Wet sedimentation apparatus

Claim 1

A SELF-CONTAINED SEDIMENTATION UNIT ADAPTED FOR SUBSTANTIALLY FACE-TO-FACE PLACEMENT WITH OTHER LIKE UNITS IN A WET SEDIMENTATION TANK, COMPRISING AN ELONGATE, LONGITUDINALLY RECTILINEAR BOX HAVING IMPERFORATED WALLS, CLOSED TOP, AND OPEN BOTTOM, SAID BOTTOM BEING OF STEPPED FORMATION DEFINING SEPARATE BOTTOM INFLOW AND OUTFLOW OPENINGS EXTERIORLY OF THE UNIT, SAID OPENINGS FACING IN THE SAME DIRECTION BUT BEING OFFSET RELATIVE TO AND SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE BOX BY AN INTERMEDIATE BUT EXTERIOR WALL, SO AS TO PRODUCE SUBSTANTIALLY LAMINAR INFLOW OF LIQUID TO BE CLARIFIED AND SUBSTANTIALLY LAMINAR OUTFLOW OF SETTLED SOLIDS; DISCHARGE CONDUIT MEANS FOR CLARIFIED LIQUID LEADING FROM THE UPPER PART OF THE BOX, SAID CONDUIT MEANS HAVING MEANS TO FORM A SIPHON WHEN THE UNIT IS INSTALLED IN SAID SEDIMENTATION TANK; AND MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID UNIT IN INCLINED POSITION WITHIN THE SEDIMENTATION TANK, WITH THE BOTTOM INFLOW OPENING ABOVE THE BOTTOM OUTFLOW OPENING.