Abstract: Pre-cast concrete beams for supporting a filterbed have deep downwardly extending flanges for providing an underchannel lengthwise of the beam. The beams generally extend across a flume. For backwashing with an air-water mixture, air should be supplied at substantially the same rate to all of the channels. Cross passages between the channels are an aid to this even distribution. Heretofore, special molding procedures for providing the passages or limbers through the beam flanges have increased manufacturing costs. According to the present invention, such passages are provided without extra molding steps and without extra cost by following a delightfully simple concept of merely omitting the end portions of the flanges where beam strength is not required. The end portion projecting beyond the flanges may have a leg across its end to ensure support and aid sealing.

Abstract: A side loading refuse truck having a reciprocable ram in the bottom of a loading compartment at the front of the truck for pushing rubbish from the loading compartment through an opening therefrom at the bottom of the rear wall of the loading compartment into a larger rear body section. Hydraulic mechanism moves the ram in short strokes through the loading compartment for packing refuse rearwardly into the larger body section. The body has an openable rear wall. The hydraulic mechanism also can be actuated to move the ram rearwardly through the opening and along the bottom of the larger rear body section to the rear thereof for ejecting refuse from the larger body section. There is a vertical guide track up which at least the greater part of an articulated sliding shield extends when the ram is forward of or in the bottom of the loading compartment.

Abstract: Diffusers on the bottom of a submerged header each include coarse bubble orifices which discharge a stream of air to form a bubble or film on the underside of a horizontal spreader at the edges of which the bubble is sheared by flowing water into multitudinous tiny bubblets rising in the surrounding liquid as a cloud. A second horizontal spreader, slightly above the first, has a similar action, shearing into fine bubblets any larger bubbles which escape from the first spreader to the second. Edges are staggered to supply air to different parts of the water flow. The rising bubblets set up a conventional rolling action in the body of liquid. It is this rolling action which produces the flow of water past the spreaders to shear the bubbles at their edges. A snap-in screw-tightened band secures each diffuser to the header.

Abstract: An apparatus for dumping refuse containers having outwardly extending co-axial trunnions at their upper front corners. The apparatus consists of two laterally spaced, co-acting mechanisms between which the container is located for dumping. Each of the two mechanisms has a vertically movable lever, both of the levers being pivoted on a common horizontal pivot line on a structure that remains stationary while a container is being dumped. The lower ends of the levers are connected by a cross member which engages the container at a level beneath the trunnions. Each of the mechanisms also has opposed trunnion locks which are moved by a hydraulic cylinder to engage the trunnions. Thereafter, through a lost motion connection, the levers and cross member are swung rearwardly and upwardly by the hydraulic cylinders in order to tip the container over for dumping the refuse.