Apparatus for separating a mixture into its components

Claim 1

SEPARATING APPARTUS COMPRISING A VESSEL INCLUDING AN UPPER WALL AND DEFINING AN INTERNAL ENCLOSURE ADAPTED FOR ACCOMMODATING A LIQUID, A CIRCULAR RIM EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID WALL AND DEFINING WITH SAID WALL AN OPENING PERMITTING ACCESS TO SAID ENCLOSURE, A CYLINDRICAL PIECE ON AND ENCIRCLING SAID RIM AND PROVIDED WITH PORTS, A COLLAR DETACHABLY WITHIN SAID RIM AND INCLUDING AN ANNULAR INWARDLY DIRECTED PORTION DEFINING AN OPENING PERMITTING ACCESS TO THE FIRST SAID OPENING, SAID RIM HAVING A TOP EDGE WHICH WITH SAID ANNULAR PORITON AND PORTS CONSTITUTE A CONICAL UPWARDLY DIRECTED GUIDE, A NOZZLE HAVING A BORE SPACED FROM AND DIRECTED TOWARDS SAID OPENINGS, SAID BORE BEING OF CYLINDRICAL CONFIGURATION WITH A CIRCULAR CROSS-SECTION HAVING AN AREA ABOUT ONEHALF THE AREA OF THE OPENING IN SAID ANNULAR PORTION, SAID BORE AND THE LATTER SAID OPENING BEING IN CONCENTRIC RELATION, MEANS TO DIRECT A LIQUID THROUGH SAID BORE TOWARDS SAID OPENINGS, A CAP ENCIRCLING SAID NOZZLE, PIECE AND RIM AND DEFINING A DISCHARGE CHAMBER THERWITH, SAID CAP BEING MOUNTED ON AND IN SEALED RELATION WITH SAID WALL, A DISCHARGE PIPE CONNECTED TO SAID CAP, AND DISCHARGE VALVES CONNECTED TO SAID UPPER WALL AND AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID VESSEL.