Liquid-liquid contacting device

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR THE COUNTERCURRENT CONTACTING OF A PAIR IMMISCIBLE LIQUIDS OF UNLIKE SPECIFIC GRAVITIES, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN ELONGATED VERTICALLY DISPOSED VESSEL OF GENERALLY CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION, AN ASSEMBLY OF VERTICALLY SPACED HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED PERFORATE ANNULAR MEMBERS IN SAID VESSEL, AND ASSEMBLY OF HORIZONTALLY SPACED PERFORATE CONCENTRIC CYLINDRICAL MEMBERS DISPOSED BELOW SAID ASSEMBLY OF HORIZONTAL MEMBERS, THE AXIS OF SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBERS BEING ARRANGED SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY, AN INVERTED CUP CLOSING THE CENTRAL OPENING OF THE LOWEST OF SAID PERFORATE ANNULAR MEMBERS, A CONDUIT LEADING FROM THE UPPER END OF THE CYLINDRICAL MEMBER OF SMALLEST DIAMETER TO THE SPACE WITHIN SAID INVERTED CUP, A BAFFLE DISPOSED AROUND THE INNER CIRCUMFERENEC OF EACH OF SAID HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED ANNULAR MEMBERS, A BAFFLE DISPOSED AROUND THE TOP END OF EACH OF SAID CONCENTRIC CYLINDRICAL MEMBER A NONPERFORATE ANNULAR BAFFLE PLATE FORMING A SEAL BETWEEN THE UPPER END OF THE OUTER CYLINDRICAL MEMBER OF SAID ASSEMBLY OF CONCENTRIC CYLINDRICAL MEMBERS AND THE INNER WALL OF SAID VESSEL, MEANS TO INTRODUCE ONE OF SAID LIQUIDS AT A LEVEL NEAR ONE END OF SAID VESSEL, MEANS TO INTRODUCE THE OTHER LIQUID AT A LEVEL INTERMEDIATE THE LEVEL OF INTRODUCTION OF SAID ONE OF SAID LIQUIDS AND THE OTHER END OF SAID VESSEL AND MEANS TO WITHDRAW PRODUCTS FROM THE ENDS OF SAID VESSEL.