Abstract: An industrial waste anaerobic digestion process takes place in a digester having separate sections within the digester, in which the acid forming and gas forming phases of the digestion process can occur separately under conditions optimized for each phase. A rotating biological contactor is provided in each section for increasing the liquid/gas interface to facilitate the anaerobic reaction. A series of partitions is provided in each section to create zones in which the waste concentration is extremely high and on which the biota can react at maximal reaction rates. The CO.sub.2 produced in the acid forming phase is used in both acid and gas forming sections to mix and achieve pH adjustment, and the methane can be used in the gas forming sections for mixing. A thermophilic chamber in the center of the tank is surrounded by the mesophyllic chamber to minimize and utilize conductive heat loss.

Abstract: A polymeric grease gun comprising a tubular body of polymeric material which defines a chamber for containing grease, a forward end cap having a grease pump, pump lever and a nozzle, a polymeric rear end cap, and a plunger for urging grease forward into the chamber, where the end caps are secured to the tubular body by means of lugs at each end of the tube which engage blind-ended arcuate slots in the leading edge of the end caps so that the caps are retained on the body against an internal axial force which tends to separate the caps from the body. The caps are also secured on the tubular body by means of springing members extending from the ends of the tubular body which engage corresponding portions of the end caps so that the springing members are resiliently held against the interior of the caps.

Abstract: A belt press for use in removing water from sewage sludge, and including a frame, a pair of belts for compressing sludge material therebetween, the said belts being water-permeable whereby water in said sludge may drain through said belts, and a gravity belt thickener adjacent the belt press. The gravity belt thickener includes a belt having a belt flight adapted to support sewage sludge thereon, the belt of the gravity belt thickener having a width greater than the width of the belt of the belt press.

Abstract: A belt press for dewatering slurries is described having a frame designed to minimize the time, effort and frame stress heretofore encountered in the replacement of endless belts, said press comprising a rigid frame comprised of essentially parallel horizontal and vertical members supporting a plurality of laterally oriented longitudinal rolls upon which a pair of endless flat foraminous belts pass in a serpentine path with dewatered material sandwiched therebetween. The frame is equipped with vertical legs having removable spacers on one side and corresponding elastomeric hinges mounted with pre-stressed bolts, and alignment pins on the other side. Jack means positionable between the sides of the frame, co-operate with the pre-stressed bolts to permit removal of the frame spacers and extraction of the endless belts through the resulting gaps in the vertical legs.

Abstract: A spike-driving machine for use in driving spikes into railroad ties and including a rail clamping apparatus for securing the machine to the rails while spikes are being driven into the rails. The rail clamping apparatus can employ only a single hydraulic cylinder and is constructed so as to firmly grip the rails even if the heads of the rails are substantially worn and also constructed so as to grip a variety of different sizes of rails whether or not those rails are new rails or substantially worn.

Abstract: A vertical shaft impact crusher is provided, having a cylindrical tank in which the rotor is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and for receiving rock fed axially from above and having impeller shoes for accelerating and throwing the rock outward against an annular breaker ring; wherein the breaker ring is a circular hoop mounted to the interior of the tank and has a plurality of spaced mounting means designed to securely yet releasably hold a plurality of specially designed anvil members, each having a head comprised of a flat impact surface and an octagonal shaped periphery; a foot portion and a narrowed neck portion connecting said head and foot portions and engaging the mounting means so that the anvil may be indexed at a number of annular positions.

Abstract: An industrial waste anaerobic digester is disclosed having separate sections therein, in which the acid forming and gas forming phases of the digestion process can occur separately under conditions optimized for each phase. A rotating biological contactor is provided in each section for increasing the liquid/gas interface to facilitate the anaerobic reaction. A series of partitions is provided in each section to create zones in which the waste concentration is extremely high and on which the biota can react at maximal reaction rates. The CO.sub.2 produced in the acid forming phase is used in both acid and gas forming sections to mix and achieve pH adjustment, and the methane can be used in the gas forming sections for mixing. A thermophilic chamber in the center of the tank is surrounded by the mesophyllic chamber to minimize and utilize conductive heat loss.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for increasing the capacity of an activated sludge wastewater treatment plant which utilizes microscreens in conjunction with rotating biological contactors that are placed in the primary settling tank, the aeration tank and the final clarification tank. A rotatable microscreen is placed upstream of the primary settling tank and downstream of the final clarification tank. The result is a more efficient and less energy consuming system which reduces the organic loads. Preferably, the microscreening preceding the biological treatment stage will have a mesh size in the range of about 50-200 mesh and the microscreen placed after the biological treatment stage will have a mesh size in the range of 6-44 microns. Additional benefits are obtained in recycling the treated water which is passed through the rotating biological contactor as well as utilizing it to aid in rotating the contactor.

Abstract: A vertical shaft impact crusher is provided comprising a housing, a rotor mounted within the housing for rotation about a vertical axis and having a rotor for propelling incoming rock outwardly against a breaker ring to be crushed, wherein the crusher is capable of easy and fast conversion between autogenous and anvil impact crushing by virtue of two forms of replaceable breaker rings, one of which is adapted to hold a bed of rock for autogenous impact crushing and the other of which is adapted to hold a series of interchangeable anvils adapted for impacting an incoming flow of rocks. The breaker rings of the present crusher are further provided with lifting lugs and a hoist for easy replacement.

Abstract: A final clarifier for a sewage treatment plant has a peripheral feed influent channel with lower distribution ports and is also provided with tubes to minimize the headloss in the clarifier. The minimum headloss tubes are set to allow the basin to operate at more than one limiting headloss set point. By increasing the available orifice area at a certain flow rate, a maximum or peak headloss limitation can be achieved without compromising the design (average) headloss.

Abstract: A rotating biological contactor is formed about a polygonal shaft. The contactor includes a hub formed of a series of hub rings disposed side by side along the length of the shaft with each hub ring formed of hub segments which are joined end to end. In one embodiment the hub segments are identical and there is one hub segment for each corner of the polygonal shaft. In a second embodiment there is one hub segment for each two corners. The hub segments also include a mounting portion which has welded to it alternating flat and formed thin walled sectors of contactor media. The sectors are joined to each by welding and successive layers of the sectors are angularly offset from each other so that some of the sectors span the joints between adjacent hub segments of a hub ring.

Abstract: A conveyor belt tensioning system having two fluid piston and cylinders units on each lateral side of the belt. The units are parallel to each other and are attached to a tensioning roll. A pair of cables are attached to both of the pistons and pass around pulleys in a manner as to compensate for any differences in force between the pistons such that the pistons move in the same direction the same amount.

Abstract: A method and system for dewatering coal fines from the centrate of a pipeline slurry centrifuge, to recover the coal and purify the water, includes blending the centrate from the centrifuge with slurry from the pipeline in the proportion of about 4:1. The blend is chemically conditioned agglomerating polymer, and then dewatered on a belt press. The cake from the belt press is dry enough to burn in the boiler, and the filtrate is clarified in a gravity clarifier. The clarifier effluent is clean enough for plant purposes or to return to the environment, and the clarifier underflow is returned to the blend for dewatering in the belt press. In a second embodiment, the blend is dewatered directly in a disphragm filter press without chemical conditioning, and the filtrate is clean enough to use directly without clarifying.