Sludge scraper mechanism

A sludge settling tank comprising:

• first and second spaced walls;
• a first partition transversely secured between said first and second walls;
• a second partition transversely secured between said first and second walls and spaced from said first partition;
• a bottom in said tank;
• a bridge;
• means moveably securing said bridge over said first and second walls;
• drive means to move said bridge from a position adjacent said first partition to a position adjacent said second partition;
• support arms;
• means to secure said support arms to said bridge in a position to extend above said first and second partitions as the bridge approaches the first and second partitions;
• a sludge trough positioned adjacent said second wall between said first and second partitions;
• a scraper blade transversely positioned between said first and second walls such that as the scraper blade moves between the first and second partitions the scraper blade lifts the sludge off the bottom causing the sludge to slide along the scraper and bottom toward the sludge trough;
• flexible suspension means having a first end secured to said scraper blade and a second end secured to said support arms and adapted to cause said scraper blade to move between said first and second partition with said bridge to lift said scraper blade from said bottom when said suspension means is drawn over the tops of the partitions;
• and guide means on said first and second partitions to guide said flexible suspension means over said partitions.

In a clarifier to remove a sludge from liquid influent:

• a tank having first and second end walls secured between sidewalls and a bottom;
• a bridge;
• means moveably securing said bridge over said tank;
• drive means to move said bridge from a position adjacent a first end wall of said tank to a position adjacent the second end wall of said tank;
• support arms;
• means securing said support arms to said bridge such that they extend above the first and second end walls of said tank;
• a sludge trough positioned between the first and second end walls of said tank and extending adjacent one of said sidewalls;
• scraper means moveable along the bottom of the tank to move sludge into said sludge trough;
• flexible suspension means securing said scraper means to the ends of said support arms adapted to move the scraper means between the first and second end walls of said tank as the bridge moves between the first and second end walls, said flexible suspension means being arranged to engage and be drawn over the end walls to lift said scraper means off the bottom as said support arms move over said first and second ends of said tank;
• and guide roller means positioned on the first and second end walls of said tank adapted to guide said flexible suspension means over said end walls.

In a sludge settling tank having first and second end walls secured between side walls and a bottom, a sludge scraper comprising:

• scraper means moveable along the bottom of said tank;
• support means moveably secured over said tank adapted to move between said first and second end walls;
• a pair of support arms;
• means securing said support arms to said support means and flexible suspension means securing said scraper means to said support arms such that as an end of each of said support arms moves past one of the end walls the flexible suspension means is drawn over the end wall thereby lifting the scraper means off of the bottom and then to lower the scraper means to the bottom as the support means reverses direction.

In a sludge settling tank having first and second end walls secured between side walls and a bottom, said bottom being sloped from the outer side wall to the inner side wall;

• a sludge scraper comprising:
• scraper means moveable along the bottom of said tank;
• support means moveably secured over said tank adapted to move between said first and second end walls;
• a trough formed along the inner side wall, and flexible suspension means securing said scraper means to said support means such that as the support means moves past one of the end walls the flexible suspension means is drawn over the end wall thereby lifting the scraper means off of the bottom and then to lower the scraper means to the bottom as the support means reverses direction, the suspension means adjacent the inner side wall being longer than the suspension means adjacent the outer sidewall.