Sludge removal system for a sewage settling tank

Claim 1

A SEWAGE OR WATER SETTLING TANK HAVING AN UPRIGHT SIDE WALL ARRANGEMENT AND A BOTTOM, INLET AND OUTLET MEANS ARRANGED TO PERMIT SETTLING OF SLUDGE ON THE BOTTOM FROM LIQUID IN THE TANK AND ARRANGED TO PERMIT VARIATIONS IN THE LIQUID LEVEL IN THE TANK, SAID TANK BEING PROVIDED WITH A CHAMBER INDEPENDENT OF THE TANK HAVING A BOTTOM WHICH IS BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE OUTLET MEANS AND THE LEVEL OF THE LIQUID IN THE TANK DETERMINED THEREBY, AND A SIPHON FOR REMOVING THE SLUDGE FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK AND COMPRISING A CONDUIT HAVING AN INLET ADJACENT THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK AND AN OUTLET IN SAID CHAMBER AT A SELECTED LEVEL BELOW THE LEVEL OF SAID TANK OUTLET MEANS AND THE LIQUID LEVEL DETERMINED THEREBY, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID SIPHON COMPRISING A CARRIAGE WHICH FLOATS ON THE LIQUID IN THE TANK SO AS TO MAINTAIN CONSTANT THE VERTICAL DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LEVEL OF THE SIPHON CONDUIT OUTLET AND THE LEVEL OF THE LIQUID IN THE TANK REGARDLESS OF VARIATIONS IN THE LIQUID LEVEL IN THE TANK AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID FLOATING CARRIAGE ALONG THE SURFACE OF THE LIQUID IN THE TANK SO THAT THE SIPHON INLET MOVES ALONG THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK TO REMOVE THE SLUDGE DEPOSIT ALONG THE TANK BOTTOM AND SUBSTANTIALLY WITHOUT DISTURBING SAID VERTICAL DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SAID LIQUID LEVEL AND SAID SIPHON OUTLET LEVEL IN SAID CHAMBER.