Apparatus for treating liquids

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS OR SYSTEM FOR TREATING A STREAM OF LIQUID CONTAINING FINELY DIVIDED MATERIAL; CONDUIT MEANS, PUMP MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING SAID LIQUID STREAM THROUGH SAID CONDUIT MEANS AT ONE RATE OF FLOW, A CHAMBER HAVING A LIQUID INLET AND A LIQUID OUTLET, SAID LIQUID INLET BEING IN FLUID FLOW COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CONDUIT MEANS, PUMP MEANS IN FLUID FLOW COMMUNICATION WITH SAID LIQUID OUTLET FOR PUMPING LIQUID IN THE FORM OF A STREAM FROM SAID CHAMBER AT A RATE OF FLOW WHICH IS LESS THAN SAID ONE RATE SO THAT EXCESS LIQUID IS FORMED IN SAID CHAMBER, AND MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A GASEOUS FLUID STREAM INTO SAID PUMPED LIQUID STREAM FROM SAID CHAMBER IN A QUANTITY SUFFICIENT TO DIVIDE SAID PUMPED LIQUID STREAM INTO LIQUID SEGMENTS SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER BY INTERVENING SEGMENTS OF GASEOUS FLUID, WHEREBY THE FINELY DIVIDED MATERIAL IN SAID PUMPED LIQUID STREAM IS PREVENTED FROM SETTLING OUT DURING THE FLOW THEREOF THROUGH THE APPARATUS, SAID CHAMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH AN AUXILIARY LIQUID OUTLET FOR THE DISCHARGE OF SAID LIQUID IN EXCESS OF THE QUANTITY OF LIQUID PUMPED FROM SAID CHAMBER THROUGH SAID FIRST MENTIONED LIQUID OUTLET.