Apparatus for partially dehydrating and cleansing oily wood preservatives

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING AND PARTIALLY DEHYDRATING USED, OILY WOOD PRESERVATIVE HAVING A SPECIFIC GRAVITY GREATER THAN 1, COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULRA SETTLING TANK OF VERY LARGE HORIZONTAL AREA COMPARED WITH ITS CAPACITY AND HAVING VERTICAL PARTITIONS PROVIDING A CONTINUOUS, ZIG-ZAG CHANNEL SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR IN CROSS SECTION THEREIN ADAPTED TO BE FILLED TO A DEPTH OF AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT FIVE FEET, WITH A MIXTURE OF WATER AND OILY PRESERVATIVE; A CATCH BASIN COMMUNICATING WITH THE OUTLET END OF THE CHANNEL INTO WHICH THE SEPARATED WASH WATER AND SETTLED OUT PRESERVATIVE ARE DISCHARGED; A SPRAY HEAD CONNECTED TO THE INLET END OF THE CHANNEL NEAR ITS BOTTOM AND SUBMERGED ON THE MIXTURE TO DELIVER IT IN THE FORM OF SPRAY INTO THE CHANNEL; A DRAIN CONDUIT FOR THE WASH WATER CONNECTED TO THE CATCH BASIN AT THE UPPER LEVEL OF THE MIXTURE; AND A DISCHARGE CONDUIT CONNECTED TO THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE CATCH BASIN THROUGH WHICH THE SETTLED OUT OILY PRESERVATIVE IS REMOVED.