Aeration apparatus

Claim 1

AERATING APPARATUS COMPRISING A RECEPTACLE FOR HOLDING A QUANTITY OF WASTE MATERIAL LIQUOR, AN ELONGATED DRAFT TUBE CIRCULAR IN CROSS-SECTION, OPEN AT BOTH ENDS AND SUPPORTED CENTRALLY IN SAID RECEPTACLE WITH ITS LOWER END OPENING A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID RECEPTACLE AND ITS UPPER END OPENING AT ABOUT THE NORMAL OPERATING LEVEL OF THE LIQUOR IN THE RECEPTACLE SAID DRAFT TUBE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY-EXTENDING WALL AND BEING GENERALLY IN THE FORM OF A RIGHT CYLINDER, A FRUSTOCONICAL MEMBER ROTATABLY SUPPORTED AT THE UPPER END OF SAID TUBE FOR ROTATION RELATIVE TO SAID TUBE ABOUT A GENERALLY VERTICAL AXIS, A PLURALITY OF VANES SECURED TO SAID FRUSTO-CONICAL MEMBER SO THAT ROTATION OF SAID MEMBER CAUSES LIQUOR TO FLOW UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID TUBE FOR MIXING THE LIQUOR WITH AIR, A BAFFLE PLATE DISPOSED VERTICALLY WITHIN SAID CIRCULAR TUBE INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF SAID TUBE, SAID PLATE EXTENDING RADIALLY INWARDLY FROM THE WALL OF SAID TUBE AND PROVIDING AN INNER EDGE WHICH PROGRESSIVELY INTRUDES FARTHER INTO THE TUBE IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF THE LIQUOR, THE MAXIMUM INTRUSION OF SAID PLATE BEING AT THE UPPER END OF SAID PLATE WHEREBY VORTEXING OF LIQUOR FLOWING UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID TUBE IS SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED.