Sedimentation tank having rotatable sediment conveying structure

Claim 1

IN A CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING SEDIMENTATION TANK, HAVING A BOTTOM, THE IMPROVED SEDIMENT CONVEYING APPARATUS WHICH COMPRISES A FRAME STRUCTURE SUPPORTED AT THE TOP OF THE TANK, AND PROVIDING A HORIZONTAL TROUGH HAVING A BOTTOM OPENING FORMED WITH A DOWNWARDLY FACING ANNULAR SHOULDER; A MAIN GEAR MEMBER INCLUDING A TOOTHED RIM PORTION; MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID MAIN GEAR MEMBER FOR ROTATION ON SAID FRAME STRUCTURE WITH THE TOOTHED RIM PORTION OF SAID MAIN GEAR MEMBER OPERATING IN SAID TROUGH; A PINION MEMBER LOCATED IN SAID TROUGH IN DRIVING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID MAIN GEAR, AND HAVING DOWNWARDLY AND UPWARDLY EXTENDING SHAFT PORTIONS; A LOWER COMBINED RADIAL AND VERTICAL THRUST BEARING SURROUNDING THE LOWER SHAFT PORTION OF SAID PINION MEMBER AND COMPRISING AN OUTER RACE SEATED ON THE SHOULDER IN SAID BOTTOM OPENING, AND AN INNER RACE MOUNTED ON SAID LOWER SHAFT PORTION OF THE PINION MEMBER, WITH ANTIFRICTION BEARING ELEMENTS EFFECTIVE BETWEEN SAID RACES, AND RETAINER MEANS FOR SAID INNER RACE DETACHABLY MOUNTED UPON THE LOWER END OF SAID PINION MEMBER, SAID LOWER BEARING BEING ARRANGED FOR TRANSMITTING VERTICAL THRUST FROM SAID RETAINER MEANS UPWARDLY TO SAID SHOULDER; A DETACHABLE COVER MEMBER CLOSING SAID OPENING FROM BELOW; A COAXIAL GEAR MEMBER MOUNTED UPON THE UPPER SHAFT PORTION OF SAID PINION MEMBER IN TORQUE TRANSMITTING RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH ALTHOUGH AXIALLY MOVABLE THEREON TO A LIMITED DEGREE; A HOUSING STRUCTURE SURROUNDING SAID COAXIAL GEAR MEMBER AND MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME STRUCTURE, AND FORMED WITH AN ANNULAR GROOVE SURROUNDING SAID UPPER SHAFT PORTION UNDERNEATH SAID COAXIAL GEAR MEMBER; DRIVE MEANS IN DRIVING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID COAXIAL GEAR MEMBER; AN UPPER COMBINED RADIAL AND AXIAL THRUST BEARING SURROUNDING THE UPPER SHAFT PORTION OF SAID PORTION MEMBER AND LOCATED IN SAID ANNULAR GROOVE, AND COMPRISING A INNER RACE AND AN OUTER RACE WITH ANTIFRICTION BEARING ELEMENTS EFFECTIVE BETWEEN SAID RACES, ONE OF SAID RACES BEING MOUNTED ON SAID COAXIAL GEAR MEMBER, THE OTHER OF SAID RACES BEING MOUNTED ON AN ADJACENT PORTION OF SAID HOUSING STRUCTURE, SAID UPPER BEARING BEING ARRANGED FOR TRANSMITTING AXIAL THRUST FROM SAID COAXIAL GEAR MEMBER DOWNWARDLY TO THE HOUSING STRUCTURE; ADJUSTABLE MEANS LOCATED AT THE UPPER SIDE OF SAID COAXIAL GEAR IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID UPWARDLY EXTENDING SHAFT PORTION AS WELL AS WITH SAID COAXIAL GEAR FOR AXIALLY POSITIONING AND LOCKING SAID PINION MEMBER AND SAID COAXIAL GEAR MEMBER RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER FOR ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING SAID UPPER AND LOWER BEARINGS IN COOPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER, AS WELL AS TO MAINTAIN OPTIMUM GEAR MESHING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PINION AND THE ASSOCIATED MAIN GEAR; AND A SEDIMENT ENGAGING RAKE STRUCTURE CONNECTED TO SAID MAIN GEAR MEMBER AND EXTENDING CONCENTRICALLY DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM AND EFFECTIVE TO CONVEY SEDIMENT OVER THE TANK BOTTOM WHEN SAID MAIN GEAR MEMBER IS ROTATED BY SAID PINION MEMBER AND ITS ASSOCIATED COAXIAL GEAR MEMBER.