Liquid-liquid contacting apparatus

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, THE COMBINATION WHICH COMPRISES, A SHELL, A VERTICAL SERIES OF SUPERPOSED TRAYS DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY OF SAID SHELL, WHEREIN EACH PAIR OF ADJOINING TRAYS DEFINES A CONTACTING ZONE TRANSVERSELY OF THE SHELL, EACH OF SAID CHAMBERS INCLUDING IN SUCCESSION A MIXING AND A SETTLING SECTION, SAID SECTIONS ARRANGED ALTERNATELY IN DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED RELATION FROM CHAMBER TO CHAMBER, CONDUIT MEANS EXTENDED FROM EACH TRAY INTO SPACED RELATION TO A NEXT ADJOINING TRAY, SAID CONDUIT MEANS DISPOSED IN SUBSTANTIALLY DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED RELATION FROM TRAY TO TRAY AND EACH INCLUDING AN INLET PORTION OPENING FROM THE SETTLING SECTION OF A FIRST CHAMBER AND AN OUTLET PORTION OPENING INTO THE MIXING SECTION OF A NEXT ADJOINING SECOND CHAMBER, AN OPEN SECTION IN EACH TRAY DISPOSED IN SUBSTANTIALLY DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED RELATION TO SAID CONDUIT MEANS INLET PORTION, A PERFORATE SECTION IN EACH TRAY IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT SAID OPEN SECTION AND RADIALLY INWARD THEREFROM, SAID PERFORATE SECTION OPENING FROM THE SETTLING SECTION OF A THIRD CHAMBER INTO THE MIXING SECTION OF SAID SECOND CHAMBER, A BAFFLE MEMBER IN THE SETTLING SECTION OF EACH CHAMBER MOUNTED ON THE WALL OF SAID SHELL, AND EXTENDING ANGULARLY THEREFROM TOWARD A PLATE INTERMEDIATE THE CHAMBERS ABOVE AND BELOW SAID PLATE, AND RADIALLY INWARD BEYOND THE PERFORATE SECTION THEREOF, A RADIAL SERIES OF SPACED PARALLEL BAFFLE ELEMENTS SECURED TO SAID INTERMEDIATE PLATE IN PERPENDICULAR RELATION THERETO WITHIN THE LIMITS OF SAID PERFORATE SECTION, SAID ELEMENTS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID PLATE INTO SPACED RELATION TO SAID BAFFLE MEMBER, AND MEANS FOR VARYING THE EFFECTIVE OPEN AREA OF SAID PERFORATE SECTION.