Sludge retrieval apparatus for air pollution control systems

Claim 2

Apparatus for use in an air pollution control system for purging a pollutant-laden medium of pollutants therein prior to disposal of such medium, said apparatus comprising the combination of: a. a dust collector for removing pollutants from the surrounding atmosphere and through which a medium for entraining the pollutants accumulated therein is circulated; b. a reservoir for receiving the pollutant-laden medium from the dust collector; c. agitator means operably disposed in said reservoir for maintaining the pollutants in a suspended state in the medium; d. sand muller filtering means; e. first conduit means connecting said reservoir with said filtering means; f. a primary pump interposed in said first conduit means for transferring said pollutant-laden medium from said reservoir to said filtering means for purging the medium of the pollutants therein; and g. second conduit means via which the purged medium is carried away.

Claim 3

Apparatus, as defined in claim 1, further characterized by: a. water supply means for providing said medium for entraining the pollutants accumulated in the dust collector; b. third conduit means via which clean water may be supplied from said water supply means to said dust collector; and c. fourth conduit means for carrying pollutant-laden water from said dust collector to said reservoir.

Claim 4

Apparatus, as defined in claim 2, further characterized by: a. control means operable when energized and deenergized for activating and deactivating, respectively, said primary pump; and b. valve means interposed in said third conduit means between said water supply means and said dust collector, said valve means being operable responsively to energization of the control means, to a supply position in which clean water is supplied to the dust collector, and beiNg operable responsively to deenergization of the control means, to a cut-off position in which supply of clean water to the dust collector is cut off.

Claim 5

Apparatus, as defined in claim 3, further characterized by: a. fifth conduit means having one end connected to said first conduit means at a point between said pump and said filtering means and the other end connected to said third conduit means at a point between said source of clean water and said valve means; and b. a float valve device interposed in said fifth conduit means and including an operating float member disposed within said reservoir at a certain level, said float member being effective, as long as the water level in said tank is below said certain level, for maintaining said float valve device in a closed position in which communication through said fifth conduit means is closed, and when the water level in said reservoir reaches said certain level, for operating said float valve device to an open position for opening communication through said fifth conduit means via which excessive water accumulation in said reservoir is recirculated to the dust collector upon actuation of said pump and operation of said valve means to its said supply position.

Claim 6

Apparatus, as defined in claim 4, further characterized by means interposed in said third conduit means for preventing flow of clean water from said water supply means during such time that communication through said fifth conduit means is open.

Claim 7

Apparatus, as defined in claim 1, further characterized by a secondary pump interposed in said first conduit means in parallel relation to said primary pump, and means for operatively isolating either one of said primary and secondary pumps and operatively activating the other.