Sewage treatment aeration systems

Claim 2

A prefabricated header-connector assembly adapted for inclusion in a sewage aeration tank by the attachment of a low pressure air supply and diffusers to a plurality of interconnected header-connector assemblies in which said assembly maintains said attached diffusers in proper alignment in a common plane, said assembly comprises; a header formed of weldable material capable of having nipples drawn therefrom, a plurality of outwardly projecting nipples drawn from said header at spaced locations on said header, a plurality of connectors each secured to said header at different ones of said spaced locations, each of said connectors oriented in a transverse direction to the direction of said header, said connectors having coupling means for coupling to diffusers, each of said connectors having nipples drawn therefrom with the open end of said connector nipples welded to different ones of said header nipples.

Claim 3

The assembly of claim 1 which further includes a plurality of reinforcing means secured to said header and to different ones of said connectors for maintaining the orientation between said connectors and said header.

Claim 4

The assembly of claim 2 in which said reinforcing means includes at least one reinforcing member for each connector, welded to said connector and said header.

Claim 5

The assembly of claim 3 in which said at least one reinforcing member is welded to said header over the entire surface of said member contacting said header.

Claim 6

The assembly of claim 3 in which said at least one reinforcing member is welded to said connector over the entire surface of said member contacting said connector.

Claim 7

The assembly of claim 2 in which said reinforcing means includes a pair of reinforcing members for each connector, welded to said connector and said header.

Claim 8

The assembly of claim 6 in which both said header and connector are of circular cross-section, each with an axis, each reinforcing member welded to said connector surface in a plane of said connector axis and on opposite sides of said header axis.

Claim 9

An aeration system comprising header means arranged in an aeration tank on support means in generally horizontal relationship, with transverse horizontally disposed connectors secured to said header means at longitudinally spaced locations along said header means for supporting diffusers, the improvement characterized in that; said header means is a tube comprising weldable material capable of having nipples drawn therefrom, and including outwardly protruding nipples at said spaced locations composed of integral arcuate cross-section extentions of the header-tube wall material and terminating in a planar face, said connectors are tubes including outwardly projecting nipples composed of integral arcuate cross-section extensions of the connector-tube wall material terminating in a planar face, the planar faces of said header nipples and said connector nipples engaging each other, and said nipples being welded together in register to provide a smooth transition between the inner surfaces of the header nipples and the connector nipples.

Claim 10

An aeration system comprising header means arranged in an aeration tank on support means in generally horizontal relationship, with transverse horizontally disposed connectors secured to said header means at longitudinally spaced locations along said header means for supporting diffusers, the improvement characterized in that; said header means is a tube comprising weldable material capable of having nipples drawn therefrom, and including outwardly protruding nipples at said spaced locations composed of integral arcuate cross-section extentions of the header-tube wall material and terminating in a planar face, said connectors are tubes including outwardly projecting nipples composed of integral arcuate cross-section extensions of the connector-tube wall material terminating in a planar face, the planar faces of said header nipples and said connector nipples engaging each other, and said nipples being welded together in register to provide a smooth transition between the inner surfaces of the header nipples and the connector nipples.

Claim 11

The aeration system of claim 8 wherein said connectors project transversely and horizontally in opposite directions from said nipples beneath the underside of said header means, with vertically extending reinforcing members welded to and extending between the underside of said header means and the projections of said connectors.