Patent ID: 9339743
Filing Date: 2016-05-17
CPC Classification: B01D

Claim Text:
1. In a clarifier system of a wastewater treatment plant including a clarifier tank, a center column positioned within the tank and having a hollow interior, a support base in the tank for the center column, a rotatable rake positioned around the center column with rake arms extending radially out from the center column, a drive unit connected to the center column to drive the rotatable rake, and an influent pipe or conduit for delivering wastewater into the clarifier tank, the improving comprising: a manifold device at the base end of the center column, the manifold comprising a generally vertical peripheral wall defining an essentially annular interior space, the peripheral wall being connected to the center column so that the interior space of the manifold device is open upwardly to the hollow interior of the center column, the manifold device including a central pipe hub with at least one radially extending pipe branch having an inner end connected to the pipe hub in communication with the pipe hub and an outer end extending to an opening in the peripheral wall such that the outer end of the pipe branch is open to sludge settled in the clarifier tank near the bottom of the tank for passage of settled sludge into the branches and into central pipe hub of the manifold device, a vertical sludge return pipe within the center column and extending upwardly from the central pipe hub for flow of sludge from the central pipe hub up through the sludge return pipe, and a lateral sludge exit pipe connected to the vertical sludge return pipe and extending to outside the clarifier tank, and a pump connected to the lateral sludge exit to draw settled sludge into the pipe branches and the central pipe hub and up the vertical sludge return pipe.