US3796315A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Twin rake mechanical classifier
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1971-09-09
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Granted: 1974-03-12
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Expires: 1991-09-09
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for separating settled solids from liquid medium including a pair of juxtapositioned tank means constructed to include an inclined bottom having upright wall means for defining an upwardly open cavity area capable of containing predetermined amounts of liquid suspended solids and operable to permit solids to settle to the inclined bottom. Rake means, including a rake assembly operatively associated with each of the tank means, is provided for raking the settled solids upwardly along the inclined bottom for discharge through an opening defined in the inclined bottom. The rake assemblies are controlled through successive cycles of orbital movement whereby the rake assemblies are advanced along a first predetermined path adjacent the inclined bottom for effecting movement of the settled solids, elevated and advanced in an opposite direction along a predetermined path and thereafter lowered to position adjacent the inclined bottom at the start of a second cycle of operation. The rake assemblies include support means which will support and control movement of the rake assemblies in successive cycles of operation whereby one of the rake assemblies is advanced along said first predetermined path in a discharging direction while said other rake assembly is advanced along said second predetermined path in an opposite direction.
Inventors
- 👤 N Severinghaus
- 👤 W Chapman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 20:12
CPC Classifications
B; B03; B03B; B03B5/00; B03B5/48; B03B5/50; B01; B01D; B01D21/00; B01D21/02; B01D21/04; B01D21/18
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
461 words
Apparatus for separating settled solids from liquid medium comprising, in combination: a. a pair of juxtapositioned tank means, each of said tank means including an inclined bottom with upright wall means for defining an upwardly open cavity area capable of containing predetermined amounts of liquid suspended solids, wherein said solids are permitted to settle to said inclined bottom, and wherein an upper edge of said inclined bottom defines an opening for permitting solid particles to be discharged therethrough; b. a pair of rake assemblies, each rake assembly including a plurality of rake elements supported thereon, and wherein one of said rake assemblies is operatively associated with each of said tank means for moving said settled solids along said inclined bottom for discharge through said opening in response to movement of said rake elements along a first predetermined path adjacent said inclined bottom and in a first direction toward said discharge opening; c. means for supporting said rake assemblies for movement through successive cycles of operation wherein said rake elements are advanced along said first predetermined path adjacent said incLined bottom of each of said tank means, with the rake elements moving in said first direction during a portion of a cycle of operation, said rake elements being displaced above said inclined bottom and advanced in a second opposite direction along a second predetermined path during an additional portion of a cycle of operation and with said rake elements being lowered to said position adjacent said inclined bottom during a completion of a cycle of operation, said supporting means including a support element oscillatably movable about a substantially vertically oriented axis, with said rake assemblies being supported by said support element such that said rake elements are moved along said first and second paths of said cycle of operation during said oscillating movement of said support element, cam means operatively associated with said support element for effecting movement of said support element about a substantially horizontally oriented axis whereby said rake elements can be displaced from said inclined bottom and can be lowered to position adjacent said inclined bottom under control of said cam means during portions of said cycle of operation; d. control means operatively associated with said rake assemblies for effecting movement of said rake elements through successive cycles of operation whereby solid particles settled to said inclined bottom can be advanced therealong and discharged through said discharge opening; and e. said means for supporting said rake assemblies including a number of oscillatably operable support elements longitudinally spaced along said rake assemblies for supporting and controlling said rake means through said orbital cycles of operation, each of said support elements including said cam means and said cam control element, and each support element being a pulley having an annular groove.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
461 words
Apparatus for separating settled solids from liquid medium comprising, in combination: a. a pair of juxtapositioned tank means, each of said tank means including an inclined bottom with upright wall means for defining an upwardly open cavity area capable of containing predetermined amounts of liquid suspended solids, wherein said solids are permitted to settle to said inclined bottom, and wherein an upper edge of said inclined bottom defines an opening for permitting solid particles to be discharged therethrough; b. a pair of rake assemblies, each rake assembly including a plurality of rake elements supported thereon, and wherein one of said rake assemblies is operatively associated with each of said tank means for moving said settled solids along said inclined bottom for discharge through said opening in response to movement of said rake elements along a first predetermined path adjacent said inclined bottom and in a first direction toward said discharge opening; c. means for supporting said rake assemblies for movement through successive cycles of operation wherein said rake elements are advanced along said first predetermined path adjacent said incLined bottom of each of said tank means, with the rake elements moving in said first direction during a portion of a cycle of operation, said rake elements being displaced above said inclined bottom and advanced in a second opposite direction along a second predetermined path during an additional portion of a cycle of operation and with said rake elements being lowered to said position adjacent said inclined bottom during a completion of a cycle of operation, said supporting means including a support element oscillatably movable about a substantially vertically oriented axis, with said rake assemblies being supported by said support element such that said rake elements are moved along said first and second paths of said cycle of operation