Abstract:
A canal-restoration system and method has a processor tank ( 1 ) that includes a screen ( 5 ) vertically above a soil accumulator ( 6 ) and vertically below a water collector ( 4 ) near a top portion of the processor tank. Waterway sludge pumped from canals is conveyed downward in a sludge inlet ( 7 ) onto a disperser ( 14 ) and into the soil accumulator. Below the sludge inlet, soil ( 15 ) in the waterway sludge settles downwardly for dump or conveyance removal. Also, below the sludge inlet, settled water ( 16 ) circulates upwardly through the screen to the water collector at a top portion of the processor tank for conveyance back to the canals as screened-clear water ( 17 ). The screen preferably has upwardly progressive fineness of a plurality of three or more screens. A downward settling action keeps the screen unclogged and easily cleaned.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to restoration of canals by removal of sludge and debris that accumulates gradually to the extent that such canals become unusable, particularly in low-water conditions caused by droughts.  
           [0002]    Canal restoration systems and devices which separate waterway sludge into usable soil and water are known, but not with a high level of efficiency and economy of up-draft screening, settling, soil handling and water hydraulics taught by this invention. Examples of most-closely related known but different devices are described in the following patent documents:  
                                       U.S. Pat. No.   Inventor   Issue Date                   4,807,373   Sloan, et al.   02/28/1989       4,854,058   Sloan, et al.   08/08/1989       4,975,205   Sloan   12/04/1990       5,021,156   Sloan   06/04/1991       5,115,751   Copson   05/26/1992       4,436,622   Petretti   03/13/1984       1,331,239   Cartwright   02/17/1920       1,166,713   Otterson   01/04/1916       1,344,710   Otterson   06/29/1920       3,463,172   Naylor   08/26/1969       5,234,309   Foster   08/10/1993       4,929,353   Harris   05/29/1990       2,753,877   McKnight   07/10/1956       3,013,665   Schmidt, et al.   12/19/1961       3,262,571   Petretti   07/26/1966       3,317,049   Petretti   05/02/1967       4,389,314   Petretti   01/21/1983       5,167,841   Mims   12/01/1992       5,707,535   Harris   01/13/1998       5,295,317   Perrott   03/22/1994       5,647,691   Wirth   07/15/1997                  
 
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Objects of patentable novelty and utility taught by this invention are to provide a canal restoration system and method which:  
           [0004]    eco-compatibly and economically rids canals of use-obstructive accumulation of sludge and debris;  
           [0005]    places the sludge where it can be conveyed economically and conveniently to either near or remote sites; and  
           [0006]    economically and conveniently separates the debris from the sludge and the canal water.  
           [0007]    This invention accomplishes these and other objectives with a canal-restoration system and method having a sludge-processor that is mobile so it can be located proximate banks of canals. The sludge processor includes an up-flow screen near a top portion of a processor tank. Sludge pumped from the canals is conveyed preferably downward through a pipe against a dispenser into a processor tank under the up-flow screen. The sludge earth settles downwardly in the collection tank for dump or conveyor-belt removal, while the sludge water circulates upwardly through the up-flow screen to a top portion of the processor tank for conveyance back to the canals. The up-flow screen preferably has upwardly progressive fineness of a plurality of three or more screens. A settling action keeps the up-flow screen unclogged.  
           [0008]    The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention should become even more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    This invention is described by appended claims in relation to description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the following drawings which are explained briefly as follows:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway side view of a dump-bed embodiment with a residual tank inside of a bottom front of a processor tank and having one or more collector tubes in fluid communication from a water collector above a screen;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway top view of the FIG. 1 illustration;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway top view of a dump-bed embodiment with a residual tank outside of a bottom front of the dump bed and having a collector tube in fluid communication from a horizontal channel at the water collector above the screen;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway side view of the FIG. 3 illustration;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway front view of a dump-bed embodiment as seen from section line  1 - 1  of FIG. 1 to show a residual tank inside of a bottom front of the dump bed and having a collector tube in fluid communication from the horizontal channel at the water collector to the residual tank  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway front view of the FIG. 3 illustration taken from section line  3 - 3  of FIG. 3.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway side view of a dump-bed embodiment having a return tank adjacent to a processor tank inside of a front of the dump bed;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8 is a partially cutaway front view of the FIG. 7 illustration from section line  7 - 7  of FIG. 7;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway side view of a screw-conveyor embodiment with a residual tank under a bottom front of a processor tank and having one or more collector tubes in fluid communication from the water collector above the screen;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway front view of the FIG. 9 illustration from section line  9 - 9  of FIG. 9;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 11 is a partially cutaway side view of a conveyor-belt embodiment with the residual tank under a bottom front of the processor tank and having one or more collector tubes in fluid communication from the water collector above the screen;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 12 is a partially cutaway front view of the FIG. 11 illustration from section line  11 - 11  of FIG. 11;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 13 is a partially cutaway exploded side view of opposite ends of a conveyor belt of the FIGS.  11 - 12  illustrations; and  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 14 is a partially cutaway exploded end view of the conveyor belt of the FIGS.  11 - 12  illustrations.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0024]    Listed numerically below with reference to the drawings are terms used to describe features of this invention. These terms and numbers assigned to them designate the same features throughout this description.  
