Apparatus for recovering electroplating salts by evaporative concentration

Claim 1

APPARATUS OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED COMPRISING AN OPENTOP WASH TANK ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A BODY OF WATER OF SUBSTANTIAL DEPTH WITHIN A PREDETERMINED RANGE, MEANS FOR SPRAYING FRESH WASH WATER INTO SAID TANK AT A HEIGHT SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE PREDETERMINED UPPER SURFACE OF THE BODY OF WATER, AN OPEN-ENDED TUBE EXTENDING FROM NEAR THE BOTTOM OF SAID TANK TO A HEIGHT ABOVE THE SPRAY MEANS, A TUBE OPENING INTO THE FIRST SAID TUBE AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY THEREFROM TO WITHOUT SAID TANK, AN UPWARDLY-EXTENDING SIPHON HAVING A SHORT LEG AND A LONGER LEG, THE SHORT LEG BEING CONNECTED TO THE OUTER END OF THE LAST SAID TUBE, AN EVAPORATOR, COONDUIT MEANS LEADING FROM THE LONG LEG OF SAID SIPHON TO THE EVAPORATOR, AID SIPHON BEING SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED AS TO SIPHON WATER FROM THE TANK ONLY WHEN A MAXIMUM PREDETERMINED WATER LEVEL IS REACHED AND TO DISCONTINUE THE SIPHON ACTION WHEN A PREDETERMINED MINIMUM WATER LEVEL IS REACHED.