Centrifugal extractor

Claim 1

IN CENTRIFUGAL COUNTERCURRENT CONTACT APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING INTIMATE CONTACT BETWEEN LIQUIDS WHICH ARE AT LEAST PARTIALLY IMMISCIBLE, A ROTARY BOWL HAIVNG A CENTRAL AXIS AND AN INTERIOR WORKING SPACE, A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART ANNULAR FRUSTO CONICAL DISCS WITHIN THE WORKING SPACE AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROMSAID CENTRAL AXIS OF SAID BOWL AND ROTATABLE THEREWITH, A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED OPENINGS IN SAID DISCS, TUBULAR DISTRIBUTING CHANNEL MEMBERS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID ALIGNED OPENINGS IN SAID DISCS FORMING AT LEAST TWO CHANNELS WITHIN THE WORKING SPACE INCLUDING A FIRST CHANNEL MEMBER RELATIVELY CLOSE TO SAID CENTRAL AXIS AND A SECOND CHANNEL MEMBER RELATIVELY REMOTE FROM SAID CENTRAL AXIS, SAID FIRST CHANNEL MEMBER BEING IN A PLANE INCLUDING SAID CENTRAL AXIS AND INCLINED OUTWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID CENTRAL AXIS FROM ONE END THEREOF, SAID SECOND CHANNEL MEMBER BEING IN A PLANE INCLUDING SAID CENTRAL AXIS AND INCLINED INWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID CENTRAL AXIS FROM THE ONE END THEREOF ADJACENT TO SAID OINE END OF SAID FIRST CHANNEL MEMBER, SAID TUBULAR CHANNELMEMBERS BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM CROSS SECTION WITH OPEN PORTIONS FOR DISCHARGIN LIQUID THEREFROM INTO THE SPACES BETWEEN SAID DISCS, WITH SAID OPEN PORTIONS IN SAID FIRST CHANNEL MEMBER BEING DIRECTED AWAY FROM SAID CENTRAL AXIS AND SAID OPEN PORTIONS IN SAID SECOND CHANNEL MEMBER BEING DIRECTED TOWARD SAID CENTRAL AXIS, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING HEAVY LIQUID INTO SAID FIRST CHANNEL MEMBER AT SAID ONE END THEREOF TO BE DISTRIBUTED BETWEEN SAID DISCS, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING LIGHT LIQUID INTO SAID SECOND CHANNEL MEMBER AT SAID ONE END THEREOF TO BE DISTRIBUTED BETWEEN SAID DISCS, SAID DISCS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PORTIONS POSITIONED BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER EDGTES THEREOF AND BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND CHANNEL MEMBERS TO CUSE MIXING OF THE LIQUIDS FLOWING THROUGH THE SPACES BETWEEN SAID DISCS, THE LIGHT AND HEAVY LIQUIDS SEPARATING WHILE PASSING FROM ONE MIXING PORTION TO ANOTHER TO PROVIDE A PLURALITY OF MIXING AND SEPARATING SECTIONS ALONG EACH DISC BETWEN THE INNER AND OUTER EDGES THEREOF, MEANS ADJACENT THE INNER EDGES OF SAID DISCS FOR RECEIVING THE SEPARATED LIGHT LIUQID, AND MEANS ADJACENT THE OUTER EDGES OF SAID DISCS FOR RECEIVING THE SEPARATED HEAVY LIQUID.