Fluid handling device

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR AERATING A LARGE BODY OF WATER BY DRIVING A SHAFT OF WATER WITH AIR ENTRAINED THEREIN THROUGH SAID LARGE BODY OF WATER, COMPRISING AN IMPELLER HAVING A PLURALITY OF RADIALLY EXTENDING BLADES ARCUATELY SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID DEVICE IN A FIXED POSITION IN A LARGE BODY OF WATER, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID IMPELLER IN A GIVEN DIRECTION, EACH BLADE FURTHER HAVING A DOWNSTREAM DRIVING SURFACE WITH A MAJOR PORTION FORMING AN ANGLE WITH A PLANE NORMAL TO THE AXIS OF THE IMPELLER AND THE TRAILING EDGE BEING DISPOSED FURTHER DOWNSTREAM THAN THE LEADING EDGE, SAID DRIVING SURFACE OF EACH BLADE AT THE TRAILINGEDGE OF THE BLADE FURTHER HAVING AT THE OUTER EXTREMITY OF THE BLADE AND FOR ONLY A SHORT DISTANCE IN RADIALLY FROM THE RADIAL EXTREMITY OF THE BLADE A RELATIVELY SMALL INTEGRAL TIP PORTION DEFLECTED FURTHER DOWNSTREAM AT AN OBTASE ANGLE TO SAID MAJOR PORTION AND WITH THE SURFACE OF THE TIP PORTION MEETING THE SURFACE OF THE MAJOR PORTION ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY A LINE FORMING A SUBSTANTIAL ANGLE WITH AN INTERSECTING RADIUS, SAID FURTHER DEFLECTED TIP PORTION EXERTING GREATER THRUST ON THE WATER THAN IS EXERTED BY THE REMAINDER OF THE BLADE AND THEREBY DIRECTING WATER DRIVEN BY SAID IMPELLER IN A COHERENT SHAFT FREE OF MECHANICAL RESTRAINT WITH A MINIMUM OF LATERAL DISPERSION UNTIL SUCH SHAFT OF WATER SLOWS DOWN MARKEDLY, SAID DEVICE HAVING MEANS FOR INTRODUCING AIR INTO THE WATER IMMEDIATELY UPSTREAM OF SAID BLADES IN AN AREA TENDING TOWARD CAVITATION WHEREBY SAID AIR IS INTRODUCED INTO THE SHAFT OF WATER AND IS THEREBY DISPERSED IN SAID LARGE BODY OF WATER OVER A LARGE AREA.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR AERATING A LARGE BODY OF WATER BY DRIVING A SHAFT OF WATER WITH AIR ENTRAINED THEREIN THROUGH SAID LARGE BODY OF WATER, COMPRISING AN IMPELLER HAVING A PLURALITY OF RADIALLY EXTENDING BLADES ARCUATELY SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID DEVICE IN A FIXED POSITION IN A LARGE BODY OF WATER, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID IMPELLER IN A GIVEN DIRECTION, EACH BLADE FURTHER HAVING A DOWNSTREAM DRIVING SURFACE WITH A MAJOR PORTION FORMING AN ANGLE WITH A PLANE NORMAL TO THE AXIS OF THE IMPELLER AND THE TRAILING EDGE BEING DISPOSED FURTHER DOWNSTREAM THAN THE LEADING EDGE, SAID DRIVING SURFACE OF EACH BLADE AT THE TRAILINGEDGE OF THE BLADE FURTHER HAVING AT THE OUTER EXTREMITY OF THE BLADE AND FOR ONLY A SHORT DISTANCE IN RADIALLY FROM THE RADIAL EXTREMITY OF THE BLADE A RELATIVELY SMALL INTEGRAL TIP PORTION DEFLECTED FURTHER DOWNSTREAM AT AN OBTASE ANGLE TO SAID MAJOR PORTION AND WITH THE SURFACE OF THE TIP PORTION MEETING THE SURFACE OF THE MAJOR PORTION ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY A LINE FORMING A SUBSTANTIAL ANGLE WITH AN INTERSECTING RADIUS, SAID FURTHER DEFLECTED TIP PORTION EXERTING GREATER THRUST ON THE WATER THAN IS EXERTED BY THE REMAINDER OF THE BLADE AND THEREBY DIRECTING WATER DRIVEN BY SAID IMPELLER IN A COHERENT SHAFT FREE OF MECHANICAL RESTRAINT WITH A MINIMUM OF LATERAL DISPERSION UNTIL SUCH SHAFT OF WATER SLOWS DOWN MARKEDLY, SAID DEVICE HAVING MEANS FOR INTRODUCING AIR INTO THE WATER IMMEDIATELY UPSTREAM OF SAID BLADES IN AN AREA TENDING TOWARD CAVITATION WHEREBY SAID AIR IS INTRODUCED INTO THE SHAFT OF WATER AND IS THEREBY DISPERSED IN SAID LARGE BODY OF WATER OVER A LARGE AREA.