Aerating water treatment apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING GAS FROM WATER COMPRISING: (A) AN UPRIGHT VESSEL HAVING A CLOSED BOTTOM, AN INLET NEAR ITS BOTTOM AND AN OUTLET SPACED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE ABOVE THE INLET; (B) A BED OF GRANULAR MATERIAL IN THE VESSEL EXTENDING UPWARDLY A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE FROM THE INLET, SO THAT WATER FLOWING UPWARDLY THROUGH THE VESSEL FROM THE INLET TO THE OUTLET MUST PASS THROUGH SAID BED TO BE AGITATED THEREBY; (C) AN OPEN-TOPPED RETENTION TANK HAVING AND OUTLET NEAR ITS BOTTOM BUT SPACED THEREABOVE, SAID RETENTION TANK BEING ADPATED TO HOLD A QUANTITY OF WATER WHICH MAY BE WITHDRAWN THROUGH SAID OUTLET AND BENG SO LOCATED BENEATH THE VESSEL OUTLET THAT WATER ISSUING FROM THE VESSEL OUTLET CAN CASCADE INTO THE RETENTION TANK; (D) A HOOD COVERING THE UPPER PORTION OF THE VESSEL IN SPACED RELATION THERETO AND ENCOMPASSNG THE VESSEL OUTLET FOR COLLECTING GAS RELASED FROM CASCADING WATER, SAID HOOD HAVING A SIDE WALL WHICH EXTENDS DOWN INTO THE RETENTION TANK TO BE IMMERSED IN WATER THEREIN TO COOPERATE WITH THE WATER IN PROVIDING A SEAL FOR THE HOOD; AND (E) MEANS FOR DRAWING GAS FROM UNDER THE HOOD TO CREATE A SUBATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE THEREBENEATH.