Foldable tube settler and method of installing tube settler

摘要

A foldable assembly is provided for a module of settler tubes which settle solids from liquid. The module has a minimum thickness for shipment and a normal thickness for use in settling the solids, where the minimum thickness is substantially less than the normal thickness. The tubes are defined by four opposing walls. The assembly includes a pair of sheets, each of the sheets having dimensions along major and minor orthogonal axes, where the axes are perpendicular to the direction of the thickness and the sheets define two of the walls of one of the tubes. Another wall of the tubes is defined by an interconnect member having a central section defined by opposite sides, and a flex joint on each of said opposite sides and securing each of the sides to a respective one of the sheets. The other wall extends from each of the sheets in the direction of the thickness of the module when the tube is open to receive the liquid and the solids. In one embodiment, each of the flex joints is flexible to permit relative angular movement between the respective central section and the sheets to allow the sheets to move toward each other and change the direction in which the other wall extends, which changed direction is generally parallel to the sheets to provide the minimum thickness for shipment. In another embodiment all of the sheet, the interconnect members and the joints are made of flexible material.