Abstract: A hydraulic system having a plurality of motor driven pumps in parallel legs, at least one being active and one in reserve, so combined with sensors to sense pump efficiency and filter efficiency that a condition deemed pump failure or filter failure results in activating the reserve leg and deactivating the inefficient leg. Other sensors detect flow meter failure and establish warnings of conditions deemed near-failure. The system may be duplicated both on the pressure side and return side of the pumps.The system reservoir is characterized by a tank for return fluid to be cleaned and a separate tank for the fluid to be delivered under pressure; so constructed as to (a) remove turbulence, (b) prevent vortex overlap, (c) remove silt fines and (d) maintain a proper pumping level.

Abstract: The floating apparatus comprises a cyclone carrying a normally submerged forming with the body of the cyclone a water compartment containing the cyclone inlet orifice. The sill of the dam is situated below but close to the free surface of the body of water from which the pollutant is to be removed and such sill is formed to create a continuous flow of water and pollutant into the compartment to form therein a level of the mixture lower than that of the free surface of the body of water. The dam has a height enabling the level of the water in the compartment to be maintained constantly higher than the inlet orifice of the cyclone.

Abstract: A continuous sludge heat treatment apparatus in sewage disposal system having an axially porous member within a vertical vessel and radial apertures in the side wall of vessel below the axially porous member, so as to have almost all part of sludge exposed to, and thus heated directly with, steam supplied through the radial apertures while the sludge fed into the head of vessel falls down in the form of thin strings through the axial pores and hits the tail of vessel.

Abstract: Apparatus for collecting debris floating in a stream comprises collector means disposed astride the stream with a first part arranged to engage and intercept floating debris and with another part pivotally mounted downstream and above the surface of the stream, and lift means secured to the collector means adjacent the first part for controlling the elevation of the first part in accordance with variations in the level of the stream.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises a magnet for establishing a magnetic field in a first zone, and a separating chamber. The separating chamber is provided with an inlet and an outlet for fluid and contains a fluid-permeable packing of magnetizable material between the inlet and the outlet. One or more parts of the separating chamber consist of magnetic field concentrating means constituted by ferromagnetic material. This part (or each of these parts) would otherwise occupy a region of relatively low magnetic field intensity when the separating chamber is within the first zone and a magnetic field was established in the first zone by means of the magnet. The remainder of the separating chamber consists of substantially non-magnetizable material. Means are provided for moving the separating chamber into, and out of, the first zone and for passing fluid containing magnetizable particles through the separating chamber when within that zone so that magnetizable particles are magnetized and captured in the packing.

Abstract: An automatic liquid level control system for separation tanks which are used to clean waste water. The automatic level control system includes an external stilling well mounted on the side of the separation tank and having a liquid level sensing means which produces a pneumatic signal related to the liquid level. A pneumatic operator receives the pneumatic signal and maintains the proper position of the weir gate in the weir or outfall box of the separation tank, so that the amount of effluent water flowing from the tank is appropriately regulated to maintain the desired liquid level in the tank.

Abstract: A process for the separation of a dispersed aqueous or water-miscible liquid from a fluid mixture by addition of a water-soluble, organically-based, ferromagnetic composition to combine with the dispersed liquid and subjecting the fluid mixture to a magnetic field to separate the aqueous or water-miscible liquid.

Abstract: A plate-type filter press having filter plates suspended by centrally disposed support means is provided with a flushing unit insertable from below into the space between adjacent filter plates. Guide means are arranged in the proximity of at least one of the upper corners of the filter plates to prevent the plates from swinging relative to the support means and still permit insertion of the flushing unit between adjacent filter plates.

Abstract: An apparatus to separate a mixture of liquids of different specific gravities, e.g. oil and water, said apparatus having in a closed vessel a separation space with a movable wall portion for controlling the discharge of lighter liquid therefrom, said wall portion being operated by the lighter liquid collecting in said separation space and being a diaphragm or a bellows.

Abstract: An improved oil collecting vessel of the twin-hull type is described here. An oily water suction means is provided with a float that supported by a linkage mechanism which in turn is fixedly secured to an upper deck of the vessel. The oily water suction means may therefore be raised or lowered without changing its direction so as to follow the wave motion of the water surface region delimited at its opposite side edges by the hulls. Oily water floating on the water surface region is sucked through the oily water suction means and is conveyed to a tank in the vessel through a suction pipe. The suction of the oily water is enhanced by an ejector provided in the midway of the suction pipe. An effluent oil converging section is provided in a reentrant form in front of the oily water suction means and is delimited by guide plates on its opposite sides. In front of the oily water suction means is a jet water injection port.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for separating floc in a liquid and for accomplishing the sedimentation of the floc, and provides an apparatus for carrying out the same. In the present invention, a plurality of partition chambers having a narrow gap and being constructed in a square and tubular shape is formed by a plurality of separate plates in the settling tank and a plurality of fins to hit the floc against the fin thereby catching effectively the floc suspended in the mother liquid and separating smoothly and accomplishing the sedimentation of the floc.

