Abstract: An aerator for bodies of water having a housing with a concave top wall, an annular buoyant core and a plurality of aerator pumps which draw water from beneath the core and spray the water in vertically spaced sheets onto the top wall of the housing. A telescoping tube extends from the central opening of the top wall down through the core and down near the bottom of the lake. An impeller is provided in the telescoping tube for driving the water down through the tube and out through the outlet opening thereof. A heater is provided below the top wall and on the outside edges of the aerator pump to prevent ice formation thereon. A screened enclosure is provided beneath the buoyant core through which filtered water can be drawn by the aerator pump. A plurality of legs are adjustably secured to the housing for supporting the housing on the bottom of the lake bed.

Abstract: A device for floating on a body of water such as a lake or a pond and which draws up water and aerates it and then dumps the aerated water back on the body of water. More specifically, the device includes an impeller for pumping the water upwardly against a rotatable beater which in turn sucks in air and mixes the water and air thoroughly, forces it against a deflecting baffle and the baffle in turn then directs the mixture downwardly onto the body of water. The beater includes a generally horizontally disposed plate having paddles at its underside and having air scoops on its upper side and which functions to thoroughly aerate the water and direct it against the baffle.

Abstract: The invention comprises a pumping device for pumping water from the bottom of a lake or reservoir. The device has a raft with pipe means pivotably mounted to the raft. A rotatable shaft is mounted to the raft having a propellor at its lower end located in the upper end of the pipe means with wind driven means to rotate the shaft. The pipe means is pivotable to either a vertical or horizontal position and has means to lock the pipe means in a vertical position whereby the pipe means may be retained in a horizontal position when positioning the raft in a lake or reservoir whereupon the pipe means may be pivoted to a vertical position.

Abstract: An aerator device for maintaining a high level of oxygen in live bait storage containers is disclosed. The aerator device comprises a cover for the container on which is mounted a suitable drive motor. The shaft of the motor extends downwardly through the cover and carries at its lower end an impeller which is driven by the motor at a high rate of speed to vigorously stir and aerate the water in the container. The upper portion of the shaft is enclosed by a housing which depends from the cover and extends down below the water level in the container. The lower end of the shaft and the impeller are surrounded by a relatively stiff screen having openings large enough to allow the free circulation of water, but small enough to prevent bait from reaching the impeller. Air inlets are provided on the cover and on the shaft housing to admit air to the interior of the housing.

Abstract: Several forms of surface impeller for aeration of liquids are disclosed. All of the forms are of the shrouded or closed turbine type. In one form, the impeller has a large-diameter flat steel horizontal upper disc adapted to be secured to the lower end of a vertically disposed rotatable drive shaft. Secured, as by welding, to the undersurface of the upper disc are a plurality, such as six or eight or other number, of vertical blades at uniform spacing. Each blade is curved in a retreating or backward direction relative to the direction of rotation of the impeller. Each blade has a long or deep vertical inner edge located forward of the center axis of rotation. The lower edge of each blade is inclined upwardly toward a relatively short or shallow vertical outer edge located near the outer periphery of the upper disc. The horizontal innermost portion of the otherwise inclined bottom edge of each blade is welded to a small lower tie plate.

Abstract: An aerator comprising a support member in the form of a flat plate which is adapted, when the aerator is in use, to lie in a horizontal plane and to be rotated about its central vertical axis, a plurality of angularly spaced blades secured to the underside of said plate and each extending radially from a central region thereof towards its periphery, each said blade having a maximum depth beneath a horizontal datum at a position intermediate its ends, and being provided with a plate secured to its lower edge and extending on both sides of the blade along at least a portion of that part of the length of the blade between its outer end and the position of maximum depth.

Abstract: A method of aerating slurry involves the use of a screw conveyor operating in a tubular casing having an inlet and an outlet. The inlet has access to the air above the level of the slurry so that as the conveyor is rotated air is admitted through the inlet and discharged at the outlet, which is below the surface level, into the body of the slurry. The screw conveyor may be in two portions of opposite hand so that one portion discharges air and the other portion discharges slurry at a common outlet intermediate the two ends of the casing.

