Abstract: A sludge condensation and dewatering apparatus is described which comprises a condensation unit and a dewatering unit. The condensation unit comprises a flocculating reaction tank (1) for forming a sludge flock, a first holding tank (2) slantingly arranged and upwardly inclined along the moving direction of the sludge, a conveyor for conveying the sludge flock from the flocculation tank to the holding tank for retaining the sludge flock produced by the flocculation reaction tank and an endless running screen belt (3) located just below and adjacent to the first holding tank, a dewatering unit, a solidification device (13) in communication with the first holding tank located between the condensation unit and the dewatering unit. The dewatering unit comprises an upper running piled filter cloth (4) and a lower running piled filter cloth (5), a plurality of rolls (R.sub.1 -R.sub.

Abstract: A method and equipment for thickening various suspensions, such as, e.g., pulp slurry, waste waters, or mineral sediments. The sludge or slurry is passed into a basin in which a filter unit rotates as partly submerged in the sludge or slurry. The thickened sludge or pulp web is gathered onto the surface of the filter unit from the sludge or the slurry in the basin. The sludge or slurry is passed from the basin to above the sludge or slurry level. In order to pre-thicken the sludge or slurry, part of the liquid contained therein is removed through a wall located between the feeding-in point of the sludge or slurry and the surface level of the sludge or slurry.

Abstract: The portable water purifier comprises a rotary filtering vessel which is surrounded by a compartment designed to collect the water filtered through the lateral wall of the filtering vessel, this vessel being rotatably mounted on its axis of revolution. It also comprises a rotary drive member whose output shaft is made fastened to the rotary filtering vessel and a flow pipe for the filtered water which communicates with the outside and with the bottom of the compartment for collecting the filtered water, and a container for the water to be filtered including means enabling the water to be passed into the rotary vessel.

Abstract: A continuous separation system intended for the recovery of solids and/or liquid contained in slurries comprises an enclosed low speed rotary screen assembly mounted between a stationary casing under vacuum and a cover provided with a fixed scraper and into which circulates dry hot air. The arrangement is such that during operation a slurry is admitted on top of the rotating screen on one side of the scraper while liquid is recovered by suction into the casing leaving the solids which are washed and then dried before being scraped off and eventually removed on the other side of the scraper. The recovered liquid is automatically degasified into the casing before being pumped out therefrom. Throughput can be varied either by adjustment of the amount of material being fed into the system, or by varying the speed of rotation of the screen assembly, or both. Provision is made for cleaning the screen during operation.

Abstract: A continuous separation system which continuously purges, washes, dries, and removes solids with a minimum amount of mechanical handling and consequential crystal breakage. A separator within the continuous separation system of the present invention comprises a stationary casing, a horizontal rotary screen within the casing, a fixed scraper mounted in the casing above the screen, an inlet conduit on one side of the scraper for depositing slurry on the screen to form a layer as the screen rotates, an outlet conduit on the other side of the scraper for carrying away dried solids, and gas nozzles for directing a gas stream at the solids as they encounter the scraper, entraining them, and directing them through the outlet conduit. The screen divides the casing interior into respective upper and lower chambers that are sealed from one another except through the screen. In operation, the gas stream carries the entrained solids to a separate receiver.

Abstract: Filtering devices wherein solid particulate matter is separated by filter media from a liquid flow often contain conveying means for moving the separated solid particulate to an external point for disposition. One such conveying means usable in filtering devices includes spaced endless chain loops wherein each chain comprises alternate center links pivotally joined by pins to alternate sets of spaced side bars. In each center link is an elongated aperture which in a controlled manner holds an extension bar attached to each end of a traversely positioned flight. The spaced chain may be operatively connected to a source of rotary power to periodically advance the conveying means so that the flights may be moved over a section of the filter media to effectively remove separated particulate matter collected thereon.

Abstract: A centrifugal microstrainer includes a closed cylindrical vessel with a cylindrical screen within, both rotating about a hollow shaft forming a common central axis. Liquid-solid admixture introduced through the shaft is flowed radially outward subjected to centrifugal acceleration, and forced back through the screen under pressure with particles too large to pass the screen remaining on its outboard side. The centrifugal force applied by the rotation of the vessel acts on these larger particles pushing them away from the screen thus preventing clogging and permitting substantially continuous operation. The device may be operated as a classifier by providing a plurality of concentric screens of decreasing mesh size spaced outwardly from one another in conjunction with properly sized chokes.

