Apparatus for separation of mixtures

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING COMPONENTS OF A MIXTURE BY SELECTIVE ADSORPTION METHODS COMPRISING AN ENCLOSED ELONGATED SHELL HAVING SUCCESSIVELY AND VERTICALLY DISPOSED THEREIN INDIVIDUAL ADSORPTION, WASHING, ELUTION AND REGENERATING CHAMBERS, SAID CHAMBERS BEING DEFINED BY SPACED PLATES CONFORMING TO THE WALLS OF SAID SHELL IN FLUID-TIGHT RELATIONSHIP, FEEDING MEANS FOR INTRODUCING ADSORBENT MATERIAL INTO SAID ADSORPTION CHAMBER, INDIVIDUAL MEANS IN EACH OF SAID CHAMBERS FOR THE INTRODUCTION AND WITHDRAWAL OF A FLUID FROM SAID SHELL, A SINGLE CONDUIT IN EACH OF SAID PLATES PLACING ADJACENT CHAMBERS, IN COMMUNICATION WITH ONE ANOTHER, SAID PLATES BEING OTHERWISE IMPERFORATE, THE UPPER END OF EACH OF SAID SINGLE CONDUITS OPENING INTO THE UPPER OF SAID ADJACENT CHAMBERS THEREBY PLACING SAID UPPER END ABOVE THE LEVEL OF SAID INDIVIDUAL WITHDRAWAL MEANS IN THE LOWER OF SAID ADJACENT CHAMBERS, MEANS IN SAID REGENERATING CHAMBER FOR WITHDRAWING REGENERATED ADSORBENT THEREFROM, AND MEANS FOR EXTERNALLY TRANSFERRING REGENERATED ADSORBENT TO SAID FEEDING MEANS.