during said oscillating movement of said support element, cam means operatively associated with said support element for effecting movement of said support element about a substantially horizontally oriented axis whereby said rake elements can be displaced from said inclined bottom and can be lowered to position adjacent said inclined bottom under control of said cam means during portions of said cycle of operation; d. control means operatively associated with said rake assemblies for effecting movement of said rake elements through successive cycles of operation whereby solid particles settled to said inclined bottom can be advanced therealong and discharged through said discharge opening; and e. said means for supporting said rake assemblies including a number of oscillatably operable support elements longitudinally spaced along said rake assemblies for supporting and controlling said rake means through said orbital cycles of operation, each of said support elements including said cam means and said cam control element, and each support element being a pulley having an annular groove.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein an endless cable is passed around the grooves of two of said pulleys and said rake assemblies are attached to and supported by said cable, whereby movement of the rake assemblies through their cycles will effect oscillation of said cables.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
57 words
Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the horizontal axes about which said support elements are movable are provided by maintaining said elements on the upper horizontal edges of vertically positioned, plate-like frame members, said edges having upstanding pins which provide said vertically oriented axes, said support elements being provided with openings in which said pins are received.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said edges of said frame members are provided with rollers on which said support elements rest, said rollers providing the horizontal axes about which said support elements are movable.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
456 words
Apparatus for separating settled solids from liquid medium comprising, in combination: a. a pair of juxtapositioned tank means, each of said tank means including an inclined bottom with upright wall means for defining an upwardly open cavity area capable of containing predetermined amounts of liquid suspended solids, wherein said solids are permitted to settle to said inclined bottom, and wherein an upper edge of said inclined bottom defines an opening for permitting solid particles to be discharged therethrough; b. a pair of rake assemblies, each rake assembly including a plurality of rake elements supported thereon, and wherein one of said rake assemblies is operatively associated with each of said tank means for moving said settled solids along said inclined bottom for discharge through said opening in response to movement of said rake elements along a first predetermined path adjacent said inclined bottom and in a first direction toward said discharge opening; c. means for supporting said rake assemblies for movement through successive cycles of operation wherein said rake elements are advanced along said first predetermined path adjacent said inclined bottom of each of said tank means, with the rake elements moving in said first direction dUring a portion of a cycle of operation, said rake elements being displaced above said inclined bottom and advanced in a second opposite direction along a second predetermined path during an additional portion of a cycle of operation and with said rake elements being lowered to said position adjacent said inclined bottom during a completion of a cycle of operation, said supporting means including a support element oscillatably movable about a substantially vertically oriented axis, with said rake assemblies being supported by said support element such that said rake elements are moved along said first and second paths of said cycle of operation during said osciallating movement of said support element, cam means operatively associated with said support element for effecting movement of said support element about a substantially horizontally oriented axis whereby said rake elements can be displaced from said inclined bottom and can be lowered to position adjacent said inclined bottom under control of said cam means during portions of said cycle of operation; d. control means operatively associated with said rake assemblies for effecting movement of said rake elements through successive cycles of operation whereby solid particles settled to said inclined bottom can be advanced therealong and discharged through said discharge opening; and e. said support element extending on opposite sides of said vertically oriented axis and said rake assemblies being supported on said support element on opposite sides of said vertically oriented axis respectively, and said horizontally oriented axis intersecting said vertically oriented axis and extending substantially parallel to the paths of movement of said rake assemblies.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
456 words
Apparatus for separating settled solids from liquid medium comprising, in combination: a. a pair of juxtapositioned tank means, each of said tank means including an inclined bottom with upright wall means for defining an upwardly open cavity area capable of containing predetermined amounts of liquid suspended solids, wherein said solids are permitted to settle to said inclined bottom, and wherein an upper edge of said inclined bottom defines an opening for permitting solid particles to be discharged therethrough; b. a pair of rake assemblies, each rake assembly including a plurality of rake elements supported thereon, and wherein one of said rake assemblies is operatively associated with each of said tank means for moving said settled solids along said inclined bottom for discharge through said opening in response to movement of said rake elements along a first predetermined path adjacent said inclined bottom and in a first direction toward said discharge opening; c. means for supporting said rake assemblies for movement through successive cycles of operation wherein said rake elements are advanced along said first predetermined path adjacent said inclined bottom of each of said tank means, with the rake elements moving in said first direction dUring a portion of a cycle of operation, said rake elements being displaced above said inclined bottom and advanced in a second opposite direction along a second predetermined path during an additional portion of a cycle of operation and with said rake elements being lowered to said position adjacent said inclined bottom during a completion of a cycle of operation, said supporting means including a support element oscillatably movable about a substantially vertically oriented