Solvent extraction apparatus

Claim 1

IN A SOLVENT EXTRACTOR, APPARATUS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A CIRCULAR VAPOR-TIGHT CASING, A RIGHT CIRCULAR SOLID CONICAL BOTTOM WITHIN SAID CASING HAVING A SMOOTH UPPER SURFACE, AN ANNULAR TROUGH EXTENDING AROUND THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID BOTTOM IN CONTIGUOUS RELATION THERETO, SAID TROUGH HAVING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY VARIOUSLY SPACED SEPARATORS TO PROVIDE SUCCESSIVE COMPARTMENTS, DRAINS FOR SAID COMPARTMENTS, A VERTICAL AXIS ROTOR HAVING A PLURALITY OF CELLS IN CONTIGUOUS ARRANGEMENT AROUND THE AXIS THEREOF, SAID ROTOR FURTHER HAVING A CYLINDRICAL OUTER WALL AND A CYLINDRICAL INNER WALL, SAID CELLS HAVING RADIALLY EXTENDING DRIVDERS BETWEEN SAID INNER AND OUTER WALLS, SAID CELLS BEING OPEN AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM THEREOF WITH THE BOTTOM EDGE OF SAID DIVIDERS EXTENDING CLOSELY ALONG SAID UPPER SURFACE, DOWNWARDLY PROJECTING CIRCUMFERENTIAL FLEXIBLE STRIPS EXTENDING BETWEEN THE RESPECTIVE LOWER EDGES OF SAID INNER AND OUTER WALLS AND SAID UPPER SURFACE, A FLEXIBLE WIPER STRIP FIXED TO THE BOTTOM EDGE OF SAID CELL DIVIDERS AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY TO ENGAGE SAID UP-PER SURFACE, THE LOWER PORTION OF THE OUTER WALL OF SAID ROTOR HAVING PERFORATED OPENINGS THEREIN, A SCREEN COVERING SAID OPENINGS, ARCUATE PANS FIXED EXTERIORLY ALONG SAID OUTER WALL BELOW SAID OPENINGS AND ABOVE SAID TROUGH, THE FOLLOWING END OF SAID PANS EXTENDING RADIALLY AND BEING OPEN SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE LEVEL OF THE BOTTOM THEREOF, A PLURALITY OF RADIALLY EXTENDING LIQUID-SUPPLYING NOZZLES PROJECTING INWARDLY THROUGH SAID CASING TO A POSITION INTERMEDIATE THE INNER AND OUTER WALLS OF SAID ROTOR, SAID LIQUID-SUPPLYING NOZZLES BEING ROTATABLY ADJUSTABLE ABOUT THE RADIALLY EXTENDING AXIS THEREOF, SAID LIQUID-SUPPLYING NOZZLES HAVING A SPREADER LINE DISCHARGE FLOW PLATE AT THE