Electroflotation apparatus

Claim 2

ELECTROFLOTATION APPARATUS FOR PURIFICATION OF LIQUIDS, SUCH AS INDUSTRIAL WASTE WATER, COMPRISING A. A TANK, OR CONTAINER, HAVING A TOP END, A BOTTOM END AND SIDE WALLS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID TOP AND BOTTOM ENDS, THE TOP END OF SAID TANK BEING OPEN, B. INFLUENT MEANS ADJACENT ONE END OF SAID TANK, C. EFFLUENT MEANS ADJACENT THE OTHER END OF SAID TANK, D. CONTROL MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE MAXIMUM LIQUID LEVEL IN THE TANK, E. TWO SETS OF ELONGATE, SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AND PARALLEL ELECTRODES IN SAID TANK ARRANGED TO COVER THE ENTIRE CROSSSECTIONAL AREA OF THE TANK, WITH FREE PASSES FOR THE LIQUID BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES, F. AN ELECTRICALLY HIGHLY CONDUCTIVE BUS BAR INTERCONNECTING THE ELECTRODES IN EACH OF SAID SETS OF ELECTRODES SEPARATELY AT ONE END OF SAID ELECTRODES, G. AN ELECTRICALLY HIGHLY CONDUCTIVE TERMINAL MEMBER SECURED TO EACH OF SAID BUS BARS AT ADJACENT ENDS THEREOF, H. AN ELECTRICALLY INSULTING ELONGATE SUPPORT MEMBER ENCAPSULATING SAID BUS BARS, ADJACENT END PORTIONS OF THE ELECTRODES AND THE TERMINAL MEMBERS EXCEPT THE FREE END SURFACES OF THE LATTER, AND TOGETHER WITH SAID ELECTRODES FORMING A GRID STRUCTURE, SAID SUPPORT MEMBER EXTENDING THROUGH A NOZZLE IN THE SIDE WALL OF SAID TANK TO THE OUTSIDE THEREOF,

Claim 3

An electroflotation apparatus according to claim 1, in which said grid structure comprises two identical units each covering half the cross-sectional area of said tank, said units having their electrically insulating elongate support members disposed in parallel in side engagement with each other and both extending together through said nozzle into said junction box.

Claim 4

An electroflotation apparatus according to claim 1, in which the free end portions of said electrodes are encapsulated in a second electrically insulating elongate support member.

Claim 5

An electroflotation apparatus according to claim 1, in which the encapsulating material in said support member consists of electrically non-conductive thermosetting plastics material.

Claim 6

An electroflotation apparatus according to claim 2, in which said tank is cylindrical in cross-section with said electrodes of correspondingly varying length and with the free end portions of the electrodes in each of said grid structure units maintained in position by means of a radially narrow strip of an electrically insulating material, such as fiberglass, extending around and between said end portions of the electrodes.

Claim 7

An electroflotation apparatus according to claim 1, in which the bottom end portion of said tank below said electrode grid structure is substantially funnel-shaped with said influent or effluent means, respectively, connected to the bottom end of said funnel.

Claim 8

An electroflotation apparatus according to claim 1, in which said tank consists of a compartment, or cell, of a larger container divided into a plurality of such compartments in side by side arrangement, one of said compartments being provided with said influent means adjacent the top or bottom end thereof and having said effluent means at the opposite end and in communication with the corresponding end of an adjacent one of said compartments so as to constitute the influent means for said adjacent compartment, and so on, thereby providing for continuous flow of the liquid through all said compartments and through the effluent means of the last of said plurality of compartments, said foam removing means being adapted to function in common for all of said compartments.

Claim 9

An electroflotation apparatus according to claim 7, including valve controlled feeding means connected with said influent means for supplying of chemicals and other treatMent media selectively to said compartments.

Claim 10

In an electroflotation apparatus for purification of liquids, such as industrial waste water, a. a plurality of separate tanks which are open at the top and disposed adjacent to each other, b. influent means adjacent one end of a first one of said tanks, c. conduit means adjacent the opposite end of said first tank and providing communication with the adjacent end of a second tank, d. additional conduit means alternatingly at the top and bottom ends of said second tank and subsequent tanks to provide for flow through said plurality of tanks alternately upwardly and downwardly, the last one of said tanks being provided with effluent means disposed so as to correspond with said alternating flow pattern through the tanks. e. a grid structure including two super-imposed sets of elongate, substantially parallel and horizontal electrodes in each of said tanks and extending across the entire cross-section thereof while leaving passage openings for the liquid between said electrodes. f. an electrically conductive bus bar conductively secured to adjacent ends of each of said sets of electrodes, g. an electrically conductive terminal member connected to each of said bus bars at one end thereof, h. a junction box secured to the outside of said tank, i. an elongate side member of electrically insulating material encapsulating said bus bars, said terminal members and adjoining portions of said electrodes, said side member extending through the tank wall into said junction box, j. electrical conduits connected to said terminal members in said junction box and to opposite poles of a source of electricity, and k. means extending across the top ends of said tanks and adapted to support foam remover means, whereby liquid passing in succession alternatingly upwardly and downwardly through said tanks is subjected to the electric current passing from one of said sets of electrodes to the other and causing formation of gas bubbles which rise to the liquid surface while entraining suspended particles to form a mass of foam on said surface of the liquid, said foam being removed by said foam remover.

