Contact apparatus with rotating discs

Claim 1

A ROTATING DISC CONTACTOR COMPRISING A TUBULAR SHELL; A PLUARLITY OF ANNULAR, STATIONARY BAFFLES FIXED WITHIN SAID SHELL EXTENDING FROM THE SHELL WALL TO CENTRAL OPENINGS AND DIVIDING SAID SHELL INTO A SERIES OF COMMUNICATING COMPARTMENTS; A ROTOR SHAFT EXTENDING AXIALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID SHELL THROUGH SAID OPENINGS; A PLURALITY OF ROTOR DISCS FIXED TO SAID SHAFT, EACH DISC BEING WHOLLY WITHIN ONE OF SAID COMPARTMENTS AND DISPLACED AXIALLY A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE FROM THE STATIONARY BAFFLES THEREOF AND EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDS TOWARD BUT TERMINATING SHORT OF THE WALL OF SAID SHELL; AT LEAST ONE FLAT GUIDE RING IN A COMPARTMENT, SAID RING HAVING AN OUTER PERIPHERY MATERIALLY SMALLER THAN THE INTERNAL SIZE OF THE SHELL AND AN INNER OPENING MATERIALLY GREATER THAN THE SIZE OF THE SHAFT AND BEING SPACED AXIALLY FROM AND SITUATED BETWEEN THE ROTOR DISC AND A STATIONARY BAFFLE OF THE COMPARTMENT; MEANS FOR INTRODUCING AND DISCHARGING FLUENT MATERIALS AT AXIALLY DISPLACED POINTS IN SAID SHELL; AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ROTOR SHAFT AND ROTOR DISCS.