Abstract: A liquid clarification system for separating solid and/or chemical contaminants from an unclarified liquid wherein a variable influent is passed through a settling clarifier to separate a portion of the contaminants from the liquid forming a semi-solid sludge. The sludge is passed into a reservoir and delivered to a filtration system at a controlled predetermined percentage of solids material. The solids material is circulated through the filtration system to form a filter cake on the septum of filters carried in a filtration chamber and the liquid is clarified by passing through the filter cake formed thereon. Periodically when the filter cake must be reformed, the expended cake is removed from the septum and conveyed from the filtration chamber through a sludge drying system to be discharged as dry solids waste material.

Abstract: A frame structure having a pre-dewatering unit fixedly mounted thereon and a final-dewatering and inspection table unit movably mounted thereon. The pre-dewatering unit includes a vertically extending receiving compartment through which the mixture of water and vegetables passes upwardly from bottom to top and a pre-dewatering chute adapted to receive the mixture flowing over the top of the receiving chamber. The pre-dewatering chute includes an upper chamber and a lower chamber separated by a screen member. The screen member is positioned at an angle to the horizontal so that the solid material in the mixture will pass over the top surface of the screen member and a substantial portion of the liquid material will pass through the screen member into the lower chamber. The final-dewatering and inspection table unit includes a final-dewatering section and an inspection table section, both of which are vibrated by a suitable vibratory means.

Abstract: A device for dewatering sludge or the like, particularly sludge from water purification plants, having a preliminary pressureless pocket dewatering stage A, one or more horizontal dewatering zones B formed by horizontally extending filter belts located below the preliminary stage A, those zones being located serially one below another, a medium pressure drum filter stage C, and thereafter a high-pressure dewatering unit D.

Abstract: An apparatus is presented for separating loose paper pieces from a bath of caustic soda, such as is ejected from a bottle washing machine including a housing having a reservoir in its upper portion, the reservoir having finely perforated bottom walls sloping toward the center where there is an elongated opening. An elongated helical screw conveyor is provided in the housing spaced below and parallel to the elongated opening with a perforated conveyor sleeve closely surrounding the conveyor on the bottom and sides leaving an open top which communicates with the paper coming down from the upper reservoir. Two cylindrical perforated drums are mounted in the housing on axes parallel to the screw conveyor and on opposite sides of the center of the housing. These drums may be rotated from time to time as set forth. A paper-chopping apparatus is provided at the end of the conveyor which discharges paper outside of the housing.

Abstract: The discharge end portion of a sewage delivery tube is surrounded by the input end portion of a conveyor pipe. A long, flat strip of consumable filter material is inserted through the annular space between them and into the conveyor pipe. Prior to this insertion, however, the filter strip is shaped and fastened into the form of a closed tube. The conveyor pipe discharges into an incinerator equipped with means for breaking the sewage sludge into burnable droplets. The conveyor pipe is supported over a liquid-collecting funnel and is perforated in the portion thereof that is over the funnel. A vibrator attached to the conveyor pipe oscillates it longitudinally; and ratchet teeth inside the conveyor pipe are oriented to cooperate with the vibrator to urge the filter-encased sludge toward the incinerator.

Abstract: A closed water recycling system produces portable drinking water from total domestic waste-water, including household sewage. A microprocessor monitors the operation of the system and automatically back-flushes the ultra-filter assembly, regenerates the ion exchange bed when the monitored variables indicate this is necessary, and acts as a failsafe monitor to insure water quality by shutting down the system in case of a malfunction. For example, the bed includes acid and base regenerated resins having different specific gravities. When a monitor indicates that the bed requires regeneration, a water flush separates resins by specific gravity. Acid and bas regenerating solutions are supplied to opposite sides of the bed. The flow of regenerating solution is stopped when the salt band produced during regeneration approaches an outlet at the middle of the bed.

Abstract: An apparatus for the recovery of liquid from a liquid medium containing solids includes a rotatable outer drum having a liquid-permeable drum wall and containing liquid-absorbing material, a rotatable inner wall having a liquid impervious drum wall and being mounted for rotation within and eccentrically relative to the outer drum, the drums being rotatable in the same direction into the liquid medium so as to transport the material through a compression zone in which the material is compressed so as to remove absorbed liquid therefrom and subsequently through a pressure-relief zone in which the liquid-absorbing material is allowed to expand and to absorb liquid from the liquid medium, a device or devices contacting the exterior surface of the outer drum to remove solids deposited thereon, such devices being located between the zones, and a device for collecting liquid removed from the liquid-absorbing material in the compression zone.