Abstract: A method utilizing the phenomenon of plug flow for removing solids from liquid. Liquid with suspended solids, such as paper mill effluent, is passed through a conduit under conditions of plug flow. This produces a moving plug containing the suspended particles, with the liquid along the wall of the conduit being relatively free of suspended particles. The wall is made liquid permeable, and liquid is forced through the wall as the liquid moves along the conduit. Preferably the wall is made relatively impermeable to a substantial portion of the suspended solids to assure that relatively pure liquid flows through the wall, leaving the solids concentrated in the remaining liquid flowing through the conduit. Liquid with concentrated solids is recirculated.

Abstract: A self-cleaning siphon-type method for removing sludge from a water or liquid waste settling tank is disclosed. A siphon conduit, through which liquid flows from the settling tank into an adjacent chamber which contains liquid at a level lower than the level in the tank, is provided along with means for withdrawing liquid from the chamber at a constant, predetermined rate. Momentarily decreased flow through the siphon tube due to clogging the siphon conduit inlets results in a lowering of liquid in the chamber and increased suction in the conduit, which increased suction tends to unclog the siphon conduit inlets.

Abstract: A lubricating-oil filter with a filter pot arranged on a filter base, which is provided with an assembly opening adapted to be closed by a cover and in which a filter cartridge is adapted to be inserted by way of the assembly opening; a bolt retained at its upper end at the cover and at its lower end in the filter base is provided with an intermediate channel that connects a filtered-oil chamber of the filter pot with a base channel, itself connected with a filter base connection for the outflow of the filtered-oil; the fastening means for the cover are thereby structurally separate from the bolt and are arranged outside of the bolt axis while the mounting support for the upper end of the bolt is located at the bottom side of the cover and the mounting support for the lower end of the bolt is constructed as slide seat.

Abstract: The disclosed filter comprises a filter housing having a generally conical downwardly tapering bottom wall and a closed top wall. A generally conical filter medium is mounted in the housing so as to partition the housing into upper and lower compartments. Rather than being conical, the filter medium may be in the shape of a downwardly tapering inverted pyramid, having any desired number of sides, with its apex down and its base at the top of the filter medium. During the normal filtering operation, paint or some other liquid is supplied under pressure to a lower opening at the lower end of the conical bottom wall. The paint or other liquid passes upwardly through the filter medium which removes any foreign particles. The filtered liquid or filtrate then passes out of the upper compartment through an outlet pipe extending from the lower portion of the upper compartment through the top wall and out of the housing.

Abstract: A piston assembly is disposed between the inlet zone and the filter medium of an apparatus to forcibly compact the filter medium with the same liquid which is being filtered by the liquid filter apparatus thereby to inhibit channeling of the liquid through the filter medium.

Abstract: A filter apparatus for aquariums consisting of two separable units. Within a filter unit is located the water filtering means and a pump for circulating the water from the aquarium through the filter means and back to the aquarium. Mounted upon a power unit is a motor having an output shaft which at one end is provided with a magnet. The power unit and filter unit are both hung from the rim of a wall of the aquarium by means of interlocking lip structures. The units are constructed such that the filter unit is seated in a "nesting" fashion upon the power unit, thus the power unit and filter unit are positioned in close proximity to one another and maintained in proper alignment such that the magnetic field of the magnet on the motor shaft magnetically influences a flywheel of the water pump and causes the latter to pump water when the motor is energized.

Abstract: The drain filter has large inlet openings at a raised position and small inlet openings at its bottom, all shaped to cooperate with the dishwashing machine sump to form labyrinthine drainage passageways to stop debris exceeding an acceptable size. The drain filter is in two parts, a fixed portion and a removable portion, both of which provide these features. The large inlet openings into the removable portion of the drain filter are upwardly facing and on the downstream side of an elevated wall which forms a dam to stop dense objects from entering the filter. The total filter inlet area is small to maintain a high flow velocity to float softer and lighter items over the dam for removal from the dishwasher when it is drained. The small inlet openings drain the remaining fluid after the level falls below the large openings.

Abstract: In a separator for oil and water, successive separating stages are located within concentric chambers in a vertical cylindrical container, each chamber having at its upper end a collecting zone for separated oil, and the stages comprise respectively a first stage incorporating a plurality of concentric annular shells of which at least portions are inclined to the vertical and which are located within an open-ended annular chamber through which liquid flows in an upward direction, a second stage comprising a coagulator through which liquid from the first stage is directed upwardly, and a third stage comprising a filter housed within a cylindrical screen located above the coagulator.

Abstract: Magnetic separation apparatus and method is disclosed for removing particles from a fluid-particle mixture, characterized by the provision of a plurality of parallel relatively thin-section matrix separator elements arranged within and parallel to the direction of a magnetic field, and flow establishing means for causing the mixture to flow in parallel flow paths through the matrix elements, respectively, in thickness directions transverse to the direction of the magnetic field. The matrix elements may be parallel spaced polygonal elements, or concentrically arranged annular elements. Preferably the matrix elements include a hollow non-ferromagnetic canister, and a mass of relatively short ferromagnetic fibers having a length of about 1-10 millimeters packed in the canister with a density of at least 8 percent by volume relative to the volume of the canister.