Apparatus for resolving highly stable suspensions

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CLARIFYING IN A CONTINUOUS PROCESS A VISCOUS ALGINIC SOLUTION RESULTING FROM THE DIGESTION OF KELP WITH AN AQUEOUS ALKALI, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: MEANS FOR DILUTING SAID SOLUTION TO A REQUIRED VISCOSITY; MEANS TO FORM THE DILUTED SOLUTION INTO A STREAM AND FOR DISPERSING MINUTE BUBBLES IN THE STREAM; A PRIMARY SEPARATING CELL RECEIVING THE AERATED STREAM, SAID CELL PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR PARTING A FLOTATION MUD AND A SEDIMENTATION MUD FROM A SLOWLY FLOWING BODY OF SAID SOLUTION; MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING A STREAM OF CLARIFIED SOLUTION FROM SAID FLOWING BODY AS THE CLARIFIED END PRODUCT OF THE APPARATUS; MEANS FOR INTERMIXING A COMBINED STREAM OF SAID PARTED MUDS WITH A STREAM OF WATER; MEANS FOR DISPERSING MINUTE AIR BUBBLES IN SAID INTERMIXED STREAM; A SECONDARY SEPARATING CELL RECEIVING THE INTERMIXED STREAM IN WHICH LAST SAID AIR BUBBLES ARE DISPERSED, SAID SECONDARY CELL PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR PARTING FLOTATION AND SEDIMENTATION MUDS THEREFROM AND FOR WITHDRAWING LAST SAID MUDS FROM SAID SECONDARY CELL, AND MEANS FOR RETURNING THE LIQUID FROM WHICH LAST SAID MUDS WERE PARTED TO FIRST SAID DILUTING MEANS.