Clarifying apparatus and process

Claim 1

A METHOD OF CLARIFYING TURBID LIQUIDS BY FLOTATION AND SEDIMENTATION, COMPRISING INTRODUCING LIQUID CHARGED WITH GAS AT A PRESSURE PERMITTING GAS TO COME OUT OF SOLUTION INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF, AND UPWARDLY THROUGH, A PRIMARY FLOTATION ZONE WHEREIN GAS BUBBLES ATTACH THEMSELVES TO SOLID PARTICLES IN THE LIQUID, THEN FLOWING THE LIQUID AND GAS INTO A QUIESCENT SECONDARY FLOTATING ZONE WHEREIN FLOATABLE PARTICLES ARE FLOATED BY THE GAS BUBBLES TO THE LIQUID SURFACE AND SETTLEABLE PARTICLES DEPOSIT, REMORVING THE FLOATING AND DEPOSITED PARTICLES FROM SAID SECONDARY ZONE, WITHDRAWING CLARIFIED LIQUID FROM SAID SECONDARY ZONE, AND RECIRCULATING A PORTION OF LIQUID CONTAINING SOLIDS WHICH NEITHER DEPOSIT NOR ARE FLOATED TO THE LIQUID SURFACE FROM SAID SECONDARY ZONE TO SAID PRIMARY ZONE FOR REPASSAGE THERETHROUGH WITH THE NEWLY ENTERING GAS-CHARGED LIQUID TO IMPROVE THE CHARCTERISTICS OF SAID SOLIDS AND MAKE THEM SUITABLE FOR FLOTATING OR SEDIMENTATION.