Appeal No. 1998-0425 Page 40
Application No. 08/272,527
B. a network of generally horizontal treating gas supply
pipes supported in said impound,
C. a plurality of diffusers comprising plenums mounted on
said pipes at elevated positions relative to said surface,
said plenums being positioned beneath and in supporting
engagement with a plurality of area-release diffusion elements
and supporting said elements in communication with the network
to direct treating gas under pressure through the plenums and
elements into the liquid, said pressure exerting upward force
on said elements relative to their respective plenums when the
plenums are pressurized,
D. a cleaning gas source in communication with the
plenums to pass cleaning gas through the elements and clean
them,
E. a plurality of flow regulating means connected with
said plenums of regulating the flow of cleaning gas or both
treating gas and cleaning gas to said plenums, said flow
regulating means being sized or adjusted to deliver the gas or
gases at a substantially similar rate to each of said plenums,
and
F. peripheral sealing members, positioned upon upward
facing surfaces of the elements at the peripheries of the
elements and in sealing contact with portions of the
respective plenums and elements, and
G. peripheral retaining means for securing said elements
to their respective plenums, said retaining means including
overlying members which at least partly overly the sealing
member, said overlying members restraining upward movement of
said sealing members and elements, whereby said upward force
on said elements and said restraining action clamp said
sealing members between said overlying members and said
elements.
5. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the peripheries of
said elements and said upstanding wall means have horizontal
spacings between them, and sealing means having bodies of
selected horizontal width are positioned within said
horizontal spacings for preventing escape of gas from said
plenums except through said elements.
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