Claim 11

In an electroflotation apparatus for purification of liquids, such as industrial waste water, a. a plurality of separate tanks which are open at the top and disposed adjacent to each other, b. influent means adjacent one end of a first one of said tanks, c. conduit means adjacent the opposite end of said first tank and providing communication with the adjacent end of a second tank, d. additional conduit means alternatingly at the top and bottom ends of said second tank and subsequent tanks to provide for flow through said plurality of tanks alternately upwardly and downwardly, the last one of said tanks being provided with effluent means disposed so as to correspond with said alternating flow pattern through the tanks. e. a grid structure including two super-imposed sets of elongate, substantially parallel and horizontal electrodes in each of said tanks and extending across the entire cross-section thereof while leaving passage openings for the liquid between said electrodes. f. an electrically conductive bus bar conductively secured to adjacent ends of each of said sets of electrodes, g. an electrically conductive terminal member connected to each of said bus bars at one end thereof, h. a junction box secured to the outside of said tank, i. an elongate side member of electrically insulating material encapsulating said bus bars, said terminal members and adjoining portions of said electrodes, said side member extending through the tank wall into said junction box, j. electrical conduits connected to said terminal members in said junction box and to opposite poles of a source of electricity, and k. means extending across the top ends of said tanks and adapted to support foam remover means, whereby liquid passing in succession alternatingly upwardly and downwardly through said tanks is subjected to the electric current passing from one of said sets of electrodes to the other and causing formation of gas bubbles which rise to the liquid surface while entraining suspended particles to form a mass of foam on said surface of the liquid, said foam being removed by said foam remover.

Claim 12

The electroflotation apparatus according to claim 9, in which said electrical conduits include portions extending from the junction box on one of said tanks, to the junction box on another in series connection.

Claim 15

A method according to claim 11, in which prior to said release and removal of the holding frames, said holding frames and assemblies are turned upside down to place the free end portions of said electrodes within said channel-shaped mold, the length of which is shortened by an amount substantially corresponding to the length of said terminal members by inserting a transverse partition wall in said mold, whereupon a quantity of said electrically non-conductive plastics material is poured into the mold and allowed to set to encapsulate the end portions of said electrodes.

Claim 16

A method according to claim 11, including the step of applying an electrically insulating strip of material around and between the free end portions of said electrodes.

Claim 17

A method according to claim 11, including the step of installing a second of said grid structures in the tank with said rigid bar members parallel beside and in engagement with each other and having their end portions extending through said opening in the tank wall.

Claim 18

A fixture for use in the manufacture of a grid structure for an electroflotation apparatus tank, said grid structure comprising two sets of substantially parallel, elongate electrodes interconnected at one end by an encapsulating rigid member of electrically insulating material which also encapsulates two bus bars separately conductively secured to said two sets of electrodes, said fixture comprising a. an elongate substantially channel-shaped mold member, b. closure means for both ends of said mold member, c. the closure means for at least one end of said mold member including a removable spacer insert having a bottom, an end wall and two side walls with said side walls forming extensions of the side walls of said channel-shaped mold, d. clamping means connected to said mold member and disposed longitudinally outwardly of said spacer insert, e. a support member included in said clamping means and being fixedly secured to said mold member, f. two support arms pivotally secured to the end surface of said support member to rotate on axes parallel with said mold member, g. a clamping bolt extending through each of said support arms in parallel with said pivot axes and in threaded engagement with the respective suppot arm, said clamping bolts being adapted to be screwed into abutment with said spacer insert end wall when said support arms are in their upright position, and to be screwed out of such abutment and moved away from each other laterally when said support arms are pivoted away from each other, whereby said spacer insert may be selectively fixedly maintained in operative position as an extension of the mold member and released by means of said clamping bolts, h. a removable partition wall insertible between said spacer insert and the adjacent end surfaces of the mold member side walls, whereby when said partition wall is removed and the spacer insert clamped in operative position, the combined length of said channel-shaped mold member and spacer insert is sufficient to accommodate said but bars with attached terminal connection members, while when said partition wall is inserted and the spacer insert clamped in position, the length of the channel-shaped mold member alone is adequate to accommodate said bus bars without attached terminal connection members, i. two holding frames, each adapted for holding one of said sets of electrodes with attached bus bar in substantially parallel spaced relation to each other, j. means pivotally and removably securing said holding frames to said mold member with the pivot axes parallel with the longitudinal axis of the mold member, and K. means for releasably securing said holding frames to each other in parallel substantially vertical position with said bus bars spaced above the bottom of the mold member.