                                       1.   Processor tank       2.   Tank walls       3.   Tank bottom       4.   Water collector       5.   Screen       6.   Soil accumulator       7.   Sludge inlet       8.   Collector tube       9.   Water-return conveyance       10.   Sludge tube       11.   Inside residual tank       12.   Residual conveyances       13.   Discharge gate       14.   Sludge disperser       15.   Soil       16.   Settled water       17.   Screened-clear water       18.   Outside residual tank       19.   Drain wall       20.   Tube inlet       21.   Return tank       22.   Return-tank wall       23.   Return-tank bottom       24.   Return-water conveyance       25.   Trapdoor outlet       26.   Discharge aperture       27.   Water-return end       28.   Soil-discharge end       29.   Funnel-channeled walls       30.   Water return       31.   Flexible tube       32.   Conveyor screw       33.   Conveyor belt       34.   Gear motor       35.   Conveyor-screw nozzle       36.   Conveyor-belt nozzle       37.   Arcuate channel       38.   Orthogonal channel       39.   Residual conveyance       40.   Drain orifices       41.   Residual valve       42.   Return-water connection                  
 
         [0025]    Referring to FIGS.  1 - 2  and  5 , a canal-restoration system has a sludge processor which can be a batch-dump processor or a batch-conveyance processor, either of which are mobile proximate banks of waterways for separating waterway sludge from water in canals and other waterways. Generally, the sludge is highly fertile soil from long accumulation and settling of organic matter as in river bottoms. Also as in river bottoms, the soil is relatively sandy and loamy instead of muddy, slimy or viscose. The soil settles when stirred, pumped or piped and can be strained readily for clear processing.  
         [0026]    Canal restoration with this invention is a process of separating the soil from water of waterway sludge with the sludge processor, returning relatively clear water to the canal or waterway and disposing of the soil as desired for fertile buildup of land nearby or remotely.  
         [0027]    The sludge processor includes a processor tank  1  having tank walls  2  and a tank bottom  3  with internal peripheries. Intermediate the internal peripheries of a top portion of the tank walls  2  is a water collector  4 . Vertically below the water collector  4  intermediate the internal peripheries of the tank walls  2  is a screen  5 . Downward vertically intermediate the screen  5  and the tank bottom  3  and intermediate the tank walls  2  is a soil accumulator  6 .  
         [0028]    From either side of the processor tank  1 , a sludge inlet  7  conveys waterway sludge downward vertically through the screen  5  to the soil accumulator  6 . A water return, which can include one or more collector tubes  8 , is in fluid communication from the water collector  4  to a desired water-return conveyance  9  shown partially in dashed lines. The sludge inlet  7  can be in fluid communication with a desired sludge source which can include a sludge tube  10  shown in dashed lines from a sludge pump that is not shown.  
         [0029]    An inside residual tank  11  can be situated proximate a bottom of the one or more collector tubes  8  and provided with one or more residual conveyances  12  in predeterminedly valved fluid communication intermediate the residual tank  11  and the soil accumulator  6 . The inside residual tank  11  is inside an end of the soil accumulator  6  that is oppositely disposed from a soil discharge which can include a discharge gate  13  that can be hinged horizontally or vertically.  
         [0030]    A method for using this canal-restoration system includes steps of situating the water collector  4  proximate a water-collection portion of the tops of the interior peripheries of the tank walls  2  of the processor tank  1  that is mobile proximate banks of waterways that include canals.  
         [0031]    A screen  5  that preferably includes progressively fine screening passage upwardly intermediate a bottom and a top of the screen  5  is provided for up-flow screening of water that is settled in the soil accumulator  6 .  
         [0032]    The up-flow screening is achieved by pumping waterway sludge through the sludge inlet  7  and downwardly through the screen  5  to the soil accumulator  6  where the waterway sludge can be dispersed with a sludge disperser  14  for scattering it evenly and minimizing disturbance of settling in the soil accumulator  6 . Filling the processor tank  1  to a fullness height that is proximate the water collector  4  and a top of a water return that can include the collector tubes  8  allows settling of soil  15  as sediment from settled water  16  that then circulates upwardly through the screen  5  to become screened-clear water  17  that is overflow-discharged to water-return conveyances  9 .  
         [0033]    The screened-clear water  17  is returned to a desired waterway and the soil  15  is utilized nearby or remotely.  