Abstract: The liquid which is delivered to cyclonic separators for final cleaning is precleaned twice, first in a drag tank and then by a magnetic separator. The dirty underflow from the cyclonic separators is subjected to two stages of aftercleaning, first in a second drag tank and then by a fabric filter.

Abstract: A self-cleaning filter and vortexer is provided in which a filter rotates over the clean fluid outlet port of a vortexer cannister in the direction of the flow of fluid into the tangential inlet port of the vortexer. The peripheral velocity of a freely rotating filter will approximate the flow velocity of the fluid into the tangential inlet port to enhance the centrifugal acceleration effect of the vortexer and the dynamic cleaning of the filter medium. This acceleration enhances centrifugal separation of the heavier particulates in the vortexer and enhances the dynamic cleaning of the fines and other particulates from the filter medium. The drive mechanism for rotating the filter may be designed to be uneven so as to shake the filter medium as it rotates. The flow of fluid will pass thru the filter medium and be exhausted as a cleaned fluid into the outlet port of the vortexer cannister.

Abstract: A container washer equipped with external label filter means and label separator means connected in a two-stage circulating system in which a chamber for the label filter means receives washing solution burdened with labels from the container washer and the filter means holds out the labels so the washing solution returned to the container washer is free of labels and in which a portion of the washing solution burdened with labels filtered out by the filter means is drawn into a label separator means which extracts the labels and delivers label free washing solution to the filter means to flush off labels that may cling to the filter means.

Abstract: Sludge settling and de-watering apparatus including a heavy solid settling compartment, a lighter than water solid accumulation compartment each including vibrator means, each compartment has a separate outlet for the solids accumulated therein and each outlet includes power operated valve means to control the discharge of solids from the respective compartments. Separate discharge means is provided for the residue water.

Abstract: This invention discloses oil purifying means suitable for installation in any gear assembly that includes a gear supported in a stationary housing for rotation about an axis and having a generally planar surface extending radially from the axis. The purifying means includes first means arranged during rotation of the gear, to direct a supply of lubricating oil onto the surface so that the oil is centrifuged outwardly and into second means forming an annular cavity adjacent the peripheral region of the gear. The cavity has an inwardly directed opening providing separate inlet and outlet fluid flow paths arrange so that, during rotation of the gear, lubricating oil is centrifuged through the inlet into the cavity wherein the direction of oil is reversed so that the oil exhausts through the outlet and contaminent particles in the oil are retained in the cavity due to centrifugal force.

Abstract: The self-cleaning filter assembly includes a collecting tank for receiving a liquid, such as the dirty wash water from a car washing installation, containing suspended or dispersed substances to be removed. The dirty wash water passes through a filter cloth and an underlying layer of a porous, resilient material disposed about the outer periphery of a hollow, perforated drum which is rotatably mounted in the collecting tank. The filtered water passing through the filter material enters the interior of the drum through the drum perforations and is discharged therefrom through the open end of a perforated hollow shaft which serves as the axle for the drum. A roller biased into rolling engagement with the outer surface of the filter cloth presses or squeezes the resilient material, causing a portion of the filtered water retained in the resilient material to be forced back through the filter cloth and dislodge separated substances collected on the filter cloth.

Abstract: Filtration apparatus comprises in a housing an annular filtration chamber into which there is admitted a suspension under pressure and which is formed between an external filtration surface in the form of a body of revolution and an internal filtration surface which is housed therein and is in the form of a body of revolution also; the annular filtration chamber has a suspension inlet at one of the chamber ends and has at its other and a product outlet; the filtration surfaces are connected in each case to a filtrate discharge collector; a rotating mixing-agitating device is arranged in the annular filtration chamber.

Abstract: Process for dewatering thickened sludge comprising the steps of depositing thickened sludge onto a porous support, partially dewatering the thickened sludge by establishing a vacuum within said porous support, compressing the partially dewatered sludge on said porous support at a pressure of from 1 to 10 kp/cm.sup.2 to further dewater the sludge and to form a sludge cake, compressing the sludge cake on the porous support at a pressure of from 10 to 300 kp/cm.sup.2 to further dewater the sludge cake and discharging the dewatered sludge cake from the porous support.

