Separation of foamable impurities from water

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR TREATING WATER CONTAINING A FOAMABLE IMPURITY WHICH COMPRISES A LIQUID-SOLID SEPARATOR COMPRISING A VERTICALLY ELONGATED VESSEL HAVING AN UPPER OUTLET AND AN INLET CONDUIT OPENING INTO THE VESSEL AND DESCENDING FROM THE TOP OF THE VESSEL TO DEFINE A DOWNFLOW PORTION THROUGH THE INLET CONDUIT, THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID DOWNFLOW PORTION BEING LESS THAN THE CROSSSECTIONAL AREA OF SAID VESSEL, A CONDUIT CONNECTING SAID OUTLET TO THE INTERNAL MIXING TUBE OF AN UPRIGHT FOAMING VESSEL, SAID FOAMING VESSEL HAVING A VACUUM CHAMBER FOR COLLECTING FOAM, A QUIESCENT SETTLING CHAMBER OUTSIDE OF SAID INTERNAL MIXING TUBE, AND A LIQUID OUTLET FROM THE FOAMING VESSEL, SAID MIXING TUBE BEING SUPPLIED WITH A PLURALITY OF ORIFICES FOR INERT GAS TO CONTACT LIQUID WITHIN THE MIXING TUBE AND MEANS FOR PASSING INERT GAS THROUGH SAID ORIFICES, THE TOP OF THE VACUUM CHAMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH A DUCT FOR FOAM REMOVAL, A GAS PUMP CONNECTED TO SAID DUCT, AND A SECOND MEANS FOR INTRODUCING FOAMING GAS INTO SAID QUIESCENT SETTLING CHAMBER.