Apparatus for separation of materials from liquid

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH A CONFINED CHAMBER HAVING A FLOOR AND FILLED WITH A BODY OF LIQUID AT LEAST TO A PREDETERMINED LEVEL ABOVE SAID FLOOR, APPARATUS FOR REMOVING FROM THE CHAMBER REFUSE MATERIAL CARRIED ON THE SURFACE OF SAID BODY, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: (A) MEANS INCLUDING A WALL EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE FLOOR OF SAID CHAMBER FOR DEFINING A POOL WITHIN SAID CHAMBER, SAID WALL HAVING AN UPPER EDGE WITH AT LEAST A PORTION LOWER THAN SAID PREDETERMINED LEVEL FOR ADMITTING LIQUID AND REFUSE MATERIAL CARRIED THEREWITH FROM THE SURFACE OF SAID BODY TO SAID POOL, SAID WALL BEING DISPOSED AND ADAPTED TO PERMIT FLOW OF LIQUID FROM SAID BODY INTO SAID POOL ONLY OVER SAID UPPER EDGE, AND SAID WALL AND CHAMBER BEING MUTUALLY ARRANGED TO PERMIT DIRECT FLOW OF LIQUID INTO SAID POOL FROM THE ENTIRE SURFACE OF SAID LIQUID BODY; (B) MEANS PROVIDING A WELL DISPOSED EXTERNALLY OF SAID CHAMBER AND EXTENDING BELOW SAID PREDETERMINED LEVEL FOR RECEIVING LIQUID FROM SAID POOL, SAID WELL COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID POOL THROUGH A FIRST PASSAGE OPENING INTO SAID POOL AT A LEVEL BELOW THE LEVEL OF SAID UPPER WALL EDGE PORTION, SAID WELL COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY WITH SAID CHAMBER THROUGH A SECOND PASSAGE OPENING INTO SAID CHAMBER EXTERNALLY OF SAID POOL AND AT A LEVEL BELOW SAID PREDETERMINED LEVEL, SAID WELL BEING ARRANGED TO PERMIT SEPARATION OF SAID REFUSE MATERIAL FROM LIQUID THEREIN; AND (C) MEANS FOR ADVANCING LIQUID AND REFUSE MATERIAL DOWNWARDLY IN SAID POOL, TO CAUSE CIRCULATION OF LIQUID FROM SAID POOL INTO SAID WELL THROUGH SAID FIRST PASSAGE AND THENCE INTO SAID CHAMABER THROUGH SAID SECOND PASSAGE WHILE DRAWING LIQUID FROM THE SURFACE OF SAID BODY TOGETHER WITH SAID REFUSE MATERIAL INTO SAID POOL OVER SAID WALL EDGE THEREBY TO EFFECT DELIVERY OF SAID REFUSE MATERIAL WITH SAID LIQUID INTO SAID WELL.