Precipitator

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR PUTTING AND MAINTAINING SOLID PARTICLES IN SUSPENSION IN A LIQUID, COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL VESSEL HAVING AN OUTWARDLY, UPWARDLY FLARING FRUSTOCONICAL UPPER PORTION HAVING AN OVERFLOW, A SOURCE FOR COMPRESSED GAS CONNECTED TO SAID VESSEL AT THE BOTTOM THEREOF, A VERTICAL TUBE DISPOSED IN SAID VESSEL WITH ITS LOWER END SUBSTANTIALLY IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID SOURCE OF COMPRESSED GAS, MEANS AT THE UPPER END OF SAID TUBE FOR DISENGAGING THE EMULSION AND DISTRIBUTING THE THICK SUSPENSION OVER THE ENTIRE SURFACE OF THE LIQUID IN SAID VESSEL, AND MEANS TO INSURE THE SETTLING OF THE DISENGAGED MIXTURE, COMPRISING AN ANNULAR PERFORATED BAFFLE SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED WITH, BUT SPACED FROM, THE CYLINDRICAL PORTION OF SAID VESSEL AND DEMARKING A PERIPHERAL TROUGH, AN ANNULAR FERRULE EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY INTO SAID TROUGH BELOW THE LEVEL OF SAID OVERFLOW, SAID TROUGH COMMUNICATING WITH SAID VESSEL RHROUGH A SERIES OF OPENINGS IN THREE DIFFERENT HORIZONTAL PLANES, THE OPENINGS IN THE LOWERMOST PLANE BEING THE SPACE BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF SAID BAFFLE AND THE WALL OF SAID VESSEL, THE OPENINGS IN THE UPPERMOST PLANE BEING SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE BOTTOM OF SAID ANNULAR FERRULE, AND THE REMAINING OPENINGS BEING IN AN INTERMEDIATE PLANE BETWEEN SAID UPPERMOST AND LOWERMOST PLANES, WHEREBY THE SUSPENSION ENTERS SAID TROUGH THROUGH THE OPENINGS IN SAID INTERMEDIATE PLANE, THE HEAVY PARTICLES RETURNING TO THE CIRCUIT THROUGH THE LOWERMOST OPENINGS, AND THE LIGHT PARTICLES CARRYING GAS BUBBLES RETURNING TO THE SUSPENSION THROUGH THE OPENINGS IN THE UPPERMOST PLANE.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR PUTTING AND MAINTAINING SOLID PARTICLES IN SUSPENSION IN A LIQUID, COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL VESSEL HAVING AN OUTWARDLY, UPWARDLY FLARING FRUSTOCONICAL UPPER PORTION HAVING AN OVERFLOW, A SOURCE FOR COMPRESSED GAS CONNECTED TO SAID VESSEL AT THE BOTTOM THEREOF, A VERTICAL TUBE DISPOSED IN SAID VESSEL WITH ITS LOWER END SUBSTANTIALLY IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID SOURCE OF COMPRESSED GAS, MEANS AT THE UPPER END OF SAID TUBE FOR DISENGAGING THE EMULSION AND DISTRIBUTING THE THICK SUSPENSION OVER THE ENTIRE SURFACE OF THE LIQUID IN SAID VESSEL, AND MEANS TO INSURE THE SETTLING OF THE DISENGAGED MIXTURE, COMPRISING AN ANNULAR PERFORATED BAFFLE SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED WITH, BUT SPACED FROM, THE CYLINDRICAL PORTION OF SAID VESSEL AND DEMARKING A PERIPHERAL TROUGH, AN ANNULAR FERRULE EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY INTO SAID TROUGH BELOW THE LEVEL OF SAID OVERFLOW, SAID TROUGH COMMUNICATING WITH SAID VESSEL RHROUGH A SERIES OF OPENINGS IN THREE DIFFERENT HORIZONTAL PLANES, THE OPENINGS IN THE LOWERMOST PLANE BEING THE SPACE BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF SAID BAFFLE AND THE WALL OF SAID VESSEL, THE OPENINGS IN THE UPPERMOST PLANE BEING SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE BOTTOM OF SAID ANNULAR FERRULE, AND THE REMAINING OPENINGS BEING IN AN INTERMEDIATE PLANE BETWEEN SAID UPPERMOST AND LOWERMOST PLANES, WHEREBY THE SUSPENSION ENTERS SAID TROUGH THROUGH THE OPENINGS IN SAID INTERMEDIATE PLANE, THE HEAVY PARTICLES RETURNING TO THE CIRCUIT THROUGH THE LOWERMOST OPENINGS, AND THE LIGHT PARTICLES CARRYING GAS BUBBLES RETURNING TO THE SUSPENSION THROUGH THE OPENINGS IN THE UPPERMOST PLANE.