With Gravitational Separator Patents (Class 210/265)
  • Patent number: 7371323
    Abstract: A wastewater treatment system. Toilet, kitchen, commercial, and industrial process waste is segregated from the total wastewater stream and treated in order to reduce the total nitrogen, phosphorous, pathogens, household hazardous and hazardous wastes and organic carbon released into the environment. Release of treated toilet, kitchen, commercial, and industrial process liquid waste is eliminated. Segregation of toilet, kitchen, and commercial and industrial process wastewater from non-toilet, kitchen, commercial and industrial process wastewater requires separate sewer plumbing and separate storage of the toilet, kitchen, commercial and industrial process wastewater. The non-toilet, non-kitchen, non-commercial & non-industrial process wastewater can be released via a traditional septic tank and drain field or processed for reuse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Inventors: Rick B. Spielman, Link Summers
  • Patent number: 7311829
    Abstract: A water treatment device and method for treating a quantity of water is powered by gravitational flow. The device includes an upper collecting chamber (14) and a filtration chamber (18). The filtration chamber includes a set of reactance containg at least three components wherein one of the components is a polycation and another one of the components is a polyanion. The method includes subjecting the water to gravitational flow through the filtration chamber (18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: H2Q Water Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ehud Roffman, Haim Wilder, Baruch Berliner
  • Patent number: 7291262
    Abstract: The invention provides a runoff water purification system for removing pollutants which accumulate on road surfaces, thereby reducing the workload of the sewage water treatment plants and preventing environmental water pollution. The system 1 is installed under the ground of the side of the road 2. Runoff water runs into the system 1 through a curb inlet 120, is purified and discharged to a sewage pipe 56. The system is made up of a concrete box 11, in which a wall 10 separates the box into a maintenance tank 7 and a treatment tank 9, both of which are connected to each other at their lowest ends. Runoff water flows into the maintenance tank 7 and to the treatment tank 9, through the connecting conduit where pollutants are removed, and discharged to the sewage pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Hokukon Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Saburo Matsui, Shinobu Kobayashi, Sadakatsu Kimura
  • Patent number: 7291265
    Abstract: A bioremediation system using inorganic oxide-reducing microbial consortia for the treatment of, inter alia coal mine and coal yard runoff uses a containment vessel for contaminated water and a second, floating phase for nutrients. Biodegradable oils are preferred nutrients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Washington Savannah River
    Inventors: Mark A. Phifer, Frank C. Sappington, Margaret R. Millings, Charles E. Turick, Pamela C. McKinsey
  • Patent number: 7166214
    Abstract: An apparatus for the removal of mercury and other harmful substances from effluents produced in dentist offices is described. The apparatus involves a series of inclined plates upon which mercury reducing bacteria are present, and a subsequent alkaline pH precipitation chambers and an ion exchange chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: 3MA Solutions Incorporated
    Inventors: Stephen Armstrong, Colin Morrell
  • Patent number: 7157001
    Abstract: Process and apparatus for treating wastewater from a sewer system including the steps of: (A) removing solids contained in the influent to create solids-depleted preliminary effluent (PrE) and to protect downstream systems from premature failure due to wear from solid particles; (B) removing suspended solids from the PrE to produce a suspended solids-depleted primary effluent (PE); (C) treating the PE biologically by exposing it to bacteria-supporting media that removes soluble organic material, thereby creating trickling filter effluent (TFE); (D) separating the bacterial organisms by settling to create a secondary effluent (SE); (E) subjecting the SE to tertiary treatment including granular activated carbon pressure filters to remove PCB's and other compounds and create a carbon filter effluent; (F) disinfecting the CFE to create a final effluent (FE); and (G) discharging the FE to a receiving environment, separately settling and disposing the backwash solids in a backwash clarifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Hubbell, Roth & Clark
    Inventor: Curt A. Christeson
  • Patent number: 7105086
    Abstract: A storm drain system (10) contained in the ground (36) contains a standpipe (12) having a bottom section (18) having perforations (20) where a porous pavement (22) surrounds the top portion of the standpipe (12), where, beneath the porous pavement is a substructure of coarse aggregate, all surrounded by a non-porous base material (34), such as concrete, where a storm drain (28) connects to the standpipe by a top outlet pipe (30), where water (38, 40) and liquid impurities (42) are separated from storm water runoff by a non-perforated section of the standpipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Alcoa Inc.
