# US 5,341,826 A · Apparatus for compressing and washing contaminated raked-off or screened material, particularly in sewage treatment plants > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,341,826 A - Document ID: US5341826A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/043,658 - Filed: 1993-04-06 - Granted: 1994-08-30 - Earliest claimed: 1992-04-07 - Assignees: Hans Huber GmbH & Co. KG - Inventors: Hans G. Huber; Anton Neger - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5341826A ## CPC - B01D 11/0226: {with the general transport direction of the solids parallel to the rotation axis of the conveyor, e.g. worm} - B03B 5/00: Washing granular, powdered or lumpy materials; Wet separating (separating by pneumatic tables or by pneumatic jigs B03B4/00) - B03B 5/52: Spiral classifiers - B30B 9/163: {working in different chambers} - B30B 9/26: Permeable casings or strainers - E03F 5/14: Devices for separating liquid or solid substances from sewage, e.g. sand or sludge traps, rakes or grates (for use in sewage purification plants or both in sewage purification plants or in sewer systems B01D, C02F {; gullies with sediment traps E03F5/04}) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - B03B: SEPARATING SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS - B30B: PRESSES IN GENERAL (producing ultra-high pressure or ultra-high pressure and high temperature to effect modifications of a substance, e.g. for making artificial diamonds B01J3/00 ){(compressing means for refuse receptacles B65F1/1405)} - E03F: SEWERS; CESSPOOLS ## Abstract An apparatus for compressing and washing contaminated raked-off or screened material, particularly in sewage treatment plants, having a screw conveyor device with horizontal shafts (2, 3). There is a washing zone (33) with washer nozzles (34, 38) and compacting zones (21, 47) arranged before and after the washing zone. The washing zone (33) is divided into two sections (31, 32) adjacent to each other, in each of which a defined water level (35), occupying approx. 1/4 to 1/3 of the height of the cross-section of the housing (1), is present. In the first section (31) of the washing zone (33), the washer nozzles (34, 36) are arranged both above and below the water level (35). In the second section (32) of the washing zone (33), the housing for the screw conveyor device is provided with openings (40) arranged laterally to define the water level. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Apparatus for compressing and washing contaminated raked-off or screened material, particularly in sewage treatment plants, with a screw conveyor device having a housing with fed hopper, therein a shaft mounted horizontally on bearings and provided with a drive, and a conveyor helix arranged on the shaft, and with a washing zone and washer nozzles arranged therein for the supply of wash water, as well as compacting zones, constructed without conveyor helices, arranged both before and after the washing zone, characterized in that the washing zone (33) is divided into two sections (31, 32) adjacent to each other, in each of which a defined water level (35, 39), occupying approx. 1/4 to 1/3 of the height of the cross-section of the housing (1), prevails, that the washer nozzles (34, 36) are located both above and below the water level (35) in the first section (31) of the washing zone (33), and that in the second section (32) of the washing zone (33), the housing for the screw conveyor device is provided with openings (40) arranged laterally to define the water level. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a prewash zone (10) is arranged upstream of the washing zone (33) and in said prewash zone the shaft (2) of the screw conveyor-device is provided with mixing and kneading blades (12), and that the prewash zone (10) has a water level (14) corresponding to at least half the height of the housing (1) cross-section. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the prewash zone (10) is provided before the compacting zone (21) upstream of the washing zone (33) and is arranged at least partly in the area of the feed hopper (8). ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that washer nozzles (15) are provided above the water level (14) in the prewash zone (10). ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the mixing and kneading blades (12) are arranged on a part (11) of the shaft (2) for the screw conveyor device (7) which has an enlarged diameter, wherein shaft (2) has a direction of rotation (13), and wherein said mixing and kneading blades have a shape bent opposite to said direction of rotation (13). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (1) for the screw conveyor device is built as a closed construction in the first section (31) of the washing zone (33). ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the second section (32) of the washing zone (33) is built longer than the first section (31). ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) Apparatus according claim 7, characterized in that the prewash zone (10) is arranged on one side and the washing zone (33) on the other side along two parallel shafts (2, 3) for the screw conveyor device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) Apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that mixing and conveying blades (17) are provided and arranged in helical fashion on the inside wall of the housing (1) in the area of the prewash zone (10). ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) Apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that a device (23) for systematically breaking up the raked-off material (22) compressed in the compacting zone (21) is provided before the washing zone (33) and after the upstream compacting zone (21). ### Claim 11 An apparatus for compressing and washing contaminated raked-off screened material in a waste water treatment plant comprising: a housing (1) defining a feed hopper (8) at one end of said housing; upper and lower elongated horizontally extending conveyors (7, 30) arranged to move material from said feed hopper in a first direction in said housing along said upper helix conveyor (7) and subsequently in the opposite direction in said housing along said lower helix conveyor (30); drive means (6, 28) for rotating said upper and lower helix conveyors; a washing zone (33) having first (31) and second (32) sections positioned in sequence in said housing along the length of said lower helix conveyor; a first material compacting zone (21) positioned in said housing along said upper helix conveyor upstream of said washing zone, and a second material compacting zone (47) positioned in said housing along said lower helix conveyor downstream from said washing zone; means for maintaining a level of water (35, 39) in said washing zone between approximately one-quarter and one-third of the height of the housing (1) of said second section (32) of said washing zone (33); and a plurality of washing nozzels (34, 36) positioned in said first washing zone (31) above and below the water level (35) maintained in said first washing zone for washing the material as the material moves from said first compacting zone to said second compacting zone. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising: a prewash zone (10) disposed in the housing (1) upstream of said washing zone (33); wherein said prewash zone (10) comprises a plurality of mixing and kneading blades (12), and a prewash zone water level (14) within said prewash zone of at least half the height of the cross section of said housing (1) along said prewash zone. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said prewash zone (10) is located upstream of said first compacting zone (21), and wherein said prewash zone (10) is in at least partial registry with said feed hopper (8) of the housing (1). ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said second section (32) of said washing zone (33) has a lateral length along said lower conveyor helix (30) greater than the lateral length of said first section (31). ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said upper conveyor helix (7) has a shaft (2) and said lower conveyor helix (30) has a shaft (3), wherein said shafts (2, 3) are spaced apart and parallel to one another within said housing (1), and wherein said prewash zone (10) is located on said first shaft (2), and said washing zone (33) is located on said second shaft (3). ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of mixing and conveying blades (17) disposed in helical fashion on the inside wall of said housing (1) along said prewash zone (10). ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a device (23) for breaking up the raked off material compressed in the first compacting zone (21), and wherein said device (23) is located in said housing (1) downstream of said first compacting zone (21) and upstream of said washing zone (33). ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said prewash zone (10) further comprises a plurality of washer nozzles (15) disposed within said housing above and directed toward said prewash zone water level (14). ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said upper helix conveyor (7) has a shaft (2) disposed within said housing along the prewash zone, wherein said shaft has a circular cross section of an enlarged diameter (11), wherein said mixing and kneading blades (12) are disposed on the periphery of said circular cross section (11), and wherein the screw conveyor device shaft (2) rotates in a direction of rotation (13), and said mixing and kneading blades (12) are sized and shaped to bend away from said direction of rotation (13). ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein that portion of the housing (1) in which said first section (31) of washing zone (33) is disposed is sized and shaped to have a solid wall section for maintaining the level of water in said washing zone.