Continuous flow centrifuge apparatus

Claim 1

IN A CONTINUOUS FLOW CENTRIFUGE OF THE TYPE HAVING A BASKET INTO WHICH AND FROM WHICH LIQUID IS TO BE CIRCULATED VIA CONCENTRIC PASSAGEWAYS AXIALLY OF THE BASKET WHEN CONNECTED TO EXTERIOR DELIVERY AND RETURN CONDUITS, RESPECTIVELY, A DEVICE AXIALLY OF SAID BASKET AND COMPRISING ROTOR AND STATOR SECTIONS, SAID ROTOR SECTION BEING CONNECTED TO SAID BASKET TO ROTATE THEREWITH AND HAVING A CHAMBER AND INCLUDING A LOWER HOUSING MEMBER AND A COVER THREADED THEREON, THE LOWER END OF SAID MEMBER BEING WITHIN SAID BASKET WHEN THE ROTOR SECTION IS CONNECTED THERETO, SAID CHAMBER HAVING AN ANNULAR SHOULDER ABOVE ITS BOTTOM, A DELIVERY PORT OPENING INTO THE CHAMBER BELOW SAID SHOULDER, AND A RETURN PORT OPENING INTO SAID CHAMBER ABOVE SAID SHOULDER, AND A BALL BEARING UNIT WITHIN THE CHAMBER BUT ABOVE SAID SHOULDER ROTATABLY CONNECTING SAID SECTIONS, THE OUTER RACE OF SAID UNIT BEING CLAMPED BETWEEN SAID HOUSING MEMBER AND SAID COVER, AND SAID STATOR SECTION INCLUDING A CONDUIT MEMBER HAVING AN AXIAL BORE OPENING THROUGH ITS LOWER END AND PROVIDED WITH A CIRCULAR FLANGE BETWEEN SAID SHOULDER AND SAID UNIT, THE UPPER END OF SAID CONDUIT MEMBER BEING ABOVE SAID ROTOR SECTION, AND A TUBULAR MEMBER IN SAID AXIAL BORE OPENING INTO SAID CHAMBER BELOW SAID SHOULDER, THE UPPER END OF SAID CONDUIT MEMBER HAVING A DELIVERY PORT OPENING INTO SAID TUBULAR MEMBER FOR CONNECTION TO SAID DELIVERY CONDUIT, SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AND SAID CHAMBER BELOW SAID SHOULDER BEING THE FLUID DELIVERY PASSAGEWAY, SAID CONDUIT MEMBER HAVING RETURN PORTS IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID AXIAL BORE, ONE OPENING INTO SAID CHAMBER ABOVE SAID SHOULDER AND THE OTHER BEING ABOVE SAID ROTOR SECTION FOR CONNECTION TO SAID RETURN CONDUIT, SAID AXIAL BORE AND SAID TUBULAR MEMBER BEING DIMENSIONED, IN A ZONE INCLUSIVE OF SAID RETURN PORTS, TO PROVIDE A CONDUIT DEFINING CLEARANCE, SAID ZONE AND SAID CHAMBER ABOVE THE SHOULDER BEING THE FLUID RETURN PASSAGEWAY.