Abstract: The specification discloses an improved form of waste digester in which agitator screws are separately adjustable for speed and for angular position forward and to one side. Speed control and retraction of the probes from the digesting mass are also disclosed.

Abstract: An aerator for the biological purification of waste water comprises an undulating annular disk of sheet material, centered on a vertical axis of rotation, forming interleaved sets of upper and lower sectors interconnected by generally vertical, radially extending webs. Each lower disk sector defines with the adjacent webs an upwardly open channel whereas each upper disk sector defines with its associated webs a downwardly open channel. A central sleeve, descending from the level of the alternately upwardly and downwardly open channels, obstructs the inner ends of the latter but opens into the inner ends of the former whose effective cross-sectional area is adjustable with the aid of a vertically shiftable shutter ring inside the sleeve.

Abstract: A mechanical aerator comprising a boss, and at least one blade which extends radially from the boss and comprises a planar body portion and a deflector, the arrangement being such that when the aerator is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis the planar body portion of the blade lies in a vertical, or substantially vertical, plane and the deflector is inclined circumferentially upwardly from the top of the planar body portion.

Abstract: Apparatus in an air conditioning unit for reducing noise created by a condensate slinger comprising a condenser fan shroud having contained as an integral part thereof a curvilinear baffle having a splash surface of a predetermined configuration closely surrounding the slinger for the purpose of reducing the noise attendant the delivery of the condensate collected adjacent to the slinger over the surface of a condenser.

Abstract: A device for mixing liquids and gases comprising a fan stage above and connected to a distribution stage. The fan stage comprises a plate with blades and a central aperture. The distribution stage comprises a plate, preferably concave with the concavity facing upwards, having a central aperture which is disposed just above or at the level of the liquid. A motor spins both stages. A pipe may be extended from the aperture of the distribution stage down into the liquid.

Abstract: A motor-driven propeller is disposed within a draft tube beneath a buoyant float and is adapted to pump water upwardly through the draft tube. In one mode of operation, the pumping device functions as an aerator in that the water pumped upwardly through the draft tube flows upwardly through an opening in the float and is deflected across the upper side of the float and into the atmosphere by a diffuser plate spaced above the opening. The pumping device can be converted into a flow developer by positioning the diffuser plate beneath the opening in the float and, when the plate is so positioned, water pumped upwardly through the draft tube strikes the plate and is deflected outwardly beneath the lower side of the float.

Abstract: A surface aerator equipped with a central vertical shaft which can be coupled to a drive means, substantially vertical blades being mounted on the lower end of said shaft.According to the invention an upwardly expanding, smooth cone is fitted underneath, and coaxially with, the shaft, the greatest radius of which cone is appreciably greater than the radius of the shaft, but appreciably smaller than the radius of the aerator at the outer edges of the blades, while the upper edge of this cone is adjoined by an overhead vertical cylinder, the successive blades being linked by an outwardly and upwardly inclined, at least substantially flat connecting plate, which is upwardly staggered with respect to the cone.

Abstract: An impeller which is adapted to be affixed to a rotating shaft is provided for aerating a liquid and includes a support disk having a circular outer edge. The support disk is affixed to the rotating shaft in such a manner that it is maintained in a substantially perpendicular relationship with the shaft. A plurality of impeller blades are affixed to the support disk in such a manner as to be spaced from the shaft and extend above the upper surface of the support disk and below the lower surface of the support disk. The impeller blades further extend outwardly from the circular outer edge and have an upper edge which lies in a plane substantially parallel to the support disk. Each impeller blade which is tapered causing the blades to be widest at the portion closest to the rotating shaft and progressively more narrow as the blades extend outwardly from the support disk.

Abstract: An impeller which is adapted to be affixed to a rotating shaft is provided for aerating a liquid and includes a support disk having a circular outer edge. The support disk is affixed to the rotating shaft in such a manner that it is maintained in a substantially perpendicular relationship with the shaft. A plurality of impeller blades are affixed to the support disk in such a manner as to be spaced from the shaft and extend above the upper surface of the support disk and below the lower surface of the support disk. The impeller blades further extend outwardly from the circular outer edge and have an upper edge which lies in a plane substantially parallel to the support disk. Each impeller blade which is tapered causing the blades to be widest at the portion closest to the rotating shaft and progressively more narrow as the blades extend outwardly from the support disk.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a device for the purification of waste water with the aid of active silt, comprising an open basin or the like with supply and discharge means for the water, in which basin a partition is provided in such a manner that a closed circulating channel is obtained, a rotatable aerator with a vertical axis being mounted in such manner and adapted to be driven in such a sense that on rotation thereof the water is circulated in said closed channel, characterized in that one or more aerator are mounted near an outer wall or a partition of the basin.

