Apparatus for modifying the chemical composition of substances by ion transfer

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR INCREASING AND DECREASING THE ION CONTENT OF LIQUIDS COMPRISING, MEANS FORMING A PLURAITY OF CHAMBERS, NOT LESS THAN FIVE, THE CHAMBERS BEING ARRANGED IN LINE, ANION-DISCRIMINATING AND CATION-DISCRIMINATING DIAPHRAGMS BETWEEN SAID CHAMBERS FOR ESTABLISHING A SELECTIVE PATH FOR IONS FROM ONE CHAMBER INTO AN ADJOINING CHAMBER UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF AN ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL, SAID DIAPHRAGMS BEING ARRANGED IN ALTERNATING SEQUENCE WITH RESPECT TO TRAVERSE FROM ONE TERMINAL CHAMBER THROUGH THE INTERMEDIATE CHAMBERS TO THE OTHER TERMINAL CHAMBER, AN ELECTRODE IN EACH OF THE TERMINAL CHAMBERS, ONE ELECTRODE TO SERVE AS AN ANODE, THE OTHER ELECTRODE TO SERVE AS A CATHODE, MEANS INCLUDING AN INLET DUCT AND INLET PORTS AT ONE END OF CERTAIN ALTERNATE CHAMBERS, SAID INLET PORTS BEING MANIFOLDED WITH RESPECT TO SAID INLET DUCT, FOR SUPPLYING RAW LIQUID TO BE DEIONIZED INTO SAID ALTERNATE CHAMBERS, MEANS INCLUDING AN OUTLET DUCT AND OUTLET PORTS AT THE OTHER END OF SAID ALTERNATE CHAMBERS, SAID OUTLET PORTS BEING MANIFOLDED WITH RESPECT TO SAID OUTLET DUCT FOR DISCHARGING TREATED LIQUID FROM SAID ALTERNATE CHAMBERS, AND MEANS INCLUDING A DISCHARGE DUCT AND DISCHARGE PORTS AT THE ONE END OF OTHER CHAMBERS WHICH LIE BETWEEN SAID ALTERNATE CHAMBERS, SAID DISCHARGE PORTS BEING MANIFOLDED WITH RESPECT TO SAID DISCHARGE DUCT, FOR DISCHARGING CONCENTRATE FROM SAID OTHER CHAMBERS.