Settling tank sludge collector

Claim 1

A sludge and sediment collector for a longitudinal settling tank having a flat bottom and having a sump adjacent one of its ends, comprising: bridge means transversely spanning said tank and operable for reciprocating movement between its ends; friction wheel drive means for reciprocating said bridge means, said friction drive means including a drive support bracket connected in depending relation with the respective end of said bridge means, a reversible motor operatively connected with a source of electrical energy, a pneumatic tire equipped wheel connected with and driven by said motor about an axis generally parallel with respect to the vertical plane of the respective bridge supporting tank wall, and, means including a plate pivotally connecting said wheel with said support bracket in a manner permitting gravitational attraction for the mass of said wheel and said motor to maintain said tire in frictional driving contact with the adjacent tank wall surface; sludge scraping means generally horizontally supported by said bridge means adjacent the upper surface of said tank bottom for vertical tilting movement about a horizontal axis from a sludge collecting position during movement toward said sump to an idle position during movement away from the sump, said sludge scraping means including a rectangular scraper frame having a center bar extending transversely of said tank and having longitudinal side members, said scraper frame having a pair of end members and a pair of transverse braces connecting one said frame side member with said center bar in a horizontal plane and connecting the other said frame side member with said center bar in a plane inclined upwardly with respect to the horizontal when said scraper frame is in one position, and, a scraper blade secured to one said scraper frame side member; and, cam plate means including an elongated arcuately curved plate secured at one end to the inner surface of the respective tank end wall and projecting, at its other end, toward an intermediate portion of the respective said scraper frame side member a distance sufficient for contacting the respective scraper frame side member when in one position and tilting said frame to the other of its positions.