Water treatment in municipal and industrial water systems

Claim 1

IN A WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM FOR MUNICIPAL AND INDUSTRIAL WATER SUPPLIES WHICH A FLOCCULATING PRECIPITANT IS ADDED TO THE WATER TO BE TREATED IN ORDER TO COAGULATE AND FORM A FLOCCULANT PRECIPITATE THEREIN FOR REMOVING IMPURITIES THEREFROM BY SETTLING, THE IMPROVEMENT FOR ENHANCING COALGULATION AND FLOCCULATION OF SAID PRECIPITATE PERIOD TO SETTLING THEREOF WHICH COMPRISES IN COMBINATION A FLOCCULATION BASIN FOR HOLDING SAID WATER FOR THE COAGULATION AND FORMATION OF SAID FLOCCULANT PRECIPITATE THEREIN, SAID FLOCCULATION BASIN HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET FOR SAID WATER, AGITATING MEANS IN SAID FLOCCULATING BASIN FOR SLOWLY AGITATING SAID WATER THEREIN TO INCREASE COAGULATION AND FORMATION OF SAID FLOCCULANT PRECIPITATE AND TO PREVENT SETTLING OF SAID PRECIPITATE IN SAID FLOCCULATING BASIN, MEANS FOR ADDING SAID FLOCCULATING PRECIPITANT TO SAID WATER PRIOR TO INTRODUCTION INTO SAID FLUCCULATING BASIN, A SETTLING BASIN SUBSEQUENT TO SAID FLOCCULATING BASIN FOR HOLDING SAID WATER SAID FLOCCULANT PRECIPITATE THEREIN SUBSTANTIALLY STILL FOR GRAVITY SETTLING OF SAID PRECIPITATE IN SAID SETTLING BASIN, MEANS FOR CONDUCTING SAID WATER WITH SAID FLOCCULANT PRECIPITATE SUSPENDED THEREIN FROM SAID FLOCCULATING BASIN OUTLET TO SAID SETTLING BASIN, MEANS IN SAID FLOCCULATION BASIN AND ADJACENT SAID OUTLET THEREFROM FOR COLLECTING A SMALL PORTION OF WATER WITH SAID FLOCCULANT PRECIPITATE FULLY FORMED AND FLOCCULATED THEREIN, CONDUCT MEANS FOR LEADING SAID COLLECTED PORTION OF WATER AND PRECIPITATE BACK TO ADJACENT SAID INLET TO SAID FLOCCULATING BASIN FOR ADMIXTURE OF SAID PORTION OF FULLY FLOCCULATED PRECIPATE WITH WATER JUST ENTERING SAID FLOCCULATING BASIN FOR ENCHANCING THE COAGULATION AND FORMULATION OF PRECIPITATE IN SAID ENTERING WATER, AND MEANS FOR INDUCING SAID RETURN FLOW OF SAID SMALL PORTION OF FULLY FLOCCULATED PRECIPITATE FROM ADJACENT SAID OUTLET OF SAID FLOCCULATING BASIN THROUGH SAID CONDIT MEANS AND BACK TO ADJACENT SAID INLET.