Liquid clarification unit

Claim 2

A liquid clarification unit for separating foreign materials from a liquid carrier including a tank-like receptacle constructed to define a pool of said liquid carrier, means for laterally flowing said carrier into one side of said receptacle to disperse the same from said one side to the other, to spread and provide for a quick settling of the heavier of said materials, means for simultaneously concentrating and in the course of concentrating removing the heaviest of the foreign materials in said carrier from said pool, and additional means for simultaneously drawing from said pool and concentrating lighter of the foreign materials in said carrier and returning the concentrated lighter materials directly to the same said pool to join therein and be discharged with the heaviest of said foreign materials by said removing means, said tank-like receptacle providing to one end thereof an area for intermingling and common discharge of the heaviest and the concentrated lighter materials and said additional means including a pumping device displaced from the area of said common discharge and the said removal means.

Claim 3

A liquid clarification unit for separating foreign materials from a liquid carrier including a tank-like receptacle constructed to define a pool of said liquid carrier, means for laterally flowing said carrier into one side of said receptacle to disperse the same from said one side to the other, to spread and provide for a quick settling of the heavier of said materials, means for simultaneously concentrating and in the course of concentrating removing the heaviest of the foreign materials in said carrier from said pool, and additional means for simultaneously drawing from said pool and concentrating lighter of the foreign materials in said carrier and returning the concentrated lighter materials directly to the same said pool to join therein and be discharged with the heaviest of said foreign materials by said removing means, said tank-like receptacle providing to one end thereof an area for intermingling and common discharge of the heaviest and the concentrated lighter materials and said additional means including a pumping device displaced from the area of said common discharge and the said removal means.

Claim 4

A liquid clarification unit for separating foreign materials from a liquid carrier including a tank-like receptacle constructed to define a pool of said liquid carrier, means for laterally flowing said carrier into one side of said receptacle to disperse the same from said one side to the other, to spread and provide for a quick settling of the heavier of said materials, means for simultaneously concentrating and in the course of concentrating removing the heaviest of the foreign materials in said carrier from said pool, and additional means for simultaneously drawing from said pool and concentrating lighter of the foreign materials in said carrier and returning the concentrated lighter materials directly to the same said pool to join therein and be discharged with the heaviest of said foreign materials by said removing means, said tank-like receptacle providing to one end thereof an area for intermingling and common discharge of the heaviest and the concentrated lighter materials and said additional means including a pumping device displaced from the area of said common discharge and the said removal means.

Claim 5

Apparatus as in claim 1 characterized by said pumping device being disposed at the opposite end of said tank, remote and displaced from both said common discharge area and the said removal means.

Claim 6

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 characterized by said removal means for the heaviest of said foreign materials being arranged to bridge said receptacle and move from one end to the other thereof.

Claim 7

Apparatus as in claim 1 characterized by sAid removal means being conveyor mounted to move through said pool and to its bottom in an area clear of said pump to a point of discharge defined by said common discharge area.

Claim 8

Apparatus as in claim 4 characterized by said bottom of said pool being defined by the tank bottom to one end of which is provided an upwardly inclined surface portion the projected extremity of which terminates at said common discharge area and there being means beyond said projected extremity arranged to engage and clear said removal means in the course of advance thereof beyond said projected extremity of the upwardly inclined surface portion of said tank.

Claim 9

A liquid clarification unit for separating foreign materials from a liquid carrier including an elongated enclosure defining a receptacle for receiving a liquid carrier containing foreign materials to form therein a single pool, means for a lateral inflow of said liquid carrier to disperse the same from side to side of said receptacle, means for continuously concentrating and removing the heaviest of the foreign materials in said carrier from said pool, said second mentioned means including a continuous conveyor arranged to move through said pool in a longitudinal sense and in close proximity to the bottom of said enclosure to progressively discharge the heaviest and concentrated material therefrom in a continuing flow, additional means for removing the lighter of the foreign materials in the liquid carrier from said pool and separately concentrating the same, said last named means including a pump having inlet means within said enclosure and displaced from said conveyor, and means to return to the same said pool the concentrated lighter materials for discharge by the same said conveyor means.

Claim 10

A liquid clarification unit for separating foreign materials from a liquid carrier including an elongated enclosure defining a receptacle for receiving a liquid carrier containing foreign materials to form therein a single pool, means for a lateral inflow of said liquid carrier to disperse the same from side to side of said receptacle, means for continuously concentrating and removing the heaviest of the foreign materials in said carrier from said pool, said second mentioned means including a continuous conveyor arranged to move through said pool in a longitudinal sense and in close proximity to the bottom of said enclosure to progressively discharge the heaviest and concentrated material therefrom in a continuing flow, additional means for removing the lighter of the foreign materials in the liquid carrier from said pool and separately concentrating the same, said last named means including a pump having inlet means within said enclosure and displaced from said conveyor, and means to return to the same said pool the concentrated lighter materials for discharge by the same said conveyor means.