Abstract: The invention comprises a water circulator device for circulating the water in a lake, pond, or reservoir. The device comprises a raft having a wind driven shaft mounted thereon for vertical rotation. A mixing chamber is mounted beneath the raft with the upper edge of the chamber above the surface of the lake, pond, or reservoir. The lower end of the shaft has a propellor mounted thereon within the mixing chamber. A pair of vertical telescoping pipes are mounted beneath the chamber of reduced diameter in relation to the chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus for circulating and/or aerating a liquid, especially waste water located in a tank or basin by means of a centrifugal impeller or rotor immersed in the liquid and rotatable about a substantially vertical axis. The centrifugal impeller is equipped with a multiplicity of at least approximately radially extending liquid conveying channels. The liquid conveying channels at least at the region of their outlet openings or mouths are curved in such a manner in a vertical plane and/or provided at the outlet openings in such a manner with flow deflection surfaces that the liquid emanating from the conveying channels flows at an angle of at least 5.degree. relative to a substantially horizontal plane towards the side of the impeller provided with an inlet opening.

Abstract: A humidifying plant table which is composed of a housing having an internal liquid receiving chamber therein, within the top surface of the housing is located a plurality of spaced apart openings, a mist producing device in the preferred form of a electrically driven motor is attached to the housing and extends within the confines of the internal chamber, the mist producing device extracts liquid from the tank and expels the liquid in the form of a fine droplet mist which, in turn, is expelled into the ambient through the openings provided within the top surface and thereby in contact with any plants which are placed upon the top surface.

Abstract: An evaporation accelerator has a base with a housing rotatably affixed thereto and float means adjustably affixed thereto to float the accelerator in an evaporatable fluid. Air-operated propulsion means which receives compressed air from air supply means is connected to the housing to rotate it. Support members are also secured to the housing and extend generally radially away from the housing. Scoop means are secured to the support members and have a first end positioned in the fluid and a second end positioned above the surface of the fluid so that as the housing rotates fluid is scooped up and ejected over the surface of the fluid.

Abstract: A device for aerating liquid in a tank comprises a rotating body having vanes which contact the surface of the liquid. A splash guard is disposed above the body to reflect into the tank liquid droplets discharged upwardly by the body.

Abstract: A clarification plant has an activation tank which is provided with a surface ventilation rotor. Activated sludge from a re-clarification tank is recycled by means of a conduit connected to the re-clarification tank, an outlet aperture thereof being located in the suction zone of the rotor. The activated sludge is sucked from the conduit into the rotor. Oxygen or an oxygen mixture is added in finely divided form to the recycled activated sludge before it enters the rotor to aerate the same.

Abstract: A device for revolving a liquid has a hollow shaft for supplying gas to the liquid, and the free end of the shaft is immersed in the liquid where it carries a propeller for revolving the liquid. The propeller comprises at least one screw-shaped vane, and at least part of the vane's surface forms an acute angle with the longitudinal axis of the hollow shaft, as seen from the free end of the shaft, the vane extending along at least two thirds of the circumference of the shaft.

Abstract: An improved aeration apparatus for use in sewage treatment plants to dissolve oxygen into the sewage. The aeration apparatus is specifically designed for use in combination with a single home sewage treatment unit. The aeration apparatus includes a motor assembly for rotation of a propeller through a downwardly extending drive shaft. The propeller extends downwardly into a draft tube so as to pump the liquid to be aerated upward therethrough. A deflector plate directs the rising liquid radially outward in all directions. A slinger is positioned about the drive shaft immediately below the deflector plate. The motor is designed to pull only fresh air into the aerator housing. To avoid clogging the propeller is free to move in one direction or another when a large object comes through the draft tube.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for treating liquor containing biodegradable wastes wherein the liquor is first delivered to a quiescent settling zone and then to an aeration zone. The aeration liquor is delivered downwardly through a column of submerged fixed media having a high surface area to volume ratio so that aerobic microorganisms can grow on their surface. The liquor is recirculated through the aeration zone and fixed media, and is withdrawn from the unit after treatment.

