Patent ID: 7662297

Claim:
Apparatus for the separation of scum from a liquid including: a housing incorporating two side walls in spaced relationship and each having an inner face facing the inner face of the other side wall substantially parallel to one another and a scraper wall disposed between said side walls, a rotational device mounted in said housing for providing substantially rotational motion about one or more substantially horizontal axes; said rotational device including one or more paddles extending outwardly with respect to said one or more axes, each of the one or more paddles being formed to provide substantial sealing engagement with the opposed inner faces of the side walls of the housing, each of the one or more paddles terminating in an outward periphery, and said rotational device being rotatable to provide rotation of the one or more paddles about a rotational locus; said scraper wall being arranged to form a corresponding locus in spaced relationship with respect to a portion of the locus of said paddles and extending between said side walls, the relative disposition rotational device with respect to the housing being such that upon rotation of the paddles within the housing the outer periphery of the or each paddle engages with the inner face of said scraper wall to provide selected sealing engagement therewith; the scraper wall and rotational device being arranged such that when immersed in water having scum floating thereon, the paddle or paddles may be rotated to become at least partly submerged and the outer periphery or peripheries thereof engage with the scraper wall to lift a portion of the water and scum above the natural level of the water, the selected sealing engagement being selected to provide at least partial dewatering of the scum and water being lifted by the or each paddle between the opposed inner faces of the side walls by the rotation of the paddles in use.