Containment Boom

1 . A containment boom for surrounding and collecting floating substances, comprising:

a long section of linear low density polyethylene folded over and heat

sealed to form:

a top sleeve along the length of the long section,

a second sleeve along the length of the long section adjacent to and beneath the top sleeve,

a bottom sleeve, and

a skirt along the length of the long section extending downwardly from the second sleeve to the bottom sleeve,

wherein said second sleeve comprises a plurality of separate watertight pockets defined along its length by vertical seals extending between said top sleeve and said skirt;

first and second rigid connectors extending from the top sleeve to the bottom sleeve at the longitudinal ends of the long section, said connectors adapted to connect adjacent booms together;

cables in the top and bottom sleeves, said cables at one end being secured to said first connector, and said cables at the other end being secured to said second connector;

a plurality of closed cell foam segments, said foam segments being: each tapered to a narrow edge at both longitudinal ends, and disposed in each of said second sleeve pockets.

2 . The containment boom of claim 1 , wherein said foam segment tapers are wedge shaped and oriented with a substantially vertical narrow edge.

3 . The containment boom of claim 1 , wherein said seals are heat sealed.

4 . The containment boom of claim 3 , wherein said seals are heat welded.

5 . The containment boom of claim 1 , wherein the cable in the top sleeve is sheathed in a polyethylene tubing.

6 . The containment boom of claim 1 , wherein the foam segments have a length 10 to 12 times their diameter.

7 . The containment boom of claim 6 , wherein the foam segments are substantially six inches in diameter.

8 . The containment boom of claim 7 , wherein the pockets are longer than the foam segments by a length about equal to the diameter of the foam segments.

9 . A method of making a containment boom for surrounding and collecting floating substances, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a long section of linear low density polyethylene;

(b) placing a bottom cable adjacent one longitudinal side of the long section;

(c) folding one longitudinal side of the long section over the bottom cable and sealing the edge of the longitudinal side to define a bottom sleeve with the bottom cable therein;

(d) placing a longitudinally extending top cable on said long section;

(e) folding the other longitudinal side of the long section over the top cable and sealing an intermediate location to define a top sleeve with the top cable therein;

(f) sealing the edge of the other longitudinal side of the long section to define a third longitudinally extending sleeve adjacent the top sleeve;

(g) sealing across the height of the third sleeve at an intermediate longitudinal location;

(h) from both ends of the third sleeve, pushing a closed cell foam segment into the third sleeve to a location adjacent the intermediate seal;

(i) sealing across the height of the third sleeve behind each foam segment to define watertight pockets in which the foam segments are trapped;

(j) repeating steps (h) and (i) until the third sleeve is substantially fully defined by watertight pockets with foam segments;

(k) securing connectors to the ends of the long section along substantially the entire height from the bottom sleeve to the top sleeve; and

(l) securing the ends of the cables to the connectors.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein said foam segments are each tapered to a narrow edge at both longitudinal ends.