Splash plate structure for aerators
AssigneeSmith & Loveless, Inc.
InventorsRobert J. Rebori, John W. Struewing
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aerator for a water treatment plant or water conditioning application, includes a draft tube for vertical positioning within a volume of water and an outlet structure overlying a top open end of the draft tube. Water is lifted or pumped through the draft tube out of the top open end. The outlet structure includes a stepped splash plate which deflects the water flowing out of the top open end in a cascading fashion which increases the oxygenation efficiency and spray pattern of the thus aerated water. Additionally, a blinder bracket is applied to the outlet structure to reduce flow from the outlet structure at a particular preselected arc. The draft tube and outlet structure can be molded as a unitary plastic piece, and flow windows and openings can be cut into the piece.
Claims21
An aerator, comprising:
- a draft tube having an open top end and an open bottom end;
- an outlet structure mounted to said top open end of said draft tube, said outlet structure including a splash plate having a stepped surface spaced above and facing toward said open top end, said stepped surface including first and second surfaces having circular outside perimeters of increasing diameters, arranged respectively at increasing distances from said open top end, said first and second surfaces being planar and extending perpendicularly to an axis of said draft tube, said first surface having a diameter at least equal to said open top end and arranged directly above said open top end to be impacted by water delivered from said open top end, said water cascaded from said first surface to said second surface.
An aerator, comprising:
- a draft tube having a top end;
- a pump device exerting a hydraulic pressure to force water upwardly through said draft tube;
- a first surface having a circular perimeter and located spaced from and above said top open end;
- a second annular surface fixedly connected to said first surface, elevated from and surrounding said first annular surface;
- a third annular surface fixedly connected to said second surface and fixedly connected to said draft tube at a position elevated above said top open and, and elevated from and surrounding said second annular surface;
- said first, second and third surfaces arranged coaxially with an axis of said draft tube, and connected together to provide a stepped surface.
An aerator, comprising:
- a vertically arranged draft tube having a substantially open bottom and and a substantially open top end;
- a splash plate arranged above said open top end and having a stepped surface having horizontal annular surfaces facing said open top end;
- and
- an air conduit having an open submerged end, said conduit extending to locate said open submerged end at a position within said draft tube near said bottom end.
An aerator, comprising:
- a vertically arranged draft tube having a substantially open bottom end and a substantially open top end;
- a splash plate arranged above said open top end and having a stepped surface facing said open top end;
- an air conduit having an open submerged end, said conduit extending to locate said open submerged end at a position within said draft tube near said bottom end;
- and
- a plurality of brackets, wherein said draft tube and said splash plate are connected by said plurality of brackets, and said draft tube, said splash plate and said brackets are molded as a unitary plastic piece.
An aerator, comprising:
- a vertically arranged draft tube having a substantially open bottom and and a substantially open top end;
- a splash plate arranged above said open top end and having a stepped surface facing said open top end;
- and
- an air conduit having an open submerged end, said conduit extending to locate said open submerged end at a position within said draft tube near said bottom end, wherein said stepped surface includes first, second and third annular surfaces, said first annular surface surrounds said conduit, and said second annular surface surrounds said first annular surface, said third annular surface surrounds said second annular surface, wherein said top open end has a circularly-shaped opening, and wherein said first, second and third surfaces have diameters in the ratios of about 0.6:1, 1:1 and 2:1 respectively compared to a diameter of the circularly-shaped opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.