Patent attributes
Disclosed is an apparatus for separating solids within a water carrier having different specific gravities. The apparatus includes an axial-flow pump with an impeller (13). The apparatus includes a hollow tube (11) sized and positioned to discharge a fluid stream where the solids within the fluid stream have a specific gravity less than one. The hollow tube (11) includes an inward facing opening that makes an oblique angle along its entire circumference with respect to a longitudinal axis of the hollow tube (11). This arrangement is especially useful in municipal and sanitary wastewater treatment applications for keeping lighter-than-water debris such as hair, food fiber, and synthetic fibrous materials from building up against the leading edge of the hollow tube (11) and clogging it.