    Inventor: B. George Saliba
  • Patent number: 7065863
    Abstract: The present invention has for its object to provide a mechanism for preventing a liquid from splashing from a liquid tank, and a component mounting apparatus with this liquid splashing prevention mechanism. The liquid splash prevention mechanism has a first seal member with a circumferential outer face attached to a first driving lever in a lubricating oil tank, and a second seal member with an arc face set in the lubricating oil tank correspondingly to the first seal member so that a sealing gap for preventing lubricating oil from scattering is formed between the first seal member and the second seal member. Moreover, the lubricating oil is filled in the sealing gap. Scattering of the lubricating oil is more surely prevented by this arrangement. Quality degradation to be caused by adhesion of the lubricating oil to printed boards and the like can be prevented, and productivity can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kurayasu Hamasaki, Kunio Sakurai, Minoru Yamamoto, Hirotsugu Uemori
  • Patent number: 7014761
    Abstract: An environmentally friendly dual lube venturi filter cartridge which has no metallic components. A plastic centertube having a venturi section supports a bypass filter element on standoffs molded into the centertube. An outer concentric full flow filter element surrounds the bypass filter. The full flow filter is supported on a plastic centertube which creates a gap between it and the bypass filter. A first bypass filter endcap both seals the bypass filter and provides standoffs for allowing full flow oil around the bypass filter. The standoffs thus split the full flow which progresses through the primary filter in two paths, a primary path around the bypass filter and into the centertube, and a bypass path through the secondary filter and the venturi. Plastic upper and lower endcaps carry grooves for simple sealing gaskets, a radial seal gasket on the bottom which seals against both the endcap which carries it and a flange in the housing, and an axial seal gasket at the top.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Baldwin Filters, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven J. Merritt, Gene W. Brown
  • Patent number: 6998038
    Abstract: A system for removing material from a flowing liquid, where the system includes one or more cartridges, where each cartridge has an outer permeable wall and an inner permeable wall that form a media region between the walls, where a media is disposed within at least part of the media region to remove at least a portion of the material from the flowing liquid, the cartridge also having an inner cartridge lumen in communication with the inner permeable wall, and a cartridge outlet in communication with the inner cartridge lumen; a cartridge chamber having a treatment region that houses the one or more cartridges, where the cartridge chamber also includes a chamber inlet to accept the flowing liquid, and a chamber outlet to discharge treated liquid; and an actuatable valve positioned outside the one or more cartridges, where the valve controls a flow rate of the flowing liquid within the treatment region by actuating in response to a change in a level of the liquid in the treatment region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: CDS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Howard
  • Patent number: 6991734
    Abstract: Apparatus for receiving and dispersing stormwater beneath the earth surface is comprised of an array of chambers, preferably having arch shape cross section, buried in crushed stone. Surface stormwater flows first through a diverter, then into a solids retention subsystem (SRS), and then into the array of chambers, which is spaced apart in the stone from the SRS. The SRS chambers are layered with geotextile or other filtering media. Solids entrained in the stormwater are retained in the SRS by a combination of settling and filtering actions. If the stormwater inflow exceeds the capacity of the SRS, the water level rises in the diverter to the point where it flows through a bypass line, directly to the chambers of the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Infiltrator Systems INC
    Inventors: Jonathan F. Smith, Bryan A. Coppes
  • Patent number: 6966987
    Abstract: A water treatment device for purifying process water by filtration comprising a housing containing a filter media, having a bottom gravel bed and an upper silica bed, and a fluidizer for backwashing the filter media. Process water is tangentially introduced and caused to swirl in the housing above a filter media, before passing downwards through silica and gravel beds. The swirling increases the through capacity of the treatment device and reduces the amount of particles that would otherwise become imbedded in the filter media. Backwashing is accomplished by forcing fluid, through first and second components of the fluidizer, into the filter media. The first component is a channel formed in the manifold which provides backwash fluid to the bottom of the gravel bed. The second component provides backwash fluid at the gravel bed—silica bed interface by a series of radially spaced fluidizer arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Process Efficiency Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph A. Morgan, Jr., Stuart H. Smith, III
  • Patent number: 6869525
