Abstract The apparatus herein essentially comprises a separator which is located alongside a liquid stream bed and in communication with the latter so that there is diverted thereunto at least a selected depth of the top of the stream extending below the maximum expected depth of pollutant material in the liquid, a vertical liquid chamber communicating at its bottom with the bottom of the separator, means for permitting the discharge of liquid from the upper portion of the chamber while maintaining the level of the liquid in the chamber at a given constant level above the maximum height of any interface that may exist in the separator between the liquid and pollutant material, and means for discharging the separated pollutant material collected in the separator. If the stream is diverted to the aforesaid depth this is done by controlling the flow of the stream so that at the place of diversion the level of the stream is maintained substantially constant, and such diversion is accomplished by blocking the flow in the top portion of the stream to the aforesaid depth and by-passing it through the separator.
Inventors
👤 J Dubouchet
Bibliographic Details
Application Number—
JurisdictionUS
Data Sourcegoogle_patents
Last Synchronized2026-11-08 18:15
CPC Classifications
E; E03; E03F; E03F5/00; E03F5/14; E03F5/16
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
113 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said separating means comprises a settling tank for receiving pollutant material and liquid from the constant level flow in said upstream bed portion, an adjustable spillway located upstream of said surface block and connecting the constant level flow in said upstream bed portion to said settling tank, the height of said spillway being set to a selected depth of the flow in said upstream bed portion and diverting therefrom to said settling tank pollutant material from said layer thereof in said upstream bed portion with a small quantity of liquid, and means for extracting separately the liquid and pollutant material separated in said settling tank.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
117 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 2, in which the means for extracting the separated liquid comprises a vertically disposed liquid chamber having a height approximating the height of the mixture in said settling tank, first means for bringing the bottom of said settling tank into communication with the bottom of said liquid chamber to enable the separated liquid to flow thereinto from said settling tank, and second means for permitting the discharge of separated liquid from the upper portion of said liquid chamber while maintaining the level of the liquid in said chamber at a given constant level located above the maximum height of the interface existing in said settling tank between the liquid and pollutant material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 3, in which said second means comprises an adjustable spillway.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 3, in which the means for extracting the separated pollutant material comprises means for discharging the separated pollutant material from the settling tank at a given height higher than the height of the level of the liquid in said liquid chamber.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
201 words
The method of automatically removing from a flowing liquid stream having a variable flow in a stream bed capable of accommodating such variable flow, any pollutant material lighter than such liquid that may be present in the stream, comprising controlling the flow of the stream at a given place thereof, and exercising such control in automatic conformance to the variable flow of the stream at such given place so as to maintain the stream at a constant level in a local portion of the stream bed upstream from such given place, and thereby to reduce the velocity of flow of the stream in such local portion, blocking the flow in the top portion of the stream within such upstream bed portion of constant level so as to accumulate the pollutant assembled in such top portion of the stream as a result of the reduction in the velocity of flow of the stream within such upstream bed portion, while permitting the flow in the lower section of the stream to continue unrestricted toward said given plAce, and separating the pollutant material collected by said blocking action on the surface of such upstream area of constant level from the liquid of such stream.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
131 words
The method defined in claim 6 in which the separating step is carried out by diverting from such upstream area of constant level and into a settling tank a selected depth of the top portion of the stream containing the pollutant material and liquid, and extracting separately the liquid and pollutant material separated in the settling tank by draining the separated liquid in the bottom of the settling tank into the bottom of a vertically disposed liquid chamber while discharging liquid from such chamber at a given constant level located above the maximum height of the interface existing in the settling tank between the liquid and pollutant material, and by removing the separated pollutant material at a place located at a given height above a certain highest position for such interface.