Abstract: An apparatus and method for de-inking waste paper pulp using a foam flotation process to recycle printed waste paper for the manufacture of new paper. Pulped printed paper is fed as a slurry to an inlet of a shallow tank. Internal guide walls in the tank establish a flow path from the inlet to an outlet. The walls are sized and positioned to create a generally uniform cross-sectional flow area. A plurality of modules are disposed along the flow path. Each module includes at least one injector that aerates the flow and an extractor that removes floated ink foam. A portion of the flow from each module is recycled to an upstream module, preferably by a conduit and associated pump. In a preferred form, an injector (or injectors) alone located at the inlet is fed by the next downstream module and an extractor alone is located near the outlet. The invention also includes a main recycling loop from the downstream end of the flow path to the upstream end.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for de-inking waste paper pulp using a foam flotation process to recycle printed waste paper for the manufacture of new paper. Pulped printed paper is fed as a slurry to an inlet of a shallow tank. Internal guide walls in the tank establish a flow path from the inlet to an outlet. The walls are sized and positioned to create a generally uniform cross-sectional flow area. A plurality of modules are disposed along the flow path. Each module includes at least one injector that aerates the flow and an extractor that removes floated ink foam. A portion of the flow from each module is recycled to an upstream module, preferably by a conduit and associated pump. In a preferred form, an injector (or injectors) alone located at the inlet is fed by the next downstream module and an extractor alone is located near the outlet. The invention also includes a main recycling loop from the downstream end of the flow path to the upstream end.

Abstract: Water clarifying apparatus has a cylindrical tank where particulate contaminants suspended in raw water are separated using flotation techniques. The treatment capacity of such a unit is increased several times, with no increase in the size of the tank, by using a set of concentric, mutually spaced, conical plates positioned in the flotation tank. The increase is proportional to the combined area of the plates when projected onto a horizontal plane, the overlap of the projection producing an area which is greater than that of the horizontal plane without plates. The plates rotate about the tank, preferably in unison with a (i) header that distributes equal quantities of raw water to each annular zone in the tank defined by the conical plates and (ii) a scoop for removing the contaminants which form a floated sludge layer.

Abstract: Water clarifying apparatus has a cylindrical tank where particulate contaminants suspended in raw water are separated using flotation techniques. The treatment capacity of such a unit is increased by using a set of concentric, mutually spaced, conical plates positioned in the flotation tank. The apparatus utilizes air dissolving tubes operating in parallel that have common feeds and discharges coupled through three way valves operated to pressurize a closed volume of water with high pressure air in one tube while reloading and discharging the other tube.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for stabilizing sludge such as the sludge produced by municipal waste water treatment plants includes thickening of the sludge to a dry solid content in the range of 3% to 8% before feeding it to at least one comparatively small reactor tank that extends horizontally and has an inlet and outlet adjacent opposite end walls. The system preferably utilizes multiple tanks stacked one above the other and connected in series. The tanks have an in-built mixer that sweeps through the interior of the tank. The mixer is eccentrically mounted so that its mixing members carry the sludge through the uppermost portion of the tank interior and are spaced from the bottom surface of the tank. A sparger is located either in the inlet or in the bottom clearance of the tank to introduce microscopic bubbles of oxygen and ozone into the sludge. A pressure regulating valve controls the flow of the stabilize sludge from the uppermost reactor tank.

Abstract: Water clarifying apparatus has a cylindrical tank where particulate contaminants suspended in raw water are separated using flotation techniques. The treatment capacity of such a unit is increased several times, with no decrease in the size of the tank, by using a set of concentric, mutually spaced, conical plates positioned in the flotation tank. The increase is proportional to the combined area of the plates when projected onto a horizontal plane, the overlap of the projection producing an area which is greater than that of the horizontal plane without plates. The plates rotate about the tank, preferably in unison with a (i) header that distributes equal quantities of raw water to each annular zone in the tank defined by the conical plates and (ii) a scoop for removing the contaminants which form a floated sludge layer.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for stabilizing sludge such as the sludge produced by municipal waste water treatment plants includes thickening of the sludge to a dry solid content in the range of 3% to 8% before feeding it to at least one comparatively small reactor tank that extends horizontally and has an inlet and outlet adjacent opposite end walls. The system preferably utilizes multiple tanks stacked one above the other and connected in series. The tanks have an in-built mixer that sweeps through the interior of the tank. The mixer is eccentrically mounted so that its mixing members carry the sludge through the uppermost portion of the tank interior and are spaced from the bottom surface of the tank. A sparger is located either in the inlet or in the bottom clearance of the tank to introduce microscopic bubbles of oxygen and ozone into the sludge. A pressure regulating valve controls the flow of the stabilize sludge from the uppermost reactor tank.

