Apparatus for settling solid-containing liquids

Claim 1

A SLUDGE TANK FOR TREATING SEWAGE AND THE LIKE TO WHICH A FLOCCULATION AGENT HAS BEEN ADDED, COMPRISING AN ELONGATED VERTICAL CYLINDRICAL TANK HAVING A CONICAL BOTTOM WALL SAIDTANK PROVIDED AT ITS UPPER END WITH AN ENLARGED CYLINDRICAL PORTION CONNECTED THERETO BY A DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY EXTENDING CONICAL WALL PORTION, A PAIR OF DISCHARGE CONES MOUNTED IN VERTICALLY SPACED RELATION IN SAID LAST NAMED WALL PORTION, A CYLINDRICAL MEMBER EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY INTO SAID CYLINDRICAL TANK HAVING AN UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY FLARED WALL PORTION DISPOSED BENEATH THE LOWERMOST DISCHARGE CONE TO DIRECT SEWAGE DOWNWARDLY TOWARD THE LOWERCONICAL BOTTOM WALL OF SAID TANK AND ALLOW THE LIQUID COMPONENT TO FLOW UPWARDLY TOWARD SAID ENLARGED CYLINDRICAL PORTION, A PAIR OF FRUSTO-CONICAL MEMBERS ARRANGED IN INVERTED RELATION AND SPACED FROM SAID PAIR OF DISCHARGE CONES MOUNTED IN SAID ENLARGED CYLINDRICAL PORTION TO PROVIDE A SERIES OF ALTERNATELY ARRANGED UPRIGHT AND INVERTED CONICAL COLLECTION SURFACES TO COLLECT SOLID PARTICLES FROM SAID LIQUID COMPONENT, A SUPPLY PIPE CONNECTED TO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID DISCHARGE CONES, AND A LIQUID COLLECTION TROUGH MOUNTED WITHIN THE UPPER EMLARGED CYLINDRICAL PORTION.