Crystal purification apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CRYSTALLIZATION OF AT LEAST ONE COMPONENT IN A LIQUID MIXTURE AND PURIFICATION OF THE CRYSTALS PRODUCED COMPRISING AN ELONGATED COLUMN, CLOSED AT EACH END AND HAVING AN INLET AT ONE END AND AN OUTLET AT THE OTHER END, A JACKETED SECTION OF SAID COLUMN ADJACENT SAID INLET FOR CIRCULATION OF COOLANT TO FREEZE CRYSTALS TO BE PURIFIED, AN AUGER POSITIONED IN SAID JACKETED SECTION TO MOVE CRYSTALS TOWARD THE OUTLET OF SAID COLUMN, A FIRST POWER SOURCE OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID AUGER SO AS TO TURN SAID AUGER, A LIQUID PERIOUS, CRYSTAL IMPERVIOUS FILTER COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE EXTERIOR OF THE COLUMN AND THE INTERIOR OF THE COLUMN AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE THE JACKETED SECTION AND THE OUTLET OF THE COLUMN, A HEATER POSITIONED IN SAID COLUMN ADJACENT SAID OUTLET INTERMEDIATE SAID OUTLET AND SAID FILTER, A VALVED PISTON ASSEMBLY RECIPROCABLY POSITIONED IN SAID COLUMN INTERMEDIATE SAID JACKETED SECTION AND SAID FILTER IN SEALING CONTACT WITH THE COLUMN WALL COMPRISING A FIRST PISTON PLATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE INTERIOR OF THE COLUMN UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM OF SAID PISTON ASSEMBLY WITH RESPECT TO THE FLOW OF CRYSTALS, A PISTON SHAFT OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID FIRST PLATE TO A SECOND SOURCE OF POWER TO RECIPROCATE SAID PISTON, A SECOND PISTON PLATE POSITIONED ADJACENT AND UPSTREAM TO SAID FIRST PLATE AND HAVING OPENINGS THERETHROUGH MATCHING THOSE OF SAID FIRST PLATE, A TUBE CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND PLATE AT ITS UPSTREAM SIDE ENCIRCLING SAID PISTON SHAFT AND HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL SLOT THERETHROUGH, A PIN SECURED TO SAID SHAFT AND PROJECTING THROUGH SAID SLOT, A THIRD POWER SOURCE OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID TUBE TO ROTATE SAID TUBE A PARTIAL TURN SO AS TO PLACE THE OPENINGS IN SAID PLATES IN ALIGNMENT AND OUT OF ALIGNMENT, A PAIR OF PROJECTIONS EXTENDING FROM SAID TUBE AND SPACED APART SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE LENGTH OF STROKE OF SAID RECIPROCATING PISTON, A TRIGGER POSITIONED SO AS TO BE ACTUATED BY SAID PROJECTIONS AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID THIRD POWER SOURCE TO ROTATE SAID TUBE SO AS TO PLACE THE OPENINGS OF SAID PLATES IN ALIGNMENT WHEN THE PISTON IS TRAVELLING COUNTERCURRENT TO THE FLOW OF CRYSTALS AND OUT OF ALIGNMENT WHEN THE PISTON IS TRAVELLING CONCURRENT TO THE FLOW OF CRYSTALS.