Ring-type gas dome for anaerobic digesters

Claim 1

AN ANAEROBIC SLUDGE DISGESTER FOR THE FERMENTATION OF WASTE MATTER BY A MICRO-BIOLOCICAL PROCESS COMPRISING A CIRCULAR TANK, A COVER FOR SAID TANK, A RING-TYPE GAS DOME DISPOSED CENTRALLY OF SAID COVER, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING SLUDGE INTO SAID TANK, MEANS FOR DISCHARGING DIGESTED SLUDGE AND NON-DIGESTIBLE GRIT FROM SAID TANK, SAID RING-TYPE GAS DOME INCLUDING GENERALLY CONCENTRIC TUBULAR MEMBERS FORMING AN ANNULAR CHAMBER INTO WHICH SLUDGE GASES ARE DIRECTED, MEANS WITHIN SAID CHAMBER FOR REMOVING MOISTURE FROM THE GASES THEREIN, A PLURALITY OF TRUSSES EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS TO A POSITION ADJACENT TO THE INNER PERIPHERY OF SAID TANK, A CEILING PLATE CARRIED BY SAID TRUSSES, A RIM PLATE DISPOSED ABOUT THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID CEILING PLATE DISPOSED ING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID COVER ADAPTED TO FLOAT ON THE LIQUID WITHIN SAID TANK AND PERMIT THE LIQUID LEVEL TO VARY AND ACCOMMODATE UNEQUAL RATES OF LIQUID ADDITION AND WITHDRAWAL, AS WELL AS ACCOMMODATE EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION OF THE TANK CONTENTS, A REMOVABLE DOWNWARDLY DEPENDING SKIRT CARRIED BY SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS FOR DIRECTING GASES INTO SAID CHAMBER, MEANS FOR REMOVING THE SLUDGE GASES FROM BETWEEN SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS, AND MEANS WHEREBY NON-DIGESTIBLE GRIT CAN BE REMOVED THROUGH SAID GAS DOME FROM THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID TANK AND FLOATING NON-DIGESTIBLE MATTER MAY BE REMOVED THROUGH SAID DOME FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID TANK WITHOUT INTERFERING WITH THE OPERATION OF THE DIGESTER.