US3880965A — Apparatus for aerating a liquid

Claim 1

Independent Claim 226 words

APPARATUS FOR DIFFUSING A GAS INTO A LIQUID, COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE SHEET-LIKE THERMOPLASTICS MATERIAL FORMING AN ELONGATED TUBE HAVING OPPOSITE END PORTIONS, MEANS ENGAGING SAID END PORTIONS OF SAID TUBE AND ARRANGED FOR POSITIONING SAID TUBE GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY WITHIN THE LIQUID, SAID TUBE HAVING A GAS PERMEABLE UPPER PORTION CONTINUOUSLY ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF AND FORMED BY PERMANENTLY OPENED PORES WITHIN SAID FLEXIBLE SHEET-LIKE MATERIAL TO PROVIDE FOR THE ESCAPE OF MICROBUBBLES OF GAS FROM SAID TUBE UPWARDLY INTO THE LIQUID ABOVE SAID TUBE, SAID TUBE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY GAS IMPERMEABLE LOWER PORTION TO AVOID THE ESCAPE OF GAS FROM THE SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID TUBE, SAID TUBE BEING INFLATABLE TO A SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION WHEN SAID TUBE IS SUBMERGED IN THE LIQUID AND GAS IS SUPPLIED TO SAID TUBE TO PROVIDE FOR MAXIMUM GAS FLOW THROUGH SAID TUBE, SAID TUBE BEING COLLAPSIBLE TO A GENERALLY FLAT CONFIGURATION IN RESPONSE TO THE PRESSURE OF THE LIQUID WHEN THE GAS SUPPLY IS CUT OFF TO AVOID THE SEEPAGE OF LIQUID INTO SAID TUBE, SUPPORT MEANS INCLUDING AN ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID SUPPORT MEMBER EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY BELOW THE CENTER OF SAID TUBE, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID TUBE TO SAID SUPPORT MEMBER INTERMEDIATE SAID END PORTIONS OF SAID TUBE AND COOPERATING TO PROVIDE FOR FLEXING OF SAID TUBE BETWEEN SAID SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR CONFIGURATION AND SAID GENERALLY FLAT CONFIGURATION.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 226 words

APPARATUS FOR DIFFUSING A GAS INTO A LIQUID, COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE SHEET-LIKE THERMOPLASTICS MATERIAL FORMING AN ELONGATED TUBE HAVING OPPOSITE END PORTIONS, MEANS ENGAGING SAID END PORTIONS OF SAID TUBE AND ARRANGED FOR POSITIONING SAID TUBE GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY WITHIN THE LIQUID, SAID TUBE HAVING A GAS PERMEABLE UPPER PORTION CONTINUOUSLY ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF AND FORMED BY PERMANENTLY OPENED PORES WITHIN SAID FLEXIBLE SHEET-LIKE MATERIAL TO PROVIDE FOR THE ESCAPE OF MICROBUBBLES OF GAS FROM SAID TUBE UPWARDLY INTO THE LIQUID ABOVE SAID TUBE, SAID TUBE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY GAS IMPERMEABLE LOWER PORTION TO AVOID THE ESCAPE OF GAS FROM THE SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID TUBE, SAID TUBE BEING INFLATABLE TO A SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION WHEN SAID TUBE IS SUBMERGED IN THE LIQUID AND GAS IS SUPPLIED TO SAID TUBE TO PROVIDE FOR MAXIMUM GAS FLOW THROUGH SAID TUBE, SAID TUBE BEING COLLAPSIBLE TO A GENERALLY FLAT CONFIGURATION IN RESPONSE TO THE PRESSURE OF THE LIQUID WHEN THE GAS SUPPLY IS CUT OFF TO AVOID THE SEEPAGE OF LIQUID INTO SAID TUBE, SUPPORT MEANS INCLUDING AN ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID SUPPORT MEMBER EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY BELOW THE CENTER OF SAID TUBE, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID TUBE TO SAID SUPPORT MEMBER INTERMEDIATE SAID END PORTIONS OF SAID TUBE AND COOPERATING TO PROVIDE FOR FLEXING OF SAID TUBE BETWEEN SAID SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR CONFIGURATION AND SAID GENERALLY FLAT CONFIGURATION.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 33 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said connecting means for said tube comprise a plurality of flexible straps connecting said tube to said support member at longitudinally spaced intervals along said tube.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 15 words

Apparatua as defined in claim 1 wherein said support member comprises a flexible cable-like member.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 15 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said support member comprises an elongated rigid rod.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 44 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 including elongated deflector means positioned adjacent said tube in generally parallel spaced relation for deflecting a flow of the liquid from direct impingement against said tube and for minimizing coalescence of the gas bubbles discharged from said tube.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 27 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said deflector means comprise a set of deflector members positioned in generally horizontally spaced opposed relation with said tube therebetween.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 21 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 including means responsive to moisture within said tube for automatically removing moisture from said tube.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 36 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said upper portion of said tube comprises a flexible porous vinyl sheet material having a non-uniform pattern of open cellular pores with an average size less than 0.005 inch.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 33 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said porous vinyl sheet material includes a cloth-like material secured to said sheet material to provide said material with additional strength adjacent said open cellular pores.

Claim 11

Independent Claim 118 words

A method of diffusing a gas into a liquid, comprising the step of casting a flexible sheet of porous vinyl material with a non-Uniform pattern of permanently open cellular pores, forming an elongated collapsible tube with said sheet and locating said pores continuously along only an upper portion of said tube, submerging said tube within the liquid causing the tube to collapse to a generally flat configuration, supporting said tube within the liquid with said pores continuously along the upper portion of said tube, and directing a supply of gas into the tube for inflating the tube to a substantially circular cross-sectional configuration and to provide for the escape of gas through said pores upwardly into the liquid.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 118 words

A method of diffusing a gas into a liquid, comprising the step of casting a flexible sheet of porous vinyl material with a non-Uniform pattern of permanently open cellular pores, forming an elongated collapsible tube with said sheet and locating said pores continuously along only an upper portion of said tube, submerging said tube within the liquid causing the tube to collapse to a generally flat configuration, supporting said tube within the liquid with said pores continuously along the upper portion of said tube, and directing a supply of gas into the tube for inflating the tube to a substantially circular cross-sectional configuration and to provide for the escape of gas through said pores upwardly into the liquid.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 44 words

A method as defined in claim 10 wherein the step of casting said sheet of vinyl material includes the step of casting a mixture of said vinyl material and borax to provide for forming said pores with an average size less than 0.005 inch.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 52 words

A method as defined in claim 10 wherein said step of supporting said tube comprises positioning a substantially rigid and longitudinally extending elongated support member below the center of said tube, and attaching said tube to said support member to provide for movement of said tube between the collapsed and inflated configurations.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1978-04-28	1978-10-28	1979-04-29	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1982-04-28	1982-10-28	1983-04-29	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1986-04-28	1986-10-28	1987-04-29	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Apparatus for aerating a liquid

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