Claim 19

A fixture for use in the manufacture of a grid structure for an electroflotation apparatus tank, said grid structure comprising two sets of substantially parallel, elongate electrodes interconnected at one end by an encapsulating rigid member of electrically insulating material which also encapsulates two bus bars separately conductively secured to said two sets of electrodes, said fixture comprising a. an elongate substantially channel-shaped mold member, b. closure means for both ends of said mold member, c. the closure means for at least one end of said mold member including a removable spacer insert having a bottom, an end wall and two side walls with said side walls forming extensions of the side walls of said channel-shaped mold, d. clamping means connected to said mold member and disposed longitudinally outwardly of said spacer insert, e. a support member included in said clamping means and being fixedly secured to said mold member, f. two support arms pivotally secured to the end surface of said support member to rotate on axes parallel with said mold member, g. a clamping bolt extending through each of said support arms in parallel with said pivot axes and in threaded engagement with the respective suppot arm, said clamping bolts being adapted to be screwed into abutment with said spacer insert end wall when said support arms are in their upright position, and to be screwed out of such abutment and moved away from each other laterally when said support arms are pivoted away from each other, whereby said spacer insert may be selectively fixedly maintained in operative position as an extension of the mold member and released by means of said clamping bolts, h. a removable partition wall insertible between said spacer insert and the adjacent end surfaces of the mold member side walls, whereby when said partition wall is removed and the spacer insert clamped in operative position, the combined length of said channel-shaped mold member and spacer insert is sufficient to accommodate said but bars with attached terminal connection members, while when said partition wall is inserted and the spacer insert clamped in position, the length of the channel-shaped mold member alone is adequate to accommodate said bus bars without attached terminal connection members, i. two holding frames, each adapted for holding one of said sets of electrodes with attached bus bar in substantially parallel spaced relation to each other, j. means pivotally and removably securing said holding frames to said mold member with the pivot axes parallel with the longitudinal axis of the mold member, and K. means for releasably securing said holding frames to each other in parallel substantially vertical position with said bus bars spaced above the bottom of the mold member.

Claim 20

A fixture according to claim 15, in which each of said holding frames comprises two elongate, substantially parallel support members, each provided with said pivot means adjacent both ends thereof, said support members being interconnected by at least two angle bars extending transversely thereof and each being provided with a plurality of aligned recesses in the free edge of a projecting flange thereof for receipt of said electrodes, a plurality of clamping means being movably mounted in the other flange each said angle bar and adapted to releasably retain said electrodes in said recesses in parallel relation with each other.

Claim 21

A fixture according to claim 16, in which said releasable clamping means comprises a rod slidably disposed in a transverse hole in said other flange of the angular bar and provided with a gripping knob at one end and with a clamping shoe at the other end, a compression coil spring surrounding said rod and having one end in engagement with said knob and the other end in engagement with said other flange, said clamping shoe extending transversely outwardly from said rod sufficiently to engage two adjacent electrodes on the sides thereof facing away from said other flange of the angle bar, when said clamping shoe is forced by manual pressure on said knob and against the spring action through the space between said two electrodes and turned through 90* in either direction followed by release of said manual pressure from said knob.

Claim 22

A fixture according to claim 15, including an adjunct device which comprises an elongate bottom support member with a transversely inclined top surface for receiving thereon a bus bar with a row of electrodes resting with their bottom ends thereon and supported in an inclined position substantially perpendicular to said inclined surface by at least one elongate, substantially horizontal bar member provided with spaced recesses for receipt of said electrodes, a heating element being provided in said bottom support member for fusing said electrodes to said bus bar, and means being provided whereby said holding frame may be supported in inclined position with the electrodes received in the recesses of said angle bars and with said clamping means applied, so that said holding frame together with said electrodes and bus bar may be removed from said adjunct device as a unit and transferred to said mold structure.