Aerating device

Claim 1

IN AN AERATING DEVICE OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED HAVING A TUBULAR CASING WITH A LIQUID INLET AT ITS UPPER END, MEANS WITHIN SAID CASING PROVIDING A FLUID OUTLET AT THE LOWER END OF SAID CASING WHICH IS SPACED INWARDLY FROM SAID CASING TO DEFINE THEREBETWEEN AN AIR INLET PASSAGE HAVING AN OPENING AT THE BOTTOM AXIAL END OF THE DEVICE, AND MEANS WITHIN SAID CASING FOR INTIMATELY MIXING A FLOW OF LIQUID FROM SAID LIQUID INLET WITH AIR FROM SAID AIR INLET PASSAGE TO PROVIDE AN EFFLUENT AERATED STREAM FROM SAID FLUID OUTLET; THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING AN ANNULAR DEFLECTING FLANGE PORTION SURROUNDING THE LOWER END OF SAID CASING, SAID FLANGE PORTION HAVING A STRAIGHT ANGULAR UPPER SURFACE SLOPING DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY FROM SAID CASING AND A FLAT LOWER AXIAL END SURFACE, SAID SURFACES SUBSTANTIALLY MERGING TO DEFINE AN ABRUPT OUTERMOST PERIPHERAL EDGE ON SAID FLANGE PORTION WHEREBY FLUID DROPLETS FLOWING DOWNWARDLY ALONG THE EXTERIOR OF SAID CASING ARE DEFLECTED BY SAID FLANGE PORTION AWAY FROM SAID AIR INLET, AND AT LEAST THE BOTTOM OPENING OF SAID AIR INLET PASSAGE BEING ENLARGED SUFFICIENTLY TO MAINTAIN THE INLET AIR VELOCITY LOW ENOUGH TO PREVENT THE DEFLECTED DROPLETS FROM BEING DRAWN INTO SAID AIR INLET PASSAGE.