Abstract: Water clarifying apparatus has a cylindrical tank where particulate contaminants suspended in raw water are separated using flotation techniques. A set of concentric mutually spaced, conical plates are positioned in the flotation tank. The plates rotate about the tank, preferably in unison with a (i) header that distributes equal quantities of raw water to each annular zone in the tank defined by the conical plates and (ii) a scoop for removing the contaminants which form a floated sludge layer. A screw conveyor is located in a discharge pipe of the floated sludge scoop. A infrared sludge detection array in a window in the side wall of the tank senses the sludge-water interface. Air dissolving tubes operating in parallel have common feeds and discharges coupled through three way valves operated to pressurize a closed volume of water with high pressure air in one tube while reloading and discharging the other tube.

Abstract: Apparatus adapted for use in a water clarification system which removes particles of greater than a predetermined size from the clarified water includes a screen or a pair of concentric screens positioned in a clarified water storage area between an inlet and a clarified water outlet. One or more spray heads for direct a shower of high pressure filtered clarified water at the outlet side of the screen or screens to loosen or remove particles therefrom. In addition, a rotating brush can act on the inlet side of the screen. Particles removed by the cleaning elements are recirculated through the system. Water levels are maintained by overflow control or by monitoring the water level and utilizing the output from the monitor or monitors to selectively control valves in the inlet or outlets from the system.

Abstract: Apparatus for treatment of septic tank effluent to remove suspended particles for clarifying and purifying the water prior to discharge into the leaching field or for use for other purposes. The apparatus, which is small enough to be conveniently installed in individual households, comprises a vertical main tank, flocculation material supply means to form flocs for combining with suspended solids in the unclarified water introduced into the main tank, a water electrolysis unit in the main tank for producing gaseous bubbles to which the flocs become attached and which rise to the surface where the entrapped solids are removed and returned to the septic tank, and a filter device at the bottom of the main tank for removing remaining precipitated flocs with entrapped solids. The anode of the electrolysis unit is made of aluminum to provide aluminum hydroxide as a flocculating agent.

Abstract: Apparatus for removing suspended particles from water comprises outer and inner concentrically arranged tanks and a carriage arranged on top of the outer tank for movement around the same. Unclarified water is introduced into the inner tank along with flocculating material for combining with the suspended particles in the water, and the mixture passes from the inner to the outer tank. Gaseous bubbles are introduced into the mixture for attaching to the flocculated suspended particles and floating them to the surface of the water in the outer tank, forming a sludge layer thereon. A scoop device mounted on the carriage removes the sludge for discharge from the apparatus. A plurality of filter beds are arranged near the bottom of the outer tank for removing the remaining precipitated flocs to complete the clarification of the water for discharge, and suction apparatus is arranged above the filter beds for cleaning the same.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for removing suspended particles from water in a circular tank having a distribution and flocculation chamber immersed in the tank of water and carried circularly around the tank by a carriage. Flocculating material and inlet water are introduced into the body of water from the moving flocculating chamber at the same rate as clarified water is discharged through a filter substantially covering the bottom of the tank. A majority of particles in the water is collected by flocs in the water and floated to the water surface by air bubble action. The floating sludge is removed by a spiral scoop carried by the carriage. The water is then passed through the bottom filter which removes the remaining flocs completing the clarification of the water for discharge. Apparatus is provided for selectively back washing sections of the filter while the remainder of the filter is in operation.

Abstract: Apparatus for clarifying treated waste water in which the waste water is floated and settled in a flotation tank equipped with a rotatable carriage provided with multi-scoop means. The multi-scoop means is rotated as it is passed through the upper strata of the treated waste water for the removal of floated particles or sludge with no appreciable disturbance of the main body of waste water. The multi-scoop carries the floated particles or sludge to a sludge outlet in an efficient manner without clogging by an unique construction self-cleaning in operation.