Abstract: A wastewater treatment system of the activated sludge type is disclosed in which variable degrees of effective staging of the mixed liquor are achieved in an oxygenated aeration basin without the use of walls or partitions to physically divide the mixed liquor into separate liquid stages.

Abstract: An improved air cooler for use on trailers, campers and the like wherein the cooler has a water supply tank covered by a baffle having a generally horizontal upper surface provided with rib means defining a depression for receiving the lower, continuous margin of a filter. The baffle has holes in the depression to allow water gravitating from the filter to pass through the baffle and return to the tank. Air is driven through the filter by a motor-operated fan coupled to a conical pump extending through a central opening in the baffle defined by a flange having means thereon to prevent water surges in the opening. Water in the tank is elevated by the pump and projected into the airstream flowing toward and into the filter. The air inlet to the housing has a lower boundary which slopes away from the fan to allow moisture to gravitate away from the fan when the cooler is not in use.This invention relates to improvements in air coolers of the evaporative type used on the roof of a trailer, camper and the like.

Abstract: A self-priming centrifugal pump includes a housing having an inverted frusto-conically shaped lower portion. A centrifugal impeller is suspended from the shaft of a motor mounted in the top portion of the housing. The centrifugal impeller includes a solids collector member removably attached to its lower end. A cylindrical inlet tube, integral with the frusto-conically shaped lower housing portion, extends into the interior of the centrifugal impeller through an opening in the lower end of the solids collector member. An inverted dish shaped impeller member is located above the centrifugal impeller and directs and impels fluid pumped by the centrifugal impeller toward a plurality of efflux ports located in the pump housing. The centrifugal impeller includes an air hole in the conical wall thereof to allow air to escape as the pump is priming.

Abstract: Between the vertical tube walls and the blades of the rotating impeller are four vanes attached to the tube walls. In the area radially about the impeller, the vanes are pitched in a direction opposite to the pitch of the impeller blades. The impeller is rotated in a direction such as to force the water downwardly. The top of the tube is below the normal surface of the water and the vanes are inclined from the top to the bottom of the tube. The impeller is rotated at a speed sufficient to produce a vortex from the top of the tube to approximately the top of the impeller.

Abstract: This invention is a compact gas purifier useful as a home air purifier. Gas scrubber action is achieved in a specially shaped bowl partially filled with liquid. A central rotor drives the liquid by centrifugal force out and up the wall of the bowl to a re-entrant rim which directs the liquid back into the central region of the bowl in a spray. Gas to be purified is drawn in over the rim of the bowl, down through the spray of liquid and up out through a central cylindrical tube which surrounds the top of the rotor.

Abstract: An open-ended cylindrical tower having an upper outlet end and a lower inlet end with a coaxial open center pump intermediate the inlet and outlet ends of the tower for imparting relatively high kinetic energy to fluid to be passed through the tower with a vortical motion under relatively low pressure, and a velocity deflector at the outlet end of the tower jointly defining therewith an unobstructed annular discharge opening and serving to at least partially deflect the axial velocity of the fluid and amplify its angular escape velocity through the discharge opening to effect a 360.degree. radiating spray pattern while minimizing pressure drop during discharge.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for treating wastewater, such as municipal sewage, are provided in which an oxygen enriched feed gas is supplied to an oxygenation chamber wherein oxygen is efficiently dissolved in wastewater (mixed liquor) by means of a static mixing device. The chamber is preferably submerged in a large body of wastewater being treated, such as is commonly found in the secondary stage of an activated sludge wastewater treatment system with the chamber being adapted to receive such wastewater from a location slightly below the surface thereof. Oxygenated wastewater is discharged from the chamber in either a radial or multi-directional pattern at a sufficient velocity to effect a thorough mixing of the oxygenated wastewater and the large body of wastewater contained in the secondary stage treatment tank.