Liquid separating apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING FROM A FLUID IMPURITIES OF A HIGHER SPECIFIC GRAVITY THAN THAT OF THE FLUID, COMPRISING A CLOSED OUTER SETTLING TANK; A SEPARATING CHAMBER IN THE TANK AND HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL WALL, A CLOSED BOTTOM AND AN OPENING AT THE TOP OF SAID WALL; MEANS FOR DELIVERING FLUID WITH IMPURITIES THEREIN TO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE CHAMBER NEAR THE BOTTOM THEREOF; MEANS IN THE LOWER PORTION OF THE CHAMBER NEAR THE CHAMBER BOTTOM FOR IMPARTING TO THE FLUID BEING DELIVERED A ROTARY MOTION WITHIN THE CHAMBER AROUND A VERTICAL AXIS THEREOF TO CAUSE SAID FLUID TO SPIRAL UPWARDLY IN THE CHAMBER ALONG SAID CYLINDRICAL WALL, THE ROTATION OF THE FLUID IN THE CHAMBER CAUSING THE HEAVY IMPURITIES UNDER CENTRIFUGAL FORCE TO MOVE OUTWARDLY TO THE CYLINDRICAL WALL AND UP THE LATTER TO AND OUT THROUGH THE OPENING AT THE TOP THEREOF, SAID CHAMBER BEING SO LOCATED IN THE TANK THAT SAID IMPURITIES MOVING OUT THROUGH THE OPENING AT THE TOP THEREOF CAN DROP DOWNWARDLY IN THE TANK; AND MEANS IN THE LOWER PORTION OF THE CHAMBER NEAR THