Distilling apparatus and method

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS METHOD FOR PROCESSING LIQUID IN A THIN, AGITATED, TURBULENT FILM WHILE CONTROLLING THE HOLDUP TIME OF THE LIQUID IN FILM FORM, COMPRISING APPLYING SAID LIQUID TO A PORTION OF AN INTERNAL UPRIGHT SURFACE OF REVOLUTION OF A BODY TO FORM A FILM TO FLOW DOWNWARDLY THEREOVER UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GRAVITY,AND THEN SUBJECTING THE LIQUID TO REPEATED CYCLES EACH COMPRISING THE STEPS OF REMOVING THE LIQUID FILM, AGITATING THE REMOVED LIQUID AND MECHANICALLY ACCELERATING IT AXIALLY OF SAID SURFACE, AND THEN RETURNING IT TO SAID SURFACE AGAIN TO FORM A FILM, BY STEPS INCLUDING WIPING SAID SURFACE CONTINUOUSLY OVER AXIALLY EXTENDING AREAS THEREOF WITH A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY OVERLAPPED WIPING EDGES OF THE RADIALLY PROJECTING LANDS OF A PLURALITY OF SUPERPOSED SEPARATE SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID WIPER BLADES THAT ARE FREE TO MOVE RADIALLY INDEPENDENTLY OF EACH OTHER AND WHOSE PROJECTING LANDS ARE SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER BY RECESSES WHEREIN BOTH SAID LANDS AND SAID RECESSES HAVE SUBSTANTIAL ANGULAR EXTENT RELATIVE TO SAID SURFACE OF REVOLUTION, AND WHICH WIPING EDGES ARE INCLINED AXIALLY OF SAID SURFACE, TO REMOVE THE LIQUID FROM SAID SURFACE, COLLECTING THE REMOVED LIQUID IN SAID RECESSES AND MIXING IT THEREIN, MECHANICALLY IMPELLING THE REMOVED LIQUID WHILE IN EACH RECESS AXIALLY OVER SAID SURFACE THEREBY CHANGING ITS VELOCITY WHILE IN SAID RECESSES IN AN AXIAL DIRECTION RELATIVE TO SAID SURFACE, AND DISCHARGING THE MIXED, REMOVED LIQUID BACK TO SAID SURFACE WITH A VELOCITY HAVING A COMPONENT IN A DIRECTION AXIALLY OF SAID SURFACE, AGAIN TO FORM A FILM TO FLOW DOWNWARDLY OVER SAID SURFACE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GRAVITY.