Brent C Black
Engineers in Salt Lake City, UT

4936982, Jun 26, 1990

Mar 20, 1989

7/326143

David DiGregorio - Salt Lake City UT
Mark G. Biesinger - Salt Lake City UT
Brent C. Black - Salt Lake City UT

Baker Hughes, Inc. - Houston TX

C02F 314

2101953

A combined oxidation orbital ditch and intraclarifier has the intraclarifier in the form of an elongated clarifier vessel positioned on the top of a section of the center partition between the ditch sidewalls so that the overall clarifier vessel extends laterally into both of a pair of flow channels formed between the ditch sidewalls and the center partition but is spaced from the ditch sidewalls so as to minimize impediment of the mixed liquor flow being treated in the channels. A gated inlet below the flow surface is provided in the one half of the bow of the vessel facing into the mixed liquor flow for diverting a portion of the flow into the clarifier. That flow portion is distributed over the entire width of the vessel and arrested in flow velocity so that settling of sludge can be performed downstream in the vessel. Clarified liquid removal troughs are provided at the stern end of the vessel and sludge ports are provided in the vessel bottom to transport settled sludge into the mixed liquor flowing under the vessel width.

4624783, Nov 25, 1986

Jan 22, 1985

6/693435

Brent C. Black - Salt Lake City UT
Bruce D. Bradley - Salt Lake City UT
Ralph B. Haymore - Salt Lake City UT

Envirotech Corporation - Menlo Park CA

B01D 2324

210271

Apparatus for backwashing the filter media of a liquid filtering machine while at the same time enabling the machine to filter liquid. The machine is of the type having a tank and a continuous bed of granular filter media in the tank through which liquid having suspended solids therein for removing the solids. The apparatus comprises a partitioning chamber and a carriage for selectively supporting and conveying the chamber above the media bed, with the chamber being insertable into the bed to isolate a portion thereof from the remainder of the bed. The apparatus further comprises a mechanism to selectively allow insertion of the chamber into the bed and to remove it, and a pump to draw liquid through the isolated portion of the bed to backwash it, while filtration may proceed in the remainder of the bed. Apparatus for removing the media from the chamber and replacing it with new, cleaned or regenerated media is also disclosed.

5078873, Jan 7, 1992

Apr 2, 1990

7/503453

Brent C. Black - Salt Lake City UT
Steven G. Coombs - Layton UT
John B. Ainsworth - Salt Lake City UT
John Thorum - Salt Lake City UT

Baker Hughes Incorporated - Houston TX

B01D 2446

210264

The invention comprises an improvement in a cleaning apparatus particularly useful for filters. A mechanism drives a hood into position adjacent partitions. A sealing member is selectively actuated to seal off at least one such compartment for cleaning while the remainder of the filter remains in service. Sealing is accomplished by interaction between the hood and the partitions. The invention also relates to techniques for selectively bringing the hood into contact with the partitions, and a construction of the hood and a media support plate which allows flexibility to lilft and scour the filter media using a gas to dislodge impurities, coupled with a liquid backwash involving drawing filtered water back through the media to carry away the impurities out of the filter.

4450077, May 22, 1984

Aug 6, 1982

6/405813

Brent C. Black - Salt Lake City UT
Bruce D. Bradley - Salt Lake City UT
Ralph B. Haymore - Salt Lake City UT

Envirotech Corporation - Salt Lake City UT

B01D 2324

210275

An improved filtering machine of the down-flow type is disclosed wherein a particular section of a granular media filtration bed is isolated for backwashing while allowing filtration to proceed in the remainder of the bed. The filter machine includes a liquid-holding tank containing a bed of granular media, structure permitting passage of filtrate through the bed from below, a flume for distributing influent liquid containing suspended solids across the bed for downward percolation therethrough, and a partitioning chamber mounted on a carriage mechanism which selectively conveys the partitioning chamber across the surface of the bed. The partitioning chamber is reciprocatably insertable into the bed to isolate selected sections from the remainder of the bed. A pump is in communication with the partitioning chamber to draw liquid upward through the bed within the isolated section.

5078869, Jan 7, 1992

Apr 18, 1990

7/510896

David DiGregorio - Salt Lake City UT
Brent C. Black - Salt Lake City UT

Baker Hughes Incorporated - Houston TX

B01D 2120, C02F 314

2101953

The apparatus of the present invention is a cleaning system to be employed in the clarifier. A track is mounted to opposing sides of the clarifier. A scraping blade spans the two rails. A mechanism connects the two ends of the blade to the tracks and provides for stepwise movement of the blade bidirectionally within the clarifier. Movement of the blade over slots found in the clarifier bottom results in displacement of sludge from the clarifier back into the orbital ditch. The moving mechanisms are preferably located adjacent the clarifier floor. The scraping blade moves in stepwise motion over each of the slots, displacing sludge through such slots. At the same time a suction header, with inlets on both sides of the blade, allows some of the sludge to be suctioned from the bottom of the clarifier and removed from the orbital ditch system.

4153071, May 8, 1979

Jul 27, 1977

5/819647

Brent C. Black - Salt Lake City UT
P. Larry Hill - Salt Lake City UT

Envirotech Corporation - Menlo Park CA

G05D 904

137386

A mechanism for selectively distributing liquid flow to at least two separate outlet conduits includes a tank for receiving liquid and at least two tubular members having bellows-like sections mounted in the tank in flow communication with the associated outlet conduits. Actuator devices are connected for selectively compressing or extending the bellows-like sections to determine the elevations of the mouths of the tubular members within, or above, the liquid in the tank to thereby control the flow through the outlet conduits.