Combination clarifier and digester

Claim 1

IN A COMBINATION CLARIFIER AND DIGESTER, A SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR TANK HAVING A VERTICAL CYLINDRICAL WALL AND AN APPROXIMATELY HORIZONTAL BOTTOM WALL, AN ANNULAR SKIRT DEPENDING WITHIN THE TANK IN SPACED RELATION TO THE CYLINDRICAL WALL THEREOF, SAID SKIRT DEPENDING WITHIN THE TANK FOR LESS THAN ONE-HALF THE VERTICAL HEIGHT OF THE TANK AND DIVIDING ITS TOP PORTION OF THE TANK INTO A PERIPHERAL RACE EXTENDING AROUND THE SKIRT AND INTO A CENTRALLY DISPOSED CLARIFYING CHAMBER WITHIN THE SKIRT, AN INLET CONDUIT SUPPLYING INCOMING LIQUID TO THE PERIPHERAL RACE, A LAUNDER POSITIONED WITHIN THE CLARIFYING CHAMBER FOR DECANTING CLEAR LIQUID, AN OUTLET IN THE CYLINDRICAL WALL OF THE TANK ANGULARLY SPACED FROM THE INLET CONDUIT FOR DISCHARGING THE SUM AND FLOATING MATTER REMOVED FROM THE LIQUID IN THE PERIPHERAL RACE, A CONESHAPED MEMBER POSITIONED WITHIN THE TANK IN THE TOP PORTION THEREOF SUBSTANTIALLY CONCENTRICALLY WITHIN THE DEPENDING SKIRT, SAID DEPENDING SKIRT TERMINATING A SHORT DISTANCE ABOVE THE SLOPING EXTERIOR WALL OF THE CONESHAPED MEMBER TO PROVIDE AN ANNULAR ENTRANCE OPENING TO THE CLARIFYING CHAMBER, MEANS PROVIDED BY THE CYLINDRICAL WALL OF THE TANK FOR SUPPORTING THE CONE-SHAPED MEMBER IN SPACED RELATION WITH SAID CYLINDRICAL WALL, WHEREBY THE CONE-SHAPED MEMBER PARTITIONS THE TANK INTO A CLARIFYING COMPARTMENT ABOVE THE MEMBER AND A DIGESTION COMPARTMENT BELOW THE MEMBER, AND WHEREBY THE SPACED RELATION OF THE MEMBER WITH THE CYLINDRICAL WALL OF THE TANK PROVIDES AN ANNULAR ENTRANCE OPENING TO THE DIGESTION COMPARTMENT, SAID CONE-SHAPED MEMBER HAVING A STACK OPENING AT ITS APEX LOCATED ABOVE THE LIQUID LEVEL, AND A RECIRCULATING PIPE FOR THE DIGESTION COMPARTMENT HAVING CONNECTION AT ITS INLET END WITH THE DIGESTION COMPARTMENT APPROXIMATELY CENTRALLY OF THE HEIGHT THEREOF AND HAVING ITS DISCHARGE END LOCATED OVER THE STACK OPENING FOR DISCHARGE INTO SAID OPENING.