Apparatus for treatment of sewage

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR REDUCING THE BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND OF LIQUID WASTE PRODUCTS COMPRISING A WASTE RECEIVING CONTAINER SUBDIVIDED INTO AT LEAST TWO SIDE-BY-SIDE CHAMBERS OPEN AT THE UPPER ENDS, MEANS FOR FLOWING WASTE PRODUCTS INTO ONE OF SAID CHAMBERS, A TRANSFER PASSAGEWAY BETWEEN SAID CHAMBERS OPERABLE TO CAUSE TRANSFER OF LIQUID FROM SAID ONE CHAMBER INTO THE OTHER, A DISCHARGE CONDUIT CONNECTED WITH THE OTHER OF SAID CHAMBERS AND LOCATED TO CAUSE FLOW OF LIQUID FROM SAID SECOND CHAMBER WHEN THE LEVEL THEREIN EXCEEDS A PREDETERMINED VALUE, AN OXYGENATING STRUCTURE DISPOSED CENTRALLY OF SAID CHAMBERS AND HAVING OPPOSITELY EXTENDING PORTIONS OVERLYING AND SPACED ABOVE THE LIQUID LEVEL OF THE RESPECTIVE CHAMBERS, PUMP MEANS IN EACH CHAMBER FOR WITHDRAWING LIQUID FROM THE CHAMBER AND DELIVERING IT TO THE UPPER END OF THE CORRESPONDING OVERLYING PORTION OF SAID OXYGENATING STRUCTURE, LIQUID DIFFUSION MEANS WITHIN EACH PORTION ARRANGED TO DIFFUSE AND RETARD THE DOWNWARD FLOW OF LIQUID IN SAID PORTION BUT PERMITTING THE LIQUID TO REENTER THE CHAMBER AS IT LEAVES THE DIFFUSION MEANS, SAID DIFFUSION MEANS BEING SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER TO PROVIDE AN AIR SPACE THEREBETWEEN AND OPEN ON THE SIDES ADJOINING AND OPPOSITE FROM SAID AIR SPACE WHEREBY TO PROVIDE AIR FLOW PATHS TRANSVERSE TO THE FLOW OF LIQUID THROUGH THE DIFFUSION PATHS TRANSVERSE TO THE FLOW OF LIQUID THROUGH THE DIFFUSION MEANS, AND BLOWER MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID AIR SPACE AND OPERABLE TO DRAW AIR THEREFROM WHEREBY TO CAUSE AIR TO FLOW INWARDLY THROUGH SAID FLOW PATHS IN SAID DIFFUSION MEANS TOWARD SAID AIR SPACE WHEREBY TO INTIMATELY CONTACT THE MOVING AIR WITH SAID DIFFUSED LIQUID.