Liquid-liquid contacting apparatus

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR COUNTERCURRENTLY CONTACTING TWO PARTIALLY MISCIBLE LIQUIDS HAVING DIFFERENT SPECIFIC GRAVITIES WHEREIN ONE OF THE LIQUIDS IS PRESENT AS A CONTINUOUS PHASE AND THE SECOND LIQUID AS A DISCONTINUOUS PHASE WHICH COMPRISES A VESSEL ADAPTED TO CONTAIN LIQUIDS, A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY SPACED, HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED, TRANSVERSE IMPERFORATE PLATES WITHIN SAID VESSEL DIVIDING THE VESSEL INTO A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY SUPERPOSED TREATING STAGES, CONDUIT MEANS FOR INTRODUCING THE TWO LIQUIDS IN STAGES AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID VESSEL, THE HEAVIER LIQUID BEING INTRODUCED WITHIN THE UPPERMOST STAGE, CONDUIT MEANS FOR REMOVING THE CONTACTED LIQUIDS FROM THE VESSEL, EACH TRANSVERSE PLATE HAVING A FIRST LIP MEMBER AT ONE MARGIN OF THE PLATE AND A SECOND LIP MEMBER AT THE OPPOSITE MARGIN OF THE PLATE, THE FIRST LIP MEMBERS OF SUCCESSIVE PLATES BEING LATERALLY OPPOSITE ONE ANOTHER WITHIN SAID VESSEL, EACH FIRST LIP MEMBER INCLINED AT AN ANGLE OF ABOUT OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM THIS TRANSVERSE PLATE, THE LATERALLY OUTER END OF EACH SAID FIRST LIP MEMBER LOCATED VERTICALLY NEARER THAN THE LATERALLY INNER END TO THE CONTINUOUS PHASE LIQUID ENTRANCE TO SAID VESSEL AND BEING SEALED TO A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED THIRD LIP MEMBER TERMINATING IN SPACED RELATION WITH THE WALL OF SAID VESSEL, A VERTICALLY DISPOSED BAFFLE PLATE SPACED LATERALLY INWARD FROM THE INNER END OF EACH SAID FIRST LIP MEMBER AND VERTICALLY SPACED FROM THE ADJACENT TRANSVERSE PLATE, THE SECOND LIP MEMBER OF EACH TRANSVERSE PLATE BEING VERTICALLY DISPOSED AND TERMINATING IN VERTICAL SPACED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FIRST LIP MEMBER OF THE NEXT ADJACENT TRANSVERSE PLATE, THE TERMINAL PORTION OF EACH SAID SECOND LIP BEING INCLINED AT AN ANGLE OF ABOUT 45* TOWARD THE CENTER LINE OF SAID VESSEL, A DEFLECTOR PLATE SEALED TO THE INNER WALL SURFACE OF SAID VESSEL AND EXTENDING INWARD OF SAID VESSEL VERTICALLY INTERMEDIATE AND SPACED FROM THE FIRST LIP MEMBER OF EACH PLATE AND THE SECOND LIP MEMBER OF THE NEXT ADJACENT PLATE, THE INNER PORTION OF EACH SAID DEFLECTOR PLATE BEING PERFORATE, THE PERFORATE PORTION BEING SPACED LATERALLY INWARD OF THE INNER TERMINAL INTERMIDATE ITS RESPECTIVE TRANSVERSE PLATE AND AND THE INNER TERMINAL OF ITS RESPECTIVE SECOND LIP MEMBER.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR COUNTERCURRENTLY CONTACTING TWO PARTIALLY MISCIBLE LIQUIDS HAVING DIFFERENT SPECIFIC GRAVITIES WHEREIN ONE OF THE LIQUIDS IS PRESENT AS A CONTINUOUS PHASE AND THE SECOND LIQUID AS A DISCONTINUOUS PHASE WHICH COMPRISES A VESSEL ADAPTED TO CONTAIN LIQUIDS, A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY SPACED, HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED, TRANSVERSE IMPERFORATE PLATES WITHIN SAID VESSEL DIVIDING THE VESSEL INTO A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY SUPERPOSED TREATING STAGES, CONDUIT MEANS FOR INTRODUCING THE TWO LIQUIDS IN STAGES AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID VESSEL, THE HEAVIER LIQUID BEING INTRODUCED WITHIN THE UPPERMOST STAGE, CONDUIT MEANS FOR REMOVING THE CONTACTED LIQUIDS FROM THE VESSEL, EACH TRANSVERSE PLATE HAVING A FIRST LIP MEMBER AT ONE MARGIN OF THE PLATE AND A SECOND LIP MEMBER AT THE OPPOSITE MARGIN OF THE PLATE, THE FIRST LIP MEMBERS OF SUCCESSIVE PLATES BEING LATERALLY OPPOSITE ONE ANOTHER WITHIN SAID VESSEL, EACH FIRST LIP MEMBER INCLINED AT AN ANGLE OF ABOUT OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM THIS TRANSVERSE PLATE, THE LATERALLY OUTER END OF EACH SAID FIRST LIP MEMBER LOCATED VERTICALLY NEARER THAN THE LATERALLY INNER END TO THE CONTINUOUS PHASE LIQUID ENTRANCE TO SAID VESSEL AND BEING SEALED TO A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED THIRD LIP MEMBER TERMINATING IN SPACED RELATION WITH THE WALL OF SAID VESSEL, A VERTICALLY DISPOSED BAFFLE PLATE SPACED LATERALLY INWARD FROM THE INNER END OF EACH SAID FIRST LIP MEMBER AND VERTICALLY SPACED FROM THE ADJACENT TRANSVERSE PLATE, THE SECOND LIP MEMBER OF EACH TRANSVERSE PLATE BEING VERTICALLY DISPOSED AND TERMINATING IN VERTICAL SPACED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FIRST LIP MEMBER OF THE NEXT ADJACENT TRANSVERSE PLATE, THE TERMINAL PORTION OF EACH SAID SECOND LIP BEING INCLINED AT AN ANGLE OF ABOUT 45* TOWARD THE CENTER LINE OF SAID VESSEL, A DEFLECTOR PLATE SEALED TO THE INNER WALL SURFACE OF SAID VESSEL AND EXTENDING INWARD OF SAID VESSEL VERTICALLY INTERMEDIATE AND SPACED FROM THE FIRST LIP MEMBER OF EACH PLATE AND THE SECOND LIP MEMBER OF THE NEXT ADJACENT PLATE, THE INNER PORTION OF EACH SAID DEFLECTOR PLATE BEING PERFORATE, THE PERFORATE PORTION BEING SPACED LATERALLY INWARD OF THE INNER TERMINAL INTERMIDATE ITS RESPECTIVE TRANSVERSE PLATE AND AND THE INNER TERMINAL OF ITS RESPECTIVE SECOND LIP MEMBER.