Oil skimmer assembly and system

Abstract

An oil skimmer system including a vacuum truck having a pump with a vacuum hose attached at one end to the pump intake port to create a suction at the opposite or intake end of the vacuum hose to which a suction tube is operatively attached at its discharge end, and mounted on an articulating and extendable arm of a backhoe an oil skimmer assembly comprising (a) a skimmer plate having an upper flat surface, (b) a debris guard vertically mounted about the suction tube intake end, (c) the suction tube affixed by one or more struts to extend perpendicularly above the plate upper surface with the suction tube intake end positioned near the plate upper surface, and (d) a connecting adaptor affixed to the suction tube and configured to fixedly attach the oil skimmer assembly to the backhoe arm to enable positioning the oil skimmer assembly into the oil containing surface area of a body of water.

What I claim is: 
     
         1 . A fluid skimmer system for use in separating and capturing fluids from the surface area of a body of mixed fluid and water, comprising:
 a. a vacuuming assembly comprising:
 i. a pump having an intake port and a discharge port, and 
 ii. a vacuum hose having a intake end and a discharge end, the vacuum hose discharge end operatively connected to the pump intake port; 
   b. a fluid skimmer assembly comprising:
 i. a skimmer plate having a flat upper surface, and 
 ii. a suction tube having an intake end affixed in operative position above the skimmer plate and a discharge end; 
   c. a mobile skimmer plate maneuvering assembly comprising:
 i. a power source and 
 ii. an articulating and extendable extension member operative connected to the power source to enable the extension member to articulate and telescope; the extension member operative attachable to the oil skimmer assembly to enable movement of the fluid skimmer assembly to a desired position to position the plate flat upper surface in or below the mixed fluid and water surface area, wherein activation of the pump creates sufficient vacuum at the suction tube intake end to cause mixed fluid and water to flow over the plate flat upper surface toward the suction tube intake end whereby at least some of the fluid is separated from the water and flows into the suction tube and through the vacuum hose to the pump where the fluid is exited through the pump discharge port. 
   
     
     
         2 . The fluid skimmer system according to  claim 1 , wherein the vacuuming assembly is a vacuum truck. 
     
     
         3 . The fluid skimmer system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 a. the mobile skimmer plate maneuvering assembly is a backhoe having a hydraulic driven articulating and extendable arm provided with an accessory attachment member, and   b. a connecting adaptor is constructed to be affixed to the accessory attachment member and to the suction tube.   
     
     
         4 . The oil skimmer system according to  claim 1 , wherein the mobile skimmer plate maneuvering assembly is a backhoe and wherein one or more vacuum hose support guides having an opening sized to permit the vacuum hose to pass though, the vacuum hose support guides affixed to the backhoe at positions for preventing constriction of the vacuum hose during movement of the backhoe and the articulating and extendable arm. 
     
     
         5 . The fluid skimmer system according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluid skimmer assembly further comprising a debris guard affixed to the skimmer plate and positioned surrounding the suction tube intake end to inhibit debris from being vacuumed into the suction nozzle intake end. 
     
     
         6 . The fluid skimmer system according to  claim 5 , wherein the debris guard comprises:
 a. a top rail having support legs affixed to the plate, and   b. fence members extending downward from the top rail a sufficient distance to permit the fluid to pass under the fence members and over the skimmer plate upper surface and to inhibit debris from passing through the fence members.   
     
     
         7 . The fluid skimmer system according to  claim 6 , wherein the debris guard further comprises a grate affixed to the top rail and extending over at least a portion of the oil skimmer plate upper surface, 
     
     
         8 . The fluid skimmer system according to  claim 4 . further comprising a surveillance assembly, the surveillance assembly comprising:
 a. a video camera attached to the mounting adapter at a position to be directed to the excavation site,   b. a video transmitter operatively attached to the video camera to receive and transmit images from the video camera; and   c. a monitor located inside the operator cab, positioned to be visible to an operator in the operator cab, and operatively connected to the video transmitter to receive and display the transmitted images from the video camera.   
     
     
         9 . The fluid skimmer system according to  claim 8 , wherein the surveillance assembly further comprises:
 a. a second video camera mounted to the backhoe at a position to be directed to the area located behind the backhoe;   b. a second video transmitter operatively attached to the second video camera to receive and transmit images from the second video camera; and   c. a second monitor located inside the operator cab, positioned to be visible to an operator in the operator cab, and operatively connected to the second video transmitter to receive and display the transmitted images from the second video camera.   
     
     
         10 . A fluid skimmer system comprising:
 a. a vacuum truck having
 i. an operatively connected pump provided with an intake opening and a discharge opening, 
 ii. a vacuum hose attached at one end to the intake opening of the pump, the hose having an intake opening at its opposite end, and 
 iii. a receiving tank operatively connected to the discharge opening of the pump, the pump creating a vacuum at the hose intake opening; 
   b. a backhoe having an articulating and extendable arm provided with an accessory attachment member; and   c. a fluid skimmer assembly comprising:
 i. a skimmer plate having an upper flat surface, 
 ii. a suction tube affixed to the skimmer plate by one or more struts to extend perpendicularly above the skimmer plate upper surface, the suction tube having an intake end and a discharge end, the suction tube discharge end operatively attached to the hose intake end, 
 iii. a debris guard affixed to the skimmer plate upper surface and positioned about the suction tube intake end to inhibit unwanted objects from being vacuumed into the suction tube intake end; and 
   d. a connecting adaptor affixed to the suction tube and constructed for attachment to the backhoe arm accessory attachment member.   
     
     
         11 . The fluid skimmer system of  claim 10  wherein one or more hose support guides having an opening sized to permit the vacuum hose to pass though and affixed to the backhoe at positions for preventing constriction of the vacuum hose during movement of the backhoe and the articulating and extendable arm. 
     
     
         12 . A fluid skimmer assembly for use in skimming fluids from the surface area of a body of mixed fluids and water, comprising:
 a. a skimmer plate having a flat upper surface;   b. a suction tube having a discharge end and an intake end affixed to and in operative position above the skimmer plate; and   c. a debris guard comprising:
 i. a top rail having support legs affixed to the plate, and 
 ii. fence members affixed to and extending downward from the top rail a predetermined distance to permit the fluids to pass under the fence members and over the skimmer plate upper surface and to inhibit debris from flowing to the suction tube intake end. 
   
     
     
         13 . The fluid skimmer assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the suction tube intake end is positioned a predetermined distance above the plate upper surface to suction fluids passing underneath suction tube intake end into the suction tube when a predetermined minimum vacuum pressure is created at the suction tube discharge end. 
     
     
         14 . The fluid skimmer assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the debris guard further comprises a grate affixed to the top rail and extending over at least a portion of the fluid skimmer plate upper surface.