Below atmospheric pressure method and means for separating lighter liquids from heavier liquids

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING A MIXTURE OF LOW AND HIGH SPECIFIC GRAVITY LIQUIDS WHICH INCLUDES PASSING AN INFLUENT STREAM OF THE MIXTURE THROUGH A ZONE AT ATOMOSPHERIC PRESSURE TO VENT GAS FROM THE STREAM WHILE ARRESTING AIR ENTRAINING VORTEX FORMATIONS IN THE FLOWING MIXTURE, PARTIALLY ESTABLISHING A VERTICALLY EXTENDING COLUMN OF THE MIXTURE AND THEN EXTENDING THE HEIGHT OF THE ESTABLISHED COLUMN BY LOWERING THE PRESSURE UPON THE TOP OF THE COLUMN WHEREBY THE RISE OF THE LOW GRAVITY LIQUIDS ABOVE THE HIGH GRAVITY LIQUIDS IS FACILITATED, ADDING THE MIXTURE TO THE LOWER REGIONS OF THE COLUMN, DRAWING OFF THE ACCUMULATING LIGHT GRAVITY LIQUIDS FROM THE TOP LOW PRESSURE REGION OF THE TOP OF THE COLUMN DOWNWARDLY TO THE BOTTOM REGION OF THE COLUMN AND THEN UPWARDLY TO A MIDREGION OF THE COLUMN AND THERE EFFECTING DISCHARGE OF THE ACCUMULATED LIGHT LIQUID FROM THE COLUMN AND INCREASING