    Abstract: A storm drain filter system apparatus includes a skimmer tray having a sediment collection closed bottom and having an inlet side and an outlet side and a hydrocarbon absorbing boom. A plurality of boom support brackets each has a boom holding portion for holding the boom therein and a spacing arm extending from the boom holding portion and attached to one side of the skimmer tray to space the boom in the boom holding portion between the inlet side and the outlet side of the skimmer tray. The skimmer tray extends all or partly around the storm drain opening forming an open center area to allow overflow liquid to flow over the outlet side through the middle area. Sediment is collected in the bottom of the skimmer tray and the boom is supported spaced between the inlet and outlet side of the skimmer tray to capture hydrocarbons and liquid entering the skimmer tray. The liquid enters the skimmer tray on one side of the boom and out the other side of the boom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Inventor: Henry Happel
  • Patent number: 6821445
    Abstract: The present invention is aimed at treating rainwater in a combined sewer system, while enabling removal of a majority of pollution substances even if a large amount of entering rainwater. The invention relates to a rainwater-treating apparatus in a combined sewer system, said apparatus comprising a plurality of upward flow type high-speed filter vessels each having a layer of a floating filter medium, a common treated water vessel which is located at upper faces of said high-speed filter vessels and is adapted to collect treated water from the high-speed filter vessels, a used wash water vessel which collects used wash water from said high-speed filter vessels, a rainwater inflow channel for distributing the entering rainwater into upper portions of the high speed filter vessels, and rainwater inflow portions for flowing downwardly the rainwater distributed from the rainwater inflow channel under the respective floating filter media of the filter vessels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Miyata, Yoshihiko Nakayama
  • Patent number: 6783683
    Abstract: A stormwater pollutant separator system is provided with the system having a stormwater pollutant separator, a by-pass system, an intake conduit and an outflow conduit connected together. The stormwater pollutant separator includes a chamber with a weir plate and siphon plate therein. The chamber has first, second, and third sections. The first section is located between the chamber first end and the weir plate. The second section is located between the weir plate and siphon plate. The third section is located between the siphon plate and the chamber second end. In one embodiment the third section has filter material placed intermediate the siphon (sometimes referred to as the second weir) plate and the second end plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick X. Collings
  • Patent number: 6709585
    Abstract: Said equipment include a tank-filter (1, 15) in which a pretreatment stage is carried out. The tank (1) is a decanter to which a flocculant that is uniformly mixed with an agitator (3) can be added. The sludge is removed by delivering it to a filter bag (5). The permeates are then fed to a collecting tank (6) and pumped to the same tank (7) receiving the clarified waters. The permeates are then decanted from said tank (7) through a safety filter (8) to a battery of activated carbon columns (9) where they arm purified by adsorption until the established threshold values have been reached. In another embodiment, the reservoir-filter (15) is a polypropylene bag filter with diatomaceous earth, wherein the liquid passes directly to the decanting tank and is then pumped to the battery of activated carbon columns (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Tecnidex, Tecnicas de Desinfeccion, S.A.
    Inventors: Manuel García Portillo, Elías Salvador Aviño, Javier Olivares Vicente, Rafael Llamas De Andrés, María de los Angeles Soriano Jiménez, Juan Pablo Lorenzo Blanco
  • Publication number: 20040016690
    Abstract: For treating bilge containing solid matters and emulsion securely, an oily water separator includes a first treater 1 for separating oil ingredient roughly from bilge by gravity separation and removing fine suspended matter from the bilge by sand filtering, and a second treater 10 for separating and removing oil ingredient remained in the bilge treated by the first treater. The first and second treaters 1, 10 are connected directly by a feeding pipe 8. The first treater 1 includes an oil discharge portion 5a above an oily water, inlet 2 and a filtering sand layer 3 below the oily water inlet 2. The second treater 10 includes a coalescer 19 in a lower room 29 to communicate with the upper room.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2002
    Publication date: January 29, 2004
    Inventors: Kazuki Miyazawa, Kentaro Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20030159914
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process of extracting haw pits by dry distillation and the device used therein. The process includes the following steps: removing the impurities of haw pits and drying them; immersing haw pits in water and then dripping and charging the dried pit into the furnace for dry distillation; gradually raising the temperature and dry distilling the haw pits at two temperature ranges of 105-195° C. and 305-380° C. respectively and collecting the distillate; mixing together the distillate, allowing them to separate into layers by specific gravity difference and separating out the final brownish red transparent liquor by siphon. The method of the present invention can provide high yield of extraction and the present device is simple in structure. Further, the present invention is easy to be employed on the industrial scale.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2003
    Publication date: August 28, 2003
