Centrifugal countercurrent exchange device

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR COUNTERCURRENT EXCHANGE BETWEEN AT LEAST PARTLY IMMISCIBLE LIQUIDS OF DIFFERENT DENSITIES, ONE OF WHICH CARRIES SOLIDS, A ROTOR PROVIDED INTERNALLY WITH A ROTOR CHAMBER, SPACED PARTITION WALLS WITHIN SAID CHAMBER SURROUNDING THE AXIS OF THE ROTOR AND FORMING SUCCESSIVE PASSAGE OF INCREASING RADIUS, THE ELEMENTS OF SAID WALLS BEING PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID ROTOR, OPENINGS IN EACH OF SAID WALLS FOR PASSAGE OF FLUIDS THERETHROUGH, THE OPENINGS IN EACH OF SAID WALLS BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM SIZE AND SPACED OVER THE SURFACES OF SAID PARTITION WALLS INTERMEDIATE THEIR EDGES, THE OPENINGS IN ADJACENT WALLS BEING STAGGERED WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER TO PROVIDE AN IMPERFORATE PORTION OF AN ADJACENT WALL OPPOSITE EACH OPENING IN EACH WALL THROUGH THE ROTOR EXCEPT FOR THE INNERMOST AND OUTERMOST PERFORATED PARTITION WALLS, CLOSURE MEANS BEING PROVIDED AT THE ENDS OF SAID WALLS TO PREVENT FLOW THEREBETWEEN EXCEPT THROUGH SAID OPENINGS, THE OUTER PORTION OF SAID ROTOR CHAMBER BEING FREE OF SAID PARTITION WALLS AND PROVIDED INTERNALLY WITH A SLOPING SURFACE, THE OUTERMOST PORTION OF SAID SLOPING SURFACE EXTENDING TO A DISCHARGE PASSAGE FOR THE HEAVIER LIQUID AND SOLIDS CARRIED THEREBY, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING HEAVIER LIQUID TO AND REMOVING LIGHTER LIQUID FROM THE INNER PORTION OF SAID ROTOR CHAMBER, MEANS FOR REMOVING HEAVIER LIQUIDS CARRYING SUSPENDED SOLIDS FROM THE OUTERMOST PORTION OF SAID ROTOR CHAMBER THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE PASSAGE AND MEANS FOR INTRODUCING LIGHTER LIQUID INTO THE OUTER PORTION OF SAID ROTOR CHAMBER, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS BEING SPACED INTERNALLY FROM THE OPENING OF THE AFORESAID DISCHARGE PASSAGE FOR HEAVIER LIQUID AND SOLIDS TO PROVIDE AN OUTER SPACE WITHIN THE ROTOR CHAMBER FOR DEMULSIFYING THE HEAVY LIQUID PRIOR TO ITS REMOVAL.