Aerating apparatus having ballast means therefor

Claim 1

An aerating apparatus comprising: a. flotation means for supporting said aerating apparatus in a body of water, b. said aerating apparatus including 1. a motor mounted above said liquid, 2. a propeller driven by Said motor with said propeller being immersed in said water in order to lift some of said water to be aerated, 3. and deflector means between said motor and said propeller for deflecting water lifted by said propeller substantially radially of said aerating apparatus, c. a skirt member surrounding said propeller and extending a substantial distance beneath said flotation means, 1. said skirt member terminating in an outwardly flaring bottom portion which defines a substantially semicircular concaveupwardly, toroidal, ballast receiving means, i. said outwardly flaring skirt member establishing a substantially low loss fluid flow into said propeller and toward said deflector means, d. and separately added ballast means received in said substantially semicircular concave-upwardly, toroidal, ballast receiving means a substantial distance beneath said flotation means, 1. said motor having a center of gravity located a given distance above the surface of the water and said ballast means having a center of gravity sufficiently far below the surface of the water to establish an effective center of gravity for the entire aerating apparatus without the use of stabilizing discs below the floating line of said flotation means.