Treatment of sewage by biochemical action

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR TREATING SEWAGE OR OTHER LIQUID CONTAINING ORGANIC WASTE MATERIAL, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A TREATING TANK TO WHICH A STEADY STREAM OF LIQUID AND DISSOLVED OXYGEN IS SUPPLIED FOR GRADUAL UPWARD FLOW IN SAID TANK, AN INFLUENT PIPE OPENING INTO THE LOWER END OF THE TANK, AN OXYGENATION UNIT CONNECTD TO THE UPSTREAM END OF THE INFLUENT PIPE, SAID OXYGENATION UNIT HAVING A PASSAGE THAT CONDUCTS LIQUID TO THE TANK FROM AN ORIGINAL SUPPLY SOURCE OUTSIDE OF THE TANK, SAID PASSAGE HAVING A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING RUN FOR THE FLOW OF A SOLID STREAM OF THE LIQUID TOWARD THE INFLUENT PIPE, AN OXYGEN DIFFUSER LOCATED IN THE LOWER PORTION OF THE DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING RUN, AND ALLARATUS FOR CAUSING FLOW OF OXYGEN THROUGH THE DIFFUSER INTO THE LIQUID STREAM IN BUBBLES, THE OXYGEN-DISCHARGE OPENINGS IN THE DIFFUSER BEING CORRELATED WITH THE LIQUID VELOCITY AND PRESSURE, AND BEING LARGE ENOUGH TO PRODUCE BUBBLES MOST OF WHICH ARE OF SUFFICIENT SIZE TO HAVE A BUOYANCY THAT OVERCOMES THE DOWNWARD VELOCITY OF THE LIQUID TOWARD THE DIFFUSER.