Abstract: An installation for the mechanical-biological purification of waste water or sewage incorporating at least one biological stage and one post-clarification stage, the post-clarification stage incorporating a filter. The filter is a drum filter having a filter surface wherein at the inflow or deposit side thereof there engages a suction nozzle which extends transversely with respect to the direction of relative movement between the filter surface and the suction nozzle.

Abstract: Apparatus for the separation of particulate solids from a liquid and comprising a container, a first declivous draining screen located within the container to separate upper and lower regions of the container, means including a subsidiary declivous draining screen steeper than the first screen for feeding a mixture of particulate solids and liquids on to the upper end of the first screen, baffles on the underside of the first screen to discourage adherence of liquid beneath the first screen, a weir disposed at the lower end of the first screen for allowing the controlled passage of solids thereover, means for withdrawing liquid from the lower region of the container, and means for vibrating the container to move solids along the first screen and over the weir.

Abstract: A rotary filter separator for continuous filtration comprises a cylindrical filter element including a membrane housed within a cylindrical drum. A solution such as a colloidal solution is passed upwardly between the interior surface of the drum and the exterior surface of the membrane. The filtrate or permeate is continuously drawn off from the interior of the cylindrical filter element while the concentrate is continuously drawn off from the space between the drum and membrane.

Abstract: An apparatus provides for continuous filtration of a mother liquor and continuous removal of solids from the filter element so that the apparatus need not be shut down for cleaning or replacement of the filter element. The solids are separated from the mother liquor as a concentrated suspension and the apparatus can be replicated in stages using successively finer filters so that a filtrate free of particles above any specified particle size can be obtained.

Abstract: Spent drilling mud riser box construction maintaining a selected high mud level for test and gravity flow to a sand sampling device and an alternately used shale shaker in which the shale shaker when operating will screen both spent drilling fluid and the residual flow from the sand sampling device.

Abstract: An activated sludge treatment method and apparatus for the processing of sewage and other wastewater wherein a screening system is employed in combination with an aeration basin and a secondary clarifier. The screening device here employed is positioned to receive all or a part of the flow from the aeration basin for the removal of solids from this flow. The screened effluent is then directed to the secondary clarifier for the settling of remaining particles. The concentrate may be returned to the aeration basin as activated sludge or removed from the system as a means for controlling the amount of solids in the treatment system. The screening device includes a rotating screen structure having a distribution system located within the screen structure for distributing effluent from the aeration basin to the inner surfaces of the screens. Effluent passing through the screens is collected and directed to the secondary clarifier.

Abstract: An integrated system for the separation of liquid and solids entrained in a carrier effluent including a primary gross oil and solids separator, a secondary solids separator and a three stage centrifuge for final separation of fine solids and said entrained liquid from the carrier effluent.

Abstract: The concentrator has at least one shaft-mounted rotor disc of solid or hollow construction with two or more ploughs located equally spaced about its periphery. The ploughs extend outwardly into the flow path of a solids-containing fluid within the concentrator to deter any tendency, due to centrifugal force, for a build-up of solids between stationary filter means and in a region remote from the periphery of the rotor disc. In a disclosed embodiment of the concentrator, the shaft-mounted rotor disc has at least one passage therethrough for the flow of solids-containing fluid from one side of the rotor disc to the other, and a plough is provided adjacent the passage and on a hub of the rotor disc to deter any tendency for a build-up of solids adjacent the passage.

Abstract: A self-cleaning fluid filter for filtering fluid entering an inlet of a pump, such as an air pump, in which a fluid filter is wrapped around a filter spool forming a filter drum and the drum coupled to the shaft of the pump motor for rotation thereof. The fluid entering the rotating filter will then be filtered of its impurities which, due to centrifugal force, will be dispersed outwardly from the filter drum to drop into a residue container. A deflector plate is disposed in proximity to the inlet for deflecting heavy particles to the residue container.

Abstract: A trough, which receives mixed water and waste, has first and second openings in the bottom thereof. Oscillating grid means overlies the first opening, and is associated with stationary wiper means. The grid means allows the water to flow therepast into the first opening, and in conjunction with the wiper means directs the waste into the second opening.