Removable deep tank gas diffusing apparatus

Claim 1

Apparatus for diffusing gas in the liquid medium contained in a tank having a vertical wall, said apparatus being elevatable out of the tank for servicing which comprises guide means supported by said vertical wall for vertical rectilinear movement of a diffuser assembly mounted within said tank and extending downwardly in said tank to a location in the vicinity of the bottom thereof in a vertical plane spaced from said vertical wall, said guide means being located at a central location of said diffuser assembly, a traveler support member movable along said guide means, means for actuating said traveler support member for vertical movement, a gas diffuser header having an operating and servicing position secured to said traveler support member in a generally horizontal position in a plane parallel to said vertical wall, a gas supply line mounted adjacent the top of said vertical wall, piping means having sections movable in cooperation with said gas diffuser header connecting said header to said gas supply line and consisting of one or more stationary gas ducts connected to said gas supply line and extending downwardly along said vertical tank wall to a location adjacent the bottom of said tank, a lower section of gas pipe pivotably secured at one end of the lower end of said stationary gas duct and adapted to move in a plane parallel to said vertical wall, an upper section of gas pipe connected at one end by a knee joint to said lower section of gas pipe and at its other end to said gas header, a plurality of diffusers secured to said gas diffuser header, and spaced supports in contact with the tank bottom and said gas diffuser header when said header is in its lowermost position.