    Inventor: Yi Shi
  • Patent number: 6524473
    Abstract: A hydrodynamic gravitational separator and an attending drainwater filtration section positionable within a horizontal flow passage of a drainage system utilizes a circular-walled collection cavity into which drainwater is directed so that a swirling motion is imparted to the drainwater collected within the collection cavity. Furthermore, a baffle plate is supported within the collection cavity adjacent the exit opening thereof to isolate the exit opening from the swirling motion of the drainwater collected within the cavity. The filtration section includes a filter disposed downstream of the exit opening of the collection cavity so that drainwater which exits the collection cavity is subsequently routed through the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Inventor: J. Kelly Williamson
  • Patent number: 6495033
    Abstract: Device for separating two non-mixable liquids with different specific gravities such as oil and water, which device contains a first separation tank (2) with an overflow (11, 12) for each of the liquids to be separated, a coalescence filter (3) whose inlet (14) is connected via a pipe (13) to the overflow (12) of the first separation tank (2) for the liquid with the highest specific gravity and a second separation tank (4) which is connected to the outlet (19) of the coalescence filter (3), characterized in that the overflow (12) onto which the coalescence filter (3) is connected is situated higher than the inlet (14) of the coalescence filter (3) with a difference in height H1 which is such that the liquid mass in the pipe between the first separation tank (2) and the coalescence filter (3) provides for the necessary pressure to bridge the pressure drop in the coalescence filter (3) and the counterpressure of the liquid in the second separation tank (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: Atlas Copco Airpower, naamloze vennootschap
    Inventor: Bart Anton Lode Talboom
  • Patent number: 6461502
    Abstract: An apparatus for recovering a specific ingredient in sea water, which comprises an adsorbing bed tank, a layer of an adsorbent charged on the bottom portion of the adsorbing bed tank, a sea water intake pipe provided in a bottom portion of the adsorbing bed tank, a sea water intake opening for taking in sea water and leading the sea water taken in to the sea water intake pipe, a communicating pipe communicating with an end of the sea water intake pipe, a precipitating section through which the communicating pipe communicates with the sea water intake opening, and an evacuator for discharging sea water inside the adsorbing bed tank, sea water inflow openings being provided between said sea water intake pipe and the tank and being provided with check valves, said check valve being adapted to only upwardly flow sea water into the adsorbent layer inside the adsorbing bed tank through the sea water inflow openings, wherein a sectional area of the precipitating section as taken perpendicularly to a flowing directio
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Hiroshima University
    Inventor: Hisashi Nobukawa
  • Patent number: 6451173
    Abstract: An improved apparatus useful in a process for separating a liquid stream (which can be an HF catalyst mixture) having a first liquid component (which can be HF), a second liquid component (which can be light ASO) and a third liquid component (which can be heavy ASO) is disclosed. The apparatus includes a closed vessel including an upper portion, a lower portion, and an intermediate portion, and above a bottom tray contained therein having a downcomer extending downwardly therefrom. The apparatus also includes a conduit located within the downcomer and opening below the level of the bottom tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company
    Inventors: Keith W. Hovis, Richard L. Anderson
  • Patent number: 6432312
    Abstract: The present invention provides improvements for indoor closed systems used to raise aquatic life, along with methods to overcome the current problems associated with such indoor closed systems. The present invention provides an aquatic life rearing system which reuses water in the rearing process and does not pollute lakes or streams due to waste water discharge. The improvements include a method of preventing performance degradation of equipment which removes ammonia from the rearing water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Inventor: Joseph T. Fuss
  • Patent number: 6428697
    Abstract: Methods comprise processing wastewater to produce useful products. Preferably wastewater is ash leachate from landfills which is processed using magnetohydrodynamic treatment followed by electrolytic cell treatment to produce sodium hypochlorite. Methods further comprise removal of hazardous substances from wastewater for subsequent storage and processing of wastewater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Inventor: William W. Edgar
  • Patent number: 6428698
    Abstract: A coagulator for receiving water bearing suspended solids and a coagulant and for coagulating the suspended solids includes a coagulation and sedimentation part and an upstream coagulation part. The coagulation and sedimentation part includes a second packing medium accumulation layer with accumulated packing media having a void volume, and a sludge accumulation zone positioned below the second packing medium accumulation layer and configured to receive solids that coagulate from the water and also having a sludge removal opening by which the received coagulated solids may be discharged. The water bearing the coagulant is allowed to flow upward through the second packing medium accumulation layer to coagulate and settle the suspended solids from the water in the sludge accumulation zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Organo Corporation
