Electrodialysis cells and inserts therefor

Claim 1

IN A CELL FOR USE IN DIALYSIS COMPRISING A SERIES OF NARROW COMPARTMENTS THAT ARE ARRANGED BETWEEN END MEMBERS, ARE BOUNDED ON THEIR MAJOR FACES BY ION-PERMEABLE MEMBRANES AND LIE WITHIN THE OPEN CENTRES OF SPACERS INTERPOSED BETWEEN ADJACENT MEMBRANES, THE SPACERS PRESENTING TWO PAIRS OF OPPOSITE EDGES AND TWO SETS OF HOLES BEING MADE BEHIND EACH OF THE OPPOSITE EDGES OF ONE PAIR TO FORM WITH COOPERATING HOLES IN THE MEMBARNES FOUR SETS OF PARALLEL CONDUITS FOR THE FLOW OF ONE LIQUID THROUGH ALTERNATE COMPARTMENTS AND OF A SECOND LIQUID THROUGH THE REMAINING COMPARTMENTS, SAID SPACERS HAVING NOTCHES THEREIN EXTENDING FROM SAID OPPOSITE EDGES TO THE HOLES OF ONE SET ONLY, AND INSERTS EACH COMPRISING A STRIP HAVING CASTELLATIONS FITTING IN SAID NOTCHES, EACH INSERT BEING RESISTANT TO DEFORMATION, AND BEING FORMED WITH PASSAGES FOR THE FLOW OF LIQUID BETWEEN THE HOLES OF SUCH ONE SET AND THE COMPARTMENT IN A NUMBER OF SMALL STREAMS.