Patent ID: 7565981

Claim:
An apparatus for separating materials comprising: a tank containing a flocculent, said tank having an upper chamber and lower chamber divided by a divider wall, said tank having a first end and a second end, said tank including a flocculent inlet introducing flocculent into said tank toward said first end of said upper chamber, said divider wall defining an opening remote from said first end, said upper chamber being in fluid communication with said lower chamber via said opening, whereby flocculent may flow from said inlet through a portion of said upper chamber and to said lower chamber through said opening; a first material conveyor disposed in said upper chamber, said first material conveyor having at least an end disposed in said flocculent between said flocculent inlet and said opening, said first material conveyor being operable to convey materials from said tank; a flocculent circulation system interconnecting said upper chamber and said lower chamber, said flocculent circulation system being operable to move flocculent from said lower chamber to said upper chamber via said flocculent inlet; and a valve disposed within said opening, said valve being operable to vary a rate of flow of flocculent from said upper chamber to said lower chamber.