    Inventors: Hisaaki Ochiai, Tomoaki Miyanoshita
  • Patent number: 6358407
    Abstract: A device and method for the filtration and purification of suspended solids from high turbidity wastewater or other fluids using a slow circulating fluid stream flow inside a vessel of fluid containing a mixture of coagulant and suspended solids. By determining and using a calculated velocity of the flow of the fluid in the vessel, suspended solids are caused to separate from the fluid in which they are suspended by natural actions of gravity and pressure differentials in the vessel ceasing the rise of the suspended solids. The suspended solids are filtered from the water or other fluid by a filter layer of the suspended solids themselves which form a filter element for the fluid at a determined level in the vessel wherein suspended solids are separated and drain back though a return orifice leaving cleansed fluid to rise through a secondary filtration system of buoyant balls floating at a higher lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Inventors: Taiouan Liao, Chunjiang Liao, Manhoi Lam
  • Patent number: 6337016
    Abstract: The invention relates to an improvement in known apparatus for removing or separating certain contaminants and debris from drainage water. The known device has a tank defining a chamber with an inlet and a pair of vertically spaced outlets. A bulkhead with openings is spaced opposite the inlet and extends from the base of the chamber. A baffle is located between the bulkhead and the outlets and extends from the top of the chamber to near the bottom. An orifice plate or plates is adjustable mounted in series with the outlets and controls the rate of flow therethrough. The system thus has four sections, namely a non-floating particulate containment chamber; a floating particulate containment chamber; a flow control chamber; and an outlet chamber. In accordance with the invention, a fluid-previous media is provided at the interior of said apparatus in or abounding the flow path of the drain water proceeding between said inlet and outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2002
    Assignee: Mycelx Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Haluk Alper
  • Patent number: 6319396
    Abstract: A separator vessel and a biological reactor vessel are connected in tandem to remove separable wastes from waste water and to deactivate toxins, respectively. In a first embodiment, waste water is gravity fed into the separator vessel where it flows downwardly through a bed of loose pellets that causes coalescing of organic matter. A cone-shaped deflector, having its wide end facing downwardly, deflects the downward flow radially outwardly toward the side walls of the separator vessel. Heavy waste accumulates in a cone-shaped waste concentration zone at the bottom of the separator vessel and is pumped away to a disposal point. Lighter water reverses its downward direction and is pulled upwardly into the cone-shaped deflector by a pump and sent to the biological reactor vessel where nitrification changes toxins to harmless nitrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Inventor: Robert F. Heagey
  • Patent number: 6299771
    Abstract: A composite adsorbent element comprising a packed mixture of granules and fibers, which are desirably granular activated carbon (GAC) and activated carbon fiber (ACF). The element is employed as a filter for purifying tap water. In the composite adsorbent element the activated carbon fibers fill the spaces between the activated carbon granules. The size and relative amounts of the GAC and ACF are designed to enable water treatment to remove impurities from water more rapidly than conventional filters using granular activated carbon. Furthermore, when there are significant time intervals between filtration, a packed mixture of granular activated carbon and activated carbon fibers made in accordance with the invention shows an improved ability to rejuvenate its adsorption capabilities in the time intervals between filtrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Assignee: Electrophor, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph L. Shmidt, Alexander V. Pimenov, Alexander I. Lieberman
  • Patent number: 6290842
    Abstract: A front packing medium accumulation layer (90) and a downstream packing medium accumulation layer (44) which are separated by a lower outflow prevention plate (40) are arranged within a coagulation tank (80). The superficial water passage velocity within the front packing medium accumulation layer (90) is so set as to be larger than the downstream packing medium accumulation layer (44). A floc drawoff pipe (98) is provided for drawoff flocs over the lower outflow prevention plate (40). The interface between a floc blanket which may be formed between the lower outflow preventing plate (40) and the upper packing medium accumulation layer (44) and water thereabove is detected by an interface meter (100) so that a flow regulating valve (102) is correspondingly controlled to regulate the flow rate of the flocs. This prevents any grown floc blanket from reaching the downstream packing medium accumulation layer (44). Thereby extending the cleaning interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Organo Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoaki Miyanoshita, Hisaaki Ochiai
  • Patent number: 6217757
