US3669422A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Aeration apparatus
Assignee: Keene Corp
•
Filing: 1970-10-19
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Granted: 1972-06-13
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Expires: 1990-10-19
Abstract
Abstract An aerator for use in waste water treatment plants for imparting oxygen to liquid moving through the system including a buoyant pontoon having a central opening designed to float on the liquid. A motor mounted on the pontoon has its shaft extending axially through the pontoon opening and propeller blades are attached to the end of the shaft for pumping the liquid up through the opening and outwardly therefrom for imparting oxygen to the liquid. A shelf located on the pontoon upper surface is dry when the unit is not in operation and therefore tends to counterbalance the downward pull of the propellers during starting. As a portion of the pumped liquid fills the tray, it acts as a ballast for the unit during the pumping operation.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard J Nogaj
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 23:55
CPC Classifications
C; C02; C02F; C02F3/00; C02F3/02; C02F3/12; C02F3/14; C02F3/16; B; B01; B01F; B01F23/00; B01F23/20; B01F23/23; B01F23/234; B01F23/2342; B01F23/23421; B01F27/00; B01F27/80; B01F33/00; B01F33/50; B01F33/503; Y; Y02; Y02W; Y02W10/00; Y02W10/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
201 words
An aerator adapted for positioning on the surface of a pond for transferring oxygen from the atmosphere to water comprising: a buoyant pontoon having a central opening extending through the pontoon body for providing a channel through which water flows towards the water surface; a motor supported by said pontoon with its axis lying on the axis of said pontoon opening, water propulsion means positioned in alignment with said opening and attached to the motor shaft so that when the motor is operated, the propulsion means pumps water upwardly through said opening for discharge outwardly from said pontoon for transferring oxygen from the atmosphere to the water prior to its return to the pond, container means on the upper surface of said pontoon for holding a portion of said pumped water, said pumped water acting as a ballast for the aerator during the time water is being pumped into the atmosphere for aeration, and means associated with said container means for permitting water flow therefrom when the water propulsion means is in operation and to permit drainage of the container means when the water propulsion means is not in operation to thereby permit the aerator to rise higher in the water.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
201 words
An aerator adapted for positioning on the surface of a pond for transferring oxygen from the atmosphere to water comprising: a buoyant pontoon having a central opening extending through the pontoon body for providing a channel through which water flows towards the water surface; a motor supported by said pontoon with its axis lying on the axis of said pontoon opening, water propulsion means positioned in alignment with said opening and attached to the motor shaft so that when the motor is operated, the propulsion means pumps water upwardly through said opening for discharge outwardly from said pontoon for transferring oxygen from the atmosphere to the water prior to its return to the pond, container means on the upper surface of said pontoon for holding a portion of said pumped water, said pumped water acting as a ballast for the aerator during the time water is being pumped into the atmosphere for aeration, and means associated with said container means for permitting water flow therefrom when the water propulsion means is in operation and to permit drainage of the container means when the water propulsion means is not in operation to thereby permit the aerator to rise higher in the water.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The combination according to claim 1 wherein said water propulsion means comprises an impeller located adjacent the bottom entrance of said central opening in the pontoon.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
59 words
The combination according to claim 1 wherein said water propulsion means comprises an impeller having blades located in alignment with said opening, and an intake tube secured to the bottom of said float and in alignment with said opening for furnishing a channel through which water is drawn by said impeller prior to being discharged outwardly into the atmosphere.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
73 words
The combination according to claim 1 wherein said water propulsion means comprise propeller blades located within the opening defined by the walls of said pontoon and the upper surface of said blades being positioned to just break the water surface when the motor is not operating, said blades being effective to pull the aerator downwardly in the water when the motor operates to obtain blade rotation at a deeper depth in the water.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The combination according to claim 4 wherein a minor portion of the water falls in said container means for furnishing ballast to the aerator during the pumping operation.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
49 words
The combination according to claim 1 wherein said container means comprises the upper surface of said pontoon; collar means extending around the pontoon outer peripheral surface and around said opening thus defining a space there-between which forms a tray for the reception of a portion of the pumped water.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
The combination according to claim 6 wherein said container means includes spaced gates in said outside collar means for permitting water flow from said tray back into the pond.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
A combination according to claim 7 wherein said spaced gates are sized to permit water flow from said tray at a rate less than the rate of accumulation of water in said tray to thereby provide a ballast for said aerator during operation.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
195 words