         [0034]    Referring to FIGS.  3 - 4  and  6 , an outside residual tank  18  can be situated proximate a bottom of the one or more collector tubes  8  that can be outside of the processor tank  1  and provided with one or more of the residual conveyances  12  in predeterminedly valved fluid communication intermediate the outside residual tank  18  and the soil accumulator  6 . A drain wall  19  can be slanted downwardly from a water level of the screened-clear water  17  to tube inlets  20  to the collector tube  8  for the outside residual tank  18 . As appropriate for dump-bed and conveyor embodiments of this invention, the residual conveyances  12  can be two-way-valved for either (a) preventing out flow of the settled water  16  during discharge of screened-clear water  17 , (b) allowing drain-off of the settled water  16  after completion of discharge of the screened-clear water  17  when a load of soil  15  has been accumulated and (c) allowing flow of the settled water  16  back into the soil accumulator  6  for flushing action after being dumped. The residual conveyances  12  are referred to also as clean-out conveyances or drain conveyances accordingly.  
         [0035]    Referring to FIGS.  7 - 8 , the batch-dump processor can include a return tank  21  adjacent to the processor tank  1  and have a return-tank wall  22  and a return-tank bottom  23  on a front end of the dump bed that is opposite the discharge gate  13  at a dump-gate end. The return tank  21  can have at least one return-water conveyance  24  in fluid communication from the return tank  21 . A trapdoor outlet  25  and residual conveyances  12  can aid in discharge of screened-clear water  17  from the soil accumulator  6  into the return tank  21  for discharge through the water-return conveyance  24 . The sludge dispenser  14  can be rectangular or circular. The sludge inlet  7  can be routed upward vertically through the return tank  21  and into the soil accumulator  6  through discharge apertures  26  in the return-tank wall  22 .  
         [0036]    Referring to FIGS.  9 - 12 , the batch-conveyance processor can include a soil conveyor in soil-conveyance communication intermediate a water-return end  27  and a soil-discharge end  28  of the soil accumulator  6 . The tank bottom  3  can include funnel-channeled walls  29  with centrally downward slanting surfaces having predetermined steepness for causing gravitation-induced central travel of the soil  15  in the soil accumulator  6 . The soil conveyor is situated between the funnel-channeled walls  29  for efficient and settling-compatible conveyance of the soil  15  to proximate the soil-discharge end  28 .  
         [0037]    The water collector  4  includes a water-collection conveyance that can be the collector tube  8  intermediate the top portion of the processor tank  1  and a water return  30  proximate a bottom of the processor tank  1 . The water return  30  is attachable to the water-return conveyance  9  for discharge of screened-clear water  17  that has circulated upwardly through the screen  5  as settled water  16 . The waterway sludge can be pumped to the sludge inlet  7  through a flexible tube  31  or a pivotal rigid tube that can be swung to either side of the processor tank  1  to obviate need to connect it to a different side of the processor tank  1  for connection to a sludge pump at either side.  
         [0038]    Optionally, the soil conveyor can be a conveyor screw  32  as illustrated in FIGS.  9 - 10  or a conveyor belt  33  as illustrated in FIGS.  11 - 14 . Either can be gear-motorized with a gear motor  34  where and as appropriate and provided with a conveyor nozzle at the soil-discharge end  28 .  
         [0039]    The conveyor nozzle can be a conveyor-screw nozzle  35  as shown in FIG. 9 or a conveyor-belt nozzle  36  as shown in FIG. 11. Either can be used to discharge the soil  15  variously. Included can be directing the soil under the conveyor-screw nozzle  35  or the conveyor-belt nozzle  36  for its sacking, spreading distribution or further motorized conveyance to trucks or other vehicles. Also, either can be provided with an appropriate cover or cap when not in use.  
         [0040]    The conveyor screw  32  is nested linearly in an arcuate channel  37  and the conveyor belt  33  is nested linearly in an orthogonal channel  38  between the funnel-channeled walls  29 .  
         [0041]    One or more residual conveyances  39  in predeterminedly valved fluid communication are provided intermediate the soil accumulator  6  and the water return  30 . The residual conveyances  39  have drain orifices  40 . The residual conveyances  39  are preferably routed and extended to pass through the soil  15  to the settled water  16  in the soil accumulator  6  for draining residual water after consecutive fillings of the soil accumulator  6  with the soil  15 . A residual valve  41  in the one or more residual conveyances  39  can be closed to prevent settled-water- 16  bypass of the screen  5  while the waterway sludge is being settled and screened.  
         [0042]    The water return  30  is preferably under the processor tank  1  where a return-water connection  42  can be utilized simultaneously with the flexible tube  31  for processing the waterway sludge.  
         [0043]    A new and useful canal-restoration system and method having been described, all such foreseeable modifications, adaptations, substitutions of equivalents, mathematical possibilities of combinations of parts, pluralities of parts, applications and forms thereof as described by the following claims and not precluded by prior art are included in this invention.