Knockout for separation of water from emulsified oil and gas

Claim 1

IN A FREE WATER KNOCKOUT FOR RESOLVING HYDROCARBON EMULSIONS THE COMBINATION OF A VERTICALLY ELONGATED TANK HAVING A CHAMBER THEREIN, A TUBE SUPPORTED BY THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID TANK IN SAID CHAMBER AND DEPENDING DOWNWARDLY INTO SAID CHAMBER, MEANS FOR ADMITTING GASEOUS HYDROCARBON EMULSIONS INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID TUBE, A DISTRIBUTING HEAD MOUNTED UPON THE LOWER END OF SAID TUBE FOR LATERALLY DISTRIBUTING GASEOUS HYDROCARBON EMULSIONS INTO SAID CHAMBER FOR AERATION OF THE BODY OF LIQUID IN SAID CHAMBER, SAID TUBE AT THE UPPER END THEREOF BEING SEALED ABOVE THE EMULSION INLET TO PROVIDE A GAS SPACE ABOVE THE LIQUID LEVEL IN THE TUBE, WHEREBY TRAPPED GASES IN SAID SPACE ACT AS A DAMPER TO ELIMINATE SURGING OF THE EMULSIFIED PETROLEUM IN SAID TUBE, MEANS FOR DISCHARGING WATER FROM THE LOWER PART OF SAID CHAMBER BELOW THE DISTRIBUTING HEAD INCLUDING A VALVE, CONTROL FOR REGULATING SAID VALVE HAVING MEANS OPERATED BY THE LEVEL OF WATER AND OIL IN SAID CHAMBER, MEANS PROVIDING A VENTED COMPARTMENT IN THE EXTREME TOP OF SAID CHAMBER ABOVE SAID TUBE AND INTO WHICH GASEOS OIL EMULSION FLOWS FROM SAID CHAMBER, AND MEANS FOR THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE GASEOUS OIL EMULSION FROM SAID VENTED COMPARTMENT TO A LOCUS EXTERNALLY OF SAID TANK.