An oil skimmer for removing oil floating on surfaces of bodies of water. The
oil
skimmer includes a support frame, respective drive pulley and guide pulleys rotatably
mounted to the support frame on respective shafts, and a drive train which rotatively
drives the drive pulley and guide pulleys. A skimmer hose in the form of a loop
to which oil adhere floats on the body of water and is driven by the drive pulley
through the guide pulley onto and off the surface of the body of water carrying
adhered oil. A skimmer hose scraper disposed between the drive and guide pulleys
removes the oil from the skimmer hose into a collection receptacle. The drive and
guide pulleys comprise replaceable, quick changing inner and outer pulley halves
that sandwich respective central hubs therebetween to space the pulley halves to
fit skimmer hoses of different cross-sectional sizes. The central hubs with attached
drive and guide pulley halves are affixed to the drive shafts using a quick release
nut which threads to the shafts. A movable safety housing includes a safety system
of horizontal and vertical drive pulley safety blocks affixed thereto which press
the skimmer hose into frictional engagement with the drive pulley when assembled
in an operative position and releases the skimmer hose when in an inoperative position
to stop the skimmer hose. The skimmer hose scraper is adjustable to compensate
for varying positioning of the skimmer hose.