An aerator adapted for positioning on the surface of a pond for transferring oxygen from the atmosphere to water comprising: a buoyant pontoon having a central opening extending through the pontoon body for providing a channel through which water flows toward the water surface; a motor supported by said pontoon with its axis lying on the axis of said pontoon opening; a combined impeller-deflector attached to the motor shaft and extending down into said opening for pumping water upwardly through said opening and outwardly therefrom across said pontoon for transferring oxygen from the atmosphere to said water prior to its return to the pond; and a container on the surface of said pontoon formed by a pair of upstanding flanges respectively positioned around the outer peripheral surface of said pontoon and said opening; said outer flange having multiple discharge openings therein, the sum of the size of said openings being such that water accumulates in said container faster than that being discharged through said flanged openings when the motor is operated at rated speed, said water in the container serving as a ballast for holding the aerator submerged when the impeller is placed in operation.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
195 words
An aerator adapted for positioning on the surface of a pond for transferring oxygen from the atmosphere to water comprising: a buoyant pontoon having a central opening extending through the pontoon body for providing a channel through which water flows toward the water surface; a motor supported by said pontoon with its axis lying on the axis of said pontoon opening; a combined impeller-deflector attached to the motor shaft and extending down into said opening for pumping water upwardly through said opening and outwardly therefrom across said pontoon for transferring oxygen from the atmosphere to said water prior to its return to the pond; and a container on the surface of said pontoon formed by a pair of upstanding flanges respectively positioned around the outer peripheral surface of said pontoon and said opening; said outer flange having multiple discharge openings therein, the sum of the size of said openings being such that water accumulates in said container faster than that being discharged through said flanged openings when the motor is operated at rated speed, said water in the container serving as a ballast for holding the aerator submerged when the impeller is placed in operation.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
92 words
The combination according to claim 9 wherein the blades of said impeller are located adjacent the pond''s surface such that a minor portion of said blades extend through the water surface during the time that the motor is not in operation; and wherein the combined effect of the ballast and the forces imposed on said blades as a result of the pumping action causes the aerator to sink to a lower equilibrium position when the motor is operating at its designed operating speed and the impeller is pumping water through the aerator.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
232 words
The method of operating an aerator of the type which includes a pontoon having a central opening therein, a motor mounted on said pontoon and having an impeller on said motor shaft with its propeller blades just breaking the surface of the water when the pump is not operating comprising the steps of: operating said motor to secure rotation of the impeller blades under minimum thrust forces as a result of the impeller blades being located adjacent the water surface, pumping water through the opening and having a major portion thereof returned to the pond while a minor portion falls into a container on the float surface, permitting the accumulation of water in said container to serve as ballast for the aerator, continuing rotation of the impeller to cause the aerator to seek a lower position in the water as a result of the combined effect of weight of the aerator, water ballast and the forces generated by the impeller blades when acting in a direction opposite to the pontoon buoyant forces; and continuing operation as aforementioned until an equilibrium condition is reached between the downward and upward forces acting on the aerator, stopping said motor to remove the downward forces generated by the blades to allow the aerator to rise in the water, and draining water from said containeR to return the aerator to its highest buoyant position in the water.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
232 words
The method of operating an aerator of the type which includes a pontoon having a central opening therein, a motor mounted on said pontoon and having an impeller on said motor shaft with its propeller blades just breaking the surface of the water when the pump is not operating comprising the steps of: operating said motor to secure rotation of the impeller blades under minimum thrust forces as a result of the impeller blades being located adjacent the water surface, pumping water through the opening and having a major portion thereof returned to the pond while a minor portion falls into a container on the float surface, permitting the accumulation of water in said container to serve as ballast for the aerator, continuing rotation of the impeller to cause the aerator to seek a lower position in the water as a result of the combined effect of weight of the aerator, water ballast and the forces generated by the impeller blades when acting in a direction opposite to the pontoon buoyant forces; and continuing operation as aforementioned until an equilibrium condition is reached between the downward and upward forces acting on the aerator, stopping said motor to remove the downward forces generated by the blades to allow the aerator to rise in the water, and draining water from said containeR to return the aerator to its highest buoyant position in the water.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3416729A
Cited
US3493216A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-06-13 | 1975-12-13 | 1976-06-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-06-13 | 1979-12-13 | 1980-06-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-06-13 | 1983-12-13 | 1984-06-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |