing substrate to the trailing edge of a leading substrate in overlapping relation with two parallel spaced bonded seams which extend between the opposed side edges of the respective leading substrate and trailing substrate to form elongated retention pockets between the bonded seams;   (c) repeating step (b) until a floating cover of a desired length with a desired number of the elongated retention pockets has been formed;   (d) inserting at least one of elongated weights or elongated floats into the elongated retention pockets.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , involving inserting empty weight tubes into the elongated retention pockets during step (d); and
 (e) pumping ballast into each of the weight tubes in situ.   
   
   
       11 . A floating cover, comprising:
 a substrate having opposed side edges with continuous open ended elongated retention pockets extending between the opposed side edges.   
   
   
       12 . The floating cover of  claim 11 , wherein a leading edge of a trailing substrate is bonded to a trailing edge of a leading substrate in overlapping relation with two parallel spaced bonded seams which extend between the opposed side edges of the respective leading substrate and trailing substrate to form one of the elongated retention pockets between the bonded seams. 
   
   
       13 . The floating cover of  claim 11 , wherein strips of material extend between the opposed side edges of the substrate in overlapping relation, each strip of material being bonded to the substrate with two parallel spaced bonded seams which extend between the opposed side edges to form one of the elongated retention pockets between the bonded seams.