Means for separating particles from fluids

Claim 1

A MEANS FOR SEPARATING PARTICLES FROM FLUIDS COMPRISING: A ROTOR DEFINING A HELICAL CONDUIT EXTENDING ESSENTIALLY THE LENGTH OF SAID ROTOR AND CENTERED ABOUT THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS THEREOF, SAID CONDUIT HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET AT ITS OPPOSITE ENDS BUT BEING OTHERWISE CLOSED BY RADIALLY INNER AND OUTER SPACED WALLS AND ADJOINING WALLS WHICH ARE SPACED AXIALLY OF SAID ROTOR, SAID RADIALLY OUTER WALL DEFINING A STRAIGHT LINE IN THE AXIL DIRECTION OF THE ROTOR AND HAVING AN AXIAL DIMENSION AT LEAST AS GREAT AS THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE WALLS OF SAID CONDUIT ADJOINING SAID RADIALLY OUTER WALL, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A PARTICLE-LADEN FLUID INTO THE INLET END OF SAID CONDUIT, MEANS FOR DISCHARGING PARTICLE-FREE FLUID FROM THE OUTLET END AND MEANS FOR MAINTAINING THE FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH SAID CONDUIT AT A VELOCITY ADEQUATE TO PROVIDE A STREAM HAVING LAMINAR FLOW, SAID LAST-NAMED MEANS COMPRISING AN ADJUSTABLE FLOW RESTRICTING MEMBER IN SAID OUTLET END; MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ROTOR AT HIGH SPEED TO CAUSE SAID CONDUIT TO ROTATE ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID ROTOR, THERE BEING NO RELATIVE VELOCITY BETWEEN SAID CONDUIT AND ITS RADIALLY OUTER WALL, WHEREBY SAID PARTICLES ARE DRIVEN IN FREE PATHS BETWEEN THE ADJOINING WALLS OF SAID CONDUIT TO THE RADIALLY OUTER WALL AND OUT OF SAID STREAM; AND MEANS FOR COLLECTING THE THUS DRIVEN PARTICLES ON SAID OUTER WALL, SAID OUTER WALL BEING REMOVABLE WITHOUT DISTURBING THE PARTICLES COLLECTED THEREON WHEREBY SAID COLLECTED PARTICLES MAY BE SUBSEQUENTLY STUDIED.