    Abstract: The present storm drain filter comprises a tubular housing with a solid vertical surrounding wall and sized for being recessed inside a storm drain. The housing is supported in the drain by a flange around its top edge. A tubular cartridge is detachably attached to a solid annular bottom plate of the housing. The cartridge comprises a solid annular top cover coaxial with a solid annular bottom closure; vertical tubular inner, intermediate, and outer screens concentrically connected between the top cover and bottom closure; and filter media enclosed between the screens. A central overflow opening inside the inner screen is aligned with a hole on the bottom plate of the housing. An annular debris trough is defined between the cartridge and the housing. Debris flowing into the filter is collected in the trough. As the level of debris rises and obstructs the lower part of the outer screen, the unobstructed upper part of the outer screen continues to filter the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Inventor: Charles R. Fleischmann
  • Patent number: 6217760
    Abstract: The waste water treatment system comprises a waste water treatment facility having an inlet for the entry of waste water and an outlet, and a re-circulation tank including an inlet and an outlet. The inlet of the waste water treatment facility is in fluid communication with the outlet of the re-circulation tank. The system includes a distribution chamber including an upstanding wall, a floor, an inlet, and at least two outlets conduits. A first outlet conduit is in fluid communication with the re-circulation tank; and a second outlet conduit is in fluid communication with a discharge conduit. At least one flow distribution chamber outlet conduit typically includes an inlet opening which is disposed at the same vertical height as the floor of the distribution chamber to allow the entry of waste water which has entered into the distribution chamber, such that substantially no waste water entering into the distribution chamber through the inlet will be retained within the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Inventor: Tom Bovington
  • Patent number: 6177004
    Abstract: A septic system filter apparatus for filtering waste water as it travels from a septic tank to a septic field. The septic system filter apparatus includes a filtering system for filtering water from a septic tank for receiving waste material. A filtering apparatus comprises a first housing having a bottom wall and a top wall. The top wall is a removable lid. The first housing has a first inlet port and an exit port. The bottom wall has at least two supports thereon extending upward from an inner surface of the bottom wall. A second housing for holding filtering material has a removable lid thereon. The second housing has dimensions smaller than the first housing to fit into the first housing. A space is defined between the first housing and the second housing. The second housing rests on the supports above the inner surface of the bottom wall. The second housing has a second inlet port located generally adjacent to the first inlet port. The second housing has an upper chamber and lower chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Inventor: Dominic J. Bracone, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6132620
    Abstract: Oil is separated from an aqueous mixture by first feeding the oil-water mixture into a separation tank and allowing the mixture to separate by gravity so that the oil rises to the surface, forming a layer above the aqueous phase; then removing the layer of oil from the surface. The lower aqueous phase, typically containing residual oil in emulsified form, is removed through an outlet near the bottom of the tank and transferred to a second tank, forming a pool therein. The water is removed from the second tank by the action of an air-operated pump through a float-controlled ball valve to an external filter for removal of residual oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignees: Larry P. Robinson, Charlene B. Robinson
    Inventors: Larry P. Robinson, William J. Kennedy, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6083402
    Abstract: A Stormwater Drain Filter for removing sediment and liquid hydrocarbons comprised of a tank having a central outlet which flows into a sewer inlet and is surrounded by a floating boom which is hydrophobic and liquid hydrocarbon absorbent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Inventor: George R. Butler
  • Patent number: 6077426
    Abstract: A filter with a horizontally fed filter chamber having loose bulk material as the filter medium has a wall on the upstream side and downstream side to hold back the loose bulk material in the filter chamber. The filter chamber includes a compressed air-lift pump disposed inside of the filter chamber for pumping the loose bulk material from a bottom area of the filter chamber, through a bottom lifter connected with a stand pipe to an upper rinse chamber, and a hopper disposed at a bottom of the filter chamber having entrance slots and surrounded by a chamber that is provided with a rinse water inlet tube connected to a raw water chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: Grabowski Tropfkorper-Technik GmbH
    Inventor: Gunther Grabowski
  • Patent number: 6024870
