Apparatus for separating liquid mixtures

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LIQUID MIXTURES INTO FRACTIONS OF GREATER DENSITY AND LESSER DENSITY COMPRISING: (A) A CENTRIFUGE HAVING A CONTAINER HOLDING MEMBER WHICH REVOLVES AROUND AN AXIS OF REVOLUTION, (B) A CONTAINER ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONTAINER HOLDING MEMBER, (C) A FIRST LIQUID HOLDING COMPARTMENT IN THE CONTAINER HAVING AT LEAST ONE FLEXIBLE WALL AND AN OUTLET OPENING, (D) A SECOND LIQUID HOLDING COMPARTMENT IN THE CONTAINER HAVING AN INLET OPENING, (E )A CONTINUOUS PASSAGEWAY MEANS CONNECTING THE OUTLET OPENING OF THE FIRST COMPARTMENT AND THE INLET OPENING OF THE SECOND COMPARTMENT, (F) MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONTAINER HOLDING MEMBER HOLDING THE CONTAINER WITH THE FIRST AND SECOND COMNPARTMENTS CONSTRAINED TO SYNCHRONOUS REVOLUTION AROUND THE AXIS OF REVOLUTION, (G) MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MEANS CLAIMED IN (F) FOR RELEASING THE CONTAINER FOR SEPARATIONOF THE CONTAINER FROM THE CONTAINER HOLDING MEMBER, (H) MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FIRST COMPARTMENT DOR HOLDING AND CONFINING A DISCRETE BODYOF LIQUID MIXTURE ENTIRELY WITHIN THE FIRST COMPARTMENT WHILE FRACTIONATING THE DISCRETE BODY OF LIQUID BY CENTRIFUGATION, (I) WALL MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MEANS CLAIMED IN (H) FOR HOLDING THE DISCRETE BODYOF LIQUID MIXTURE DURING FRACTIONATION TO FORM A FIRST FRACTIONAL LIQUID BODY OF MORE DENSE FRACTION HELD AGAINST A FIRST PORTION OF THE WALL MEANS REMOTE FROM THE AXIS OF REVOLUTION AND A SECOND FRACTIONAL LIQUID BODY OF LESS DENSE FRACTION SUPPORTED BETWEEN THE FIRST FRACTIUONAL LIQUID BODY AND THE AXIS OF REVOLUTION BY THE FIRST FRACTIONAL LIQUID BODY AND A SECOND PORTION OF THE WALL MEANS, (J) MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONTAINER HOLDING MEMBER FOR EXERTING PRESSURE ON THE FLEXIBLE WALL OF THE FIRST COMPARTMENT AFTER FRACTIONATION HAS BEEN COMPLETED TO REDUCE THE VOLUMETRIC LIQUID CAPACITY OF THE FIRST COMPARTMENT, (K) MEANS FOR ACTUATING THE MEANS CLAIMED IN (J) DURING CENTRIGUGAITON TO TRANSFER LIQUID FRACTION THROUGH THE OUTLET OPENING AND THE PASSAGEWAYMEANS TO THE SECOND COMPARTMENT, AND (L) MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SECOND COMPARTMENT FOR COLLECTING AND HOLDING WITHIN THE SECOND COMPARTMENT FOR A PERIOD ALL THE LIQUID FRACITON TRANSFERRED FROM THE FIRST COMPARTMENT.