Claim 11

A liquid clarification unit for separating foreign materials from a liquid carrier including a tank-like receptacle constructed to define a pool of said liquid carrier, means for laterally flowing said carrier into one side of said receptacle to disperse the same from said one side to the other, to spread and provide for a quick settling of the heavier of said materials, means for simultaneously concentrating and in the course of concentrating removing the heaviest of the foreign materials in said carrier from said pool, and additional means for simultaneously drawing from said pool and concentrating lighter of the foreign materials in said carrier and returning the concentrated lighter materials directly to the same said pool to join therein and be discharged with the heaviest of said foreign materials by said removing means, said pool being a continuously circulating body received in a tank providing therefor an elongated enclosure, said removal means being a continuous conveyor including projected plates arranged to move through said pool in close proximity to its bottom to progressively discharge from said pool and said tank the heavy and concentrated foreign material in a continuing flow, said additional means including a pump having inlet means open to said pool in an area displaced from said conveyor means.

Claim 12

A liquid clarification unit for separating foreign materials from a liquid carrier including a tank-like receptacle constructed to define a pool of said liquid carrier, means for laterally flowing said carrier into one side of said receptacle to disperse the same from said one side to the other, to spread and provide for a quick settling of the heavier of said materials, means for simultaneously concentrating and in the course of concentrating removing the heaviest of the foreign materials in said carrier from said pool, and additional means for simultaneously drawing from said pool and concentrating lighter of the foreign materials in said carrier and returning the concentrated lighter materials directly to the same said pool to join therein and be discharged with the heaviest of said foreign materials by said removing means, said pool being a continuously circulating body received in a tank providing therefor an elongated enclosure, said removal means being a continuous conveyor including projected plates arranged to move through said pool in close proximity to its bottom to progressively discharge from said pool and said tank the heavy and concentrated foreign material in a continuing flow, said additional means including a pump having inlet means open to said pool in an area displaced from said conveyor means.

Claim 13

Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 characterized by said conveyor means being arranged to transversely bridge and move from end to end of said pool.

Claim 14

Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 characterized by said tank bottom including a first inclined portion defining a drainage and discharge surface remote from said pump over which the foreign material is directed to discharge, in the process of which said surface provides means to convert the material to a semi-dry sludge.

Claim 15

Apparatus as in claim 7 characterized by said tank including, to one end of its bottom remote from said pump, means defining an inclined portion providing a drainage and discharge surface over which foreign material is directed to discharge and, to the opposite end, means defining a second inclined portion arranged to protect said pump from heavy foreign particles.

Claim 16

A liquid clarification unit for separating foreign materials from a liquid carrier Including a tank-like receptacle constructed to define a pool of said liquid carrier, means for flowing said carrier into a side of said receptacle to disperse and spread the same from side to side whereby to provide for quick settling of the heavier of the foreign materials, means for concentrating and in the course of concentrating removing the heaviest of the foreign materials from said pool, additional means for simultaneously drawing lighter of the foreign materials from said pool and concentrating and discharging the same in concentrated form into the same said pool for discharge with the said heavier of the foreign materials, said receptacle providing, to one end thereof, an area for intermingling and common discharge of the heaviest and the concentrated lighter materials, said additional means including a pumping device displaced from the area of said common discharge and the said removal means, and a plurality of centrifugal separators having in connection therewith said pumping device in the form of a pump displaced from the area of said removing means, said pump including means defining an inlet for drawing liquid carrier from said pool which includes lighter foreign materials and said separators providing for the separation thereof into dirt-rich and dirt-poor fractions and being arranged to discharge the dirt-rich fractions containing the lighter foreign materials in concentrated form from adjacent one end thereof directly to said pool and the dirt-poor portion consisting of clarified liquid from another end portion thereof, and there being separate means for collecting the respective concentrated light foreign materials and the clarified liquid.

Claim 17

A liquid clarification unit for separating foreign materials from a liquid carrier Including a tank-like receptacle constructed to define a pool of said liquid carrier, means for flowing said carrier into a side of said receptacle to disperse and spread the same from side to side whereby to provide for quick settling of the heavier of the foreign materials, means for concentrating and in the course of concentrating removing the heaviest of the foreign materials from said pool, additional means for simultaneously drawing lighter of the foreign materials from said pool and concentrating and discharging the same in concentrated form into the same said pool for discharge with the said heavier of the foreign materials, said receptacle providing, to one end thereof, an area for intermingling and common discharge of the heaviest and the concentrated lighter materials, said additional means including a pumping device displaced from the area of said common discharge and the said removal means, and a plurality of centrifugal separators having in connection therewith said pumping device in the form of a pump displaced from the area of said removing means, said pump including means defining an inlet for drawing liquid carrier from said pool which includes lighter foreign materials and said separators providing for the separation thereof into dirt-rich and dirt-poor fractions and being arranged to discharge the dirt-rich fractions containing the lighter foreign materials in concentrated form from adjacent one end thereof directly to said pool and the dirt-poor portion consisting of clarified liquid from another end portion thereof, and there being separate means for collecting the respective concentrated light foreign materials and the clarified liquid.

Claim 18

The unit as set forth in claim 11 characterized by said separate collection means including a manifold connected to said one or more centrifugal separators for collection of the clarified liquid for discharge from the unit and other means for directing the discharge of the concentrated light materials to influence them to be dispersed and carried to mingle with the concentrated heavy material to the bottom of said tank.