Vacuum chamber arrangement

A vacuum chamber arrangement primarily for gulley emptying apparatus is provided in which a vacuum chamber (2) or a pair of chambers (2, 2') is provided to a sludge receiving tank (10) e.g. as domes on the latter, via openable closures 20. A gulley suction pipe (3) communicates with the chamber (2) and on a vacuum condition being created in the chamber (2) by an air exhauster, sludge/water is drawn up the pipe (3) into the chamber (2) which subsequently discharges into the tank (10) on opening of the closure (20) due to loss of suction in the chamber and/or by an actuator (4). Thus a vacuum condition need only be created in the much smaller chamber (2) for gulley pipe suction and not in the tank (10). Where two chambers (2, 2') are employed they may be operated sequentially.