axis, with said rake assemblies being supported by said support element such that said rake elements are moved along said first and second paths of said cycle of operation during said osciallating movement of said support element, cam means operatively associated with said support element for effecting movement of said support element about a substantially horizontally oriented axis whereby said rake elements can be displaced from said inclined bottom and can be lowered to position adjacent said inclined bottom under control of said cam means during portions of said cycle of operation; d. control means operatively associated with said rake assemblies for effecting movement of said rake elements through successive cycles of operation whereby solid particles settled to said inclined bottom can be advanced therealong and discharged through said discharge opening; and e. said support element extending on opposite sides of said vertically oriented axis and said rake assemblies being supported on said support element on opposite sides of said vertically oriented axis respectively, and said horizontally oriented axis intersecting said vertically oriented axis and extending substantially parallel to the paths of movement of said rake assemblies.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
59 words
Apparatus for separating settled solids from liquid medium as defined in claim 5 further characterized in that said tank means includes outwardly diverging sidewall means extending away from said discharge opening whereby said diverging sidewall means will increase the capacity of the sedimentation area of said tank means to furnish maximum settling capacity with minimum amount of raking mechanism.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus for separating settled solids from liquid medium as defined in claim 5 further characterized in that said rake means and said rake support means are detailed in construction such that said rake means are suspended in balance, thus minimizing the power and bearing loads required.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
81 words
Apparatus for separating settled solids from liquid medium as described in claim 5 further characterized in that a control element is operatively associated with said cam means and said oscillatably operable support element for effecting vertical displacement of said support element about said substantially horizontally oriented axis, and wherein said cam means and cam control element are supported for yielding displacement relative to each other in the directions of oscillatory movement of said support element about said substantially vertically oriented axis.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
91 words
Apparatus for separating settled solids from liquid medium as defined in claim 8 further characterized in that said cam control element is supported for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis radially disposed relative to said substantially vertically oriented axis of said support element, and wherein limit stop means is operatively associated with said pivotal support element for limiting the pivotal movement of said pivotal support element in opposite directions about said radially disposed axis, with yielding means for biasing said support element against at least one of said limit stop means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus for separating settled solids from liquid medium as defined in claim 9 further characterized in that said limit stop means is selectively adjustable for varying the amount of said pivotal movement of said control element.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said support element is a pulley having an annular groove and said rake assemblies are supported by an endless cable pAssing through said groove.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus as in claim 5 including cam means operatively associated with said support element for over-balancing said rake assemblies in relatively opposite directions at the opposite ends of the strokes of said rake assemblies.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
204 words
A twin-rake apparatus for separating settled solids from liquid medium comprising in combination a pair of side-by-side settling tanks each having a bottom wall inclining upwardly in the same longitudinal direction in each tank, a pair of similar rake assemblies one associated with each of said tanks, a pair of pulleys mounted on vertical axes, one at each end of said tanks, an endless cable passing around said pulleys with one run of the cable lying above each rake assembly, means for supporting each rake assembly on the corresponding run of the cable, means for imparting an oscillatory movement to said end pulleys whereby said rake assemblies will be given a reciprocatory movement in said tanks, means for supporting said pulleys for tilting movement about a horizontal axis located centrally between and parallel to the runs of the cable, and cam means responsive to oscillation of the pulleys for alternately raising one run of the cable and lowering the other and then lowering said one run and elevating said other run, the arrangement being such that each rake assembly will be lowered when it moves toward the upper end of said inclined bottom wall and raised when it moves toward the lower end thereof.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
204 words
A twin-rake apparatus for separating settled solids from liquid medium comprising in combination a pair of side-by-side settling tanks each having a bottom wall inclining upwardly in the same longitudinal direction in each tank, a pair of similar rake assemblies one associated with each of said tanks, a pair of pulleys mounted on vertical axes, one at each end of said tanks, an endless cable passing around said pulleys with one run of the cable lying above each rake assembly, means for supporting each rake assembly on the corresponding run of the cable, means for imparting an oscillatory movement to said end pulleys whereby said rake assemblies will be given a reciprocatory movement in said tanks, means for supporting said pulleys for tilting movement about a horizontal axis located centrally between and parallel to the runs of the cable, and cam means responsive to oscillation of the pulleys for alternately raising one run of the cable and lowering the other and then lowering said one run and elevating said other run, the arrangement being such that each rake assembly will be lowered when it moves toward the upper end of said inclined bottom wall and raised when it moves toward the lower end thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-03-11 | 1977-09-10 | 1978-03-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-03-11 | 1981-09-10 | 1982-03-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-03-11 | 1985-09-10 | 1986-03-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |