Device for clarification of liquids and separation of precipitates

Claim 1

In a device for clarification of liquids and separation of precipitate materials, comprising a frame, a contact chamber mounted on said frame having a conical shape widening in the upward direction, a settling tank mounted above said contact chamber and having means for passing multiple streams of fluids therethrough, outflow means mounted above said settling tank for recovery of clarified liquids, a thickening chamber mounted on said frame below said contact chamber, the improvements which are characterized in that said contact chamber is in the shape of an inverted irregular tapered wall chamber in the form of a pyramid, cone, or the like and arranged with an oblique axis inclined relative to the horizontal at an acute angle, the upper inner edge of said contact chamber having mounted thereon an adjustable overflow means to effectively change the base of the oblique shaped contact chamber to vary the capacity thereof, said settling tank having a plurality of laminar sheets arranged in an assembly providing multiple flow paths at an oblique angle relative to the horizontal, said outflow means including an outlet unit having a plurality of outflow chamber elements, each of which includes means for passing several of said multiple streams of liquid flowing from beneath through said settling tank, said outflow elements having in the upper portions thereof a corresponding outlet conduit directed upwardly and mounted in an inclined cover plate mounted above said outlet units, each said outlet conduit having an upper end terminating in a common horizontal plane above said inclined cover plate, and an overflow pocket means situated between said settling tank and said thickening chamber laterally offset from said contact chamber for collection of clarified liquids including level sensing means therein and outflow means provided in said outflow pocket.