Continuous diffuser

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS DIFFUSION PROCESS, COMPRISING A SINGLE TREATMENT STAGE INCLINED AT A SLIGHT ANGLE TO THE HORIZONTAL AND SUBJECT TO CONTINUOUS FEED OF LIQUID AT ONE END, CONTINUOUS FEED OF DIVIDED SOLIDS AT ITS OPPOSITE END, AND CONTINUOUS DISCHARGE OF SPEND PULP AND ENRICHED LIQUID AT THE RESPECTIVE ENDS OF SASID STAGE OPPOSITE THE POINTS OF THEIR INTRODUCTION, MOVING THE SOLIDS UPWARDLY ALONG THE INCLINATION IN A LINEAR MOVEMENT INTIATED BY A SUCCESSION OF MECHANICAL MOVEMENTS SEPARETLY APPLIED AGAINST ANY GIVEN PORTION OF THE SOLIDS WITH ONLY A LIMITED INTERVAL BETWEEN SUCH APPLICATIONS DURING WHICH THE MOVEMENT OF SAID SOLIDS CONTINUES FROM SISPLACEMENT BY FOLLOWING SOLIDS RESPONDING TO SUCH MECHANICAL MOVEMENT AND AT A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM RATE THROUGHOUT THE DEPTH OF THE LIQUID BODY, MOVING THE LIQUID DOWNWARDLY ALONG THE INCLINATION IN A GRAVITY FLOW COUNTERCURRENT TO THE SOLIDS MOVEMENT, IMPARTING A ROTATIONAL COMPONENT OF MOVEMENT TO SAID SOLIDS IN SAID SOLIDS AT INTERVALS AND INTERRUPTING THE ROTATION OF SAID SOLIDS AT INTERVALS THE SOLIDS UNIFORMLY ATHROUGHHOUT THE LIQUID.