    Abstract: A sewage filtration system for efficiently filtering sewage waste material from smaller residential areas without the use of expensive sewage treatment plants. The inventive device includes a conventional septic tank connected to each building structure's sewage system, a pair of fluidly connected two compartment tanks connected to the conventional septic tanks, and a final phase filtering tank fluidly connected to the pair of two compartment tanks. The final phase filtering tank comprises a tank, a cover, an inlet tube, an outlet tube, a first tube connected to the outlet tube, a second tube fluidly connected to the first tube wherein the second tube is water permeable, at least one sand or gravel layer above the second tube, a layered filter structure above the sand or gravel layer that receives the filtered liquid from the inlet tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Inventor: Eugene R. Thompson
  • Patent number: 6013180
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a mineral filtering apparatus in which the raw water is passed through a plurality of filtering processes, such as automatically filtrating without pressure, multiply filtering, ions exchange, sterilization, deodorizing, and releasing mineral substance. The filtering apparatus generally comprises a cover, an inlet water box, a first filtering unit, a filtering box, a second filtering unit, a storing reservoir, a mineral substance barrel that is disposed within the reservoir, an outlet filtering core that is disposed within the reservoir, a spout, a bottom bracket, and a water pan. The storing reservoir is provided with a mineral stone barrel with which the water soluble mineral substance is released. When the raw water flows from top to bottom, it can be treated with filtrating, deodorizing, ions exchange, sterilizing, magnetizing processes such that the treated water is clean and suitable for direct drinking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Inventor: Wei-Renn Wang
  • Patent number: 5989416
    Abstract: A filter bed base for the treatment of wastewater discharged from a dwelling, business or like producer. The filter bed base is generally rectangular in shape and includes an upper and lower surface. The upper surface of the filter bed base has a plurality of orifices for distributing filtered effluent into various chambers inside the base. The lower surface of the base has a plurality of orifices which are positioned beneath a select number of the chambers for discharging a portion of the filtered effluent into the soil underlying the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Inventor: Stuart Albert Gorton
  • Patent number: 5980761
    Abstract: The main application of the invention lies in making cartridges, filters and complete filter systems for regeneration purposes, in particular for regenerating swimming pool water, and for that purpose it comprises at least a system for physically treating water by means of an inert granular material enclosed in at least one envelope through which said water can flow, passing through said material; according to the invention, the material is of cellular structure, having relative density of less than 1, and is constituted by pozzolan having a grain size that is less than or equal to 25 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Inventors: Chantal Boissie, Deborah Lucenet, David Lucenet, Nicolas Satz
  • Patent number: 5948266
    Abstract: A portable liquid surface skimmer efficiently removes small spills of petroleum derivatives from the surface of water, and is useful, for example, on thin sheen spills of oil or gasoline, in boating marinas. The skimmer is controlled by a long handle held by an operator, with a swivel connection to the skimmer body. The skimmer body is placed in the water empty, to take on a controlled amount of water as ballast, putting the skimmer at a proper level to skim the surface using a floating weir. A withdrawal conduit from the skimmer's sump leads to a storage tank or more preferably to some form of separator on shore or on a dock, for further separation of water from the contaminants. In one preferred form of the system and method, the skimmed oil/water mix is passed through a special filter medium which removes the petroleum sufficiently that the water can be returned to its source, eliminating the need for hauling large volumes of liquid away to a disposal site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Assignee: U.S. Hydrex, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas J. Gore, James Ramsey, Michael D. Hanrahan
  • Patent number: 5906714
    Abstract: A method of separating water from an aqueous emulsion using a minimum of energy includes heating the aqueous emulsion in a sump, conveying concentrated emulsion from the sump to a heat exchanger so as to pass therethrough back to the sump, circulating water vapor and non-condensable gases from the sump through a compressor to raise its temperature and passing the heated water vapor and non-condensable gases through the heat exchanger to condense and heat the concentrated emulsion therein and evaporate water therefrom, a thermostat filled with water and water vapor, together with first and second pressure switches respectively communicating with the sump and the external atmosphere and the heat exchanger and the external atmosphere, maintaining a temperature differential between 0.5.degree. and 3.degree. C. between the aqueous emulsion in the sump and the temperature of the compressed water vapor and noncondensable gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignees: Agro Milj.o slashed. A/S, OHM Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Asger Gramkow, Jeppe Christian Bastholm, Finn Erik Christensen
  • Patent number: 5866019
    Abstract: Apparatus for treating a liquid containing suspended solids comprising a clarifying vessel and a number of filters positioned around the periphery of the clarifying vessel for receiving and filtering liquid from the clarifier. A filter may be backwashed by isolating that filter, filling the other filter cells with clarified liquid and draining them into the isolated cell to remove filter media contaminants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1999
    Inventor: David K. Wyness
  • Patent number: 5804062
    Abstract: Apparatus for treating a liquid containing suspended solids comprising a clarifying vessel and a number of filters positioned around the periphery of the clarifying vessel for receiving and filtering liquid from the clarifier. A filter may be backwashed by isolating that filter, filling the other filter cells with clarified liquid and draining them into the isolated cell to remove filter media contaminants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Inventor: David K. Wyness
  • Patent number: 5738781
    Abstract: A household waste water treatment and recycling system comprising a rigid septic tank having a hollow body with a top opening and a lid secured over the top opening to thereby create an enclosed gas chamber, the body having first, second, third, and fourth chambers formed therein, and with the third chamber having a layer of granulated charcoal disposed therein and the fourth chamber having gravel disposed therein, the body further having an input port formed thereon and placed in communication with the first chamber, and a filtering port thereon allowing communication between the third and the fourth chambers, and an output port formed thereon placed in communication with the fourth chamber, the input port securable to a waste water line of a home for allowing waste water to enter the body, and the output port allowing treated water to exit the body, and with the lid having an evacuation outlet formed thereon, the septic tank further having a first channel for allowing communication between the first chamber
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Inventor: Terumi Carlson
  • Patent number: 5730878
    Abstract: A waste-water treatment device that includes a coalescing plate separator (CPS) for receiving waste-water and for specific gravity separation of hydrocarbon fluids and particles having a lower specific gravity than water from the waste-water. The CPS includes a series of plates having holes formed in ridges, where the hydrocarbon fluids rise through the holes to the surface of the waste-water in the CPS. A skimmer skims off the hydrocarbon fluids from the surface of the waste-water in the CPS and stores these fluids in an oil/product recovery tank. A particle filter receives the waste-water from the CPS and filters out suspended solids from the waste-water. A granulated activated carbon filter receives the waste-water from the particle filter and removes organic hydrocarbons from the waste-water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Inventor: Terry Rice
  • Patent number: 5702609
    Abstract: Process and apparatus for separating aryl phosphates and esters and hydrolysates thereof from water in an aqueous mixture thereof. A superposed layer of the mixture is decanted from a lower layer of the phosphates, esters and hydrolysates. The superposed layer is filtered with a filter having a pore size of between 1 micron and 25 microns to remove globules and solid particles. The effluent is then subjected to demineralization with an anion exchange resin to remove most of the hydrolysates. Thereafter a sorber composed of an organic polymeric material such as polypropylene removes any remaining phosphates and esters down to less than 250 ppb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation
    Inventor: Carey M. Merritt
  • Patent number: 5690827
    Abstract: A system and method of sewage treatment which comprises the sequential steps of:(i) subjecting waste water to be treated to a primary settling means to remove settleable solids and suspended solids and produce settled effluent;(ii) passing the settled effluent through a peat filter; and(iii) collecting the effluent from the peat filter and passing it through a sub-surface constructed wetland.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1997
    Inventors: Stephen G. Simmering, Dennis Martin
  • Patent number: 5626748
    Abstract: This invention relates to waste water treatment, more specifically this invention relates to transportable decontamination system for water which is pumped from manholes and equipment vaults. The separation of water and contaminants is accomplished by a five module system. The first module removes 98% of the solids from the waste stream by use of staggered baffles. Module two reclamates the free oil present in the liquid flow with an coalescing water oil separator. The third module removes solids still left in the stream which are greater than 20 microns by use of a size discriminating filter. The fourth and fifth modules are bonding tanks used to encapsulate hydrocarbons and heavy metals respectively. The sequence in which the contaminated flow enters each of the modules is essential to the effectiveness and efficiency of the filtration process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1997
    Inventor: William C. Rose
  • Patent number: 5603825
    Abstract: A compact multi-stage oil-water separator which has application in removing oily contaminants from bilge water in ships is disclosed. The oil-water separator has two toroidal mechanical separation stages on the suction side of a feed pump, and a cyclone separation stage and a filtration stage on the output side of the pump. The cyclone separation and filtration stages are located inside the mechanical separation stages for compactness. The oil-water separator has built-in fail-safe operation to prevent the accidental discharge of water in the case of contaminated sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1997
    Inventor: Paul Costinel