Distillation film wiping apparatus

Claim 1

IN A LIQUID PROCESSING APPARATUS OF THE MECHANICALLY AIDED FALLING FILM TYPE, HAVING A INTERNAL SURFACE OF REVOLUTION, WHEREIN LIQUID IS CAUSED TO FLOW OVER SAID SURFACE, AND ALSO HAVING A ROTOR MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS THAT IS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID SURFACE, MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID ROTOR FOR SUPPORTING AND GUIDING A PLURALITY OF WIPER BLADES, A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE WIPER BLADES THAT ARE MOUNTED CONTIGUOUSLY ON SAID ROTOR ONE ABOVE THE OTHER IN A COLUMN, END TO END, TO EXTEND GENERALLY ALONG THE DIRECTION OF LIQUID FLOW, AND WHEREIN THE INDIVIDUAL BLADES ARE MOUNTED TO MIVE INDEPENDENTLY OF EACH OTHE IN A GENERALLY RADIAL PATH THAT IS SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL OT SAID SURFACE IN SLIDING, GUIDED ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID MEANS, AND WHEREIN SAID BLADES AND SAID MEANS HAVE BROAD BEARING AREAS OF SUBSTANTIAL EXTENT NORMAL TO SAID SURFACE ENGAGED IN SLIDING RELATION TO PRESENT SAID BLADES AT A CONSTANT ORIENTATION RELATIVE TO SAID SURFACE, TO ENGAGE THE SURFACE TO REMOVE THE LIQUID THEREFROM DURING OPERATION OF THE APPARATUS, AND WHEREIN EACH BLADE IS FORMED WITH ALTERNATING LANDS THAT ENGAGE THE SURFACE AND RECESSES THAT EXTEND BETWEEN THELANDS AND THAT ARE OF SUBSTANTIAL EXTENT TO PROVIDE MIXING CHANNELS FOR REMOVED LIQUID PASSING THERETHROUGH, THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREIN ONE END OF EACH WIPER BLADE IS CURVED ABOUT AN AXIS THAT IS PERPENDICULAR TO THE RADIAL PATH IN WHICH THE WIPER BLADE CAN MOVE, AND THE OPPOSITE END IS SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT, AND THE SUPERPOSED BLADES ARE ARRANGED SO THAT THE CURVED END OF ONE BLADE ENGAGES AGAINST THE FLAT END OF THE ADJACENT BLADE, TO PROVIDE FOR ANTIFRICTION CONTACT BETWEEN CONTIGUOUS BLADES DURING RADIAL MOVEMENT OF THE BLADES TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID SURFACE OF REVOLUTION.