Perforated tube module for liquid treatment

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING SEPARATION OF SETTLEABLE PARTICLES FROM A LIQUID, COMPRISING CONTAINER MEANS HAVING AN UPPER PART WITH INLET AND OUTLET MEANS THEREIN, A BOTTOM PART IN SAID CONTAINER MEANS, SAID BOTTOM PART HAVING SLUDGE WITHDRAWAL MEANS THEREIN, FLOW DISTRIBUTING AND CLARIFYING MEANS COMPRISING A FIRST SET OF SPACED APART GENERALLY PARALLEL, VERTICAL SHEETS MOUNTED IN SAID UPPER PART OF SAID CONTAINER MEANS, SAID SHEETS BEING OF A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF RIGID AND SEMI-RIGID MATERIALS, SAID SHEETS HAVING A PLURALITY OF PERFORATIONS THEREIN, SAID SHEETS FORMING A FIRST SET OF VERTICAL CHANNELS THEREBETWEEN, SAID INLET MEANS IN SAID CONTAINER MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO DISTRIBUTE AN INFLUENT FLOW OF LIQUID SO THAT IT IMPINGES ON A FIRST ONE OF SAID SHEETS OF SAID FIRST SET OF SHEETS AND THEREAFTER FLOWS IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO SAID FIRST SHEET THROUGH SAID PERFORATIONS THEREIN AND PASSES INTO THE FIST ONE OF SAID FIRST SET OF VERTICAL CHANNELS AND THENCE THROUGH THE PERFORATIONS IN THE OTHERS OF SAID SHEETS SEQUENTIALLY TO THE LAST ONE OF SAID FIRST SET OF VERTICAL CHANNELS, SAID OUTLET MEANS IN SAID CONTAINER MEANS BEING POSITIONED DOWNSTREAM OF SAID LAST ONE OF SAID FIRST SET OF VERTICAL CHANNELS, WHEREBY SETTLEABLE PARTICLES OF MATERIAL IN SAID INFLUENT FLOW OF LIQUID CAN SETTLE OUT OF SAID LIQUID AS SAID LIQUID PASSES THROUGH SAID FIRST SET OF SHEETS AND OUT SAID OUTLET MEANS, SLUDGE THICKENING AND FLOW BAFFLING MEANS COMPRISING A SECOND SET OF SPACED APART IMPERFORATE SHEETS MOUNTED IN SAID CONTAINER MEANS BENEATH SAID FIRST SET OF SHEETS, SAID IMPERFORATE SHEETS BEING OF A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF RIGID AND SEMI-RIGID MATERIALS, THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID IMPERFORATE SHEETS ABUTTING THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID FIRST PERFORATED SHEETS TO FORM SUBSTANTIAL CONTINUATIONS THEREOF, SAID SECOND SET OF SHEETS BEING INCLINED TO THE VERTICAL, WHEREBY SAID SHEETS FORM A SECOND SET OF INCLINED CHANNELS THEREBETWEEN, EACH CHANNEL IN SAID SECOND SET OF CHANNELS FORMING A SUBSTANTIAL CONTINUATION OF A RESPECTIVE CHANNEL IN SAID FIRST SET OF CHANNELS, SAID SECOND SET OF CHANNELS TERMINATING IN A CHAMBER IN SAID BOTTOM PART OF SAID CONTAINER MEANS, SAID SLUDGE WITHDRAWAL MEANS BEING POSITIONED IN SAID CHAMBER, WHEREBY SAID SETTLEABLE PARTICLES OF MATERIAL IN SAID INFLUENT FLOW OF LIQUID WHICH SETTLE OUT OF SAID LIQUID PASSING THROUGH SAID FIRST SET SLIDE DOWN SAID IMPERFORATE SHEETS IN SAID SECOND SET AND COLLECT IN SAID CHAMBER FOR WITHDRAWAL BY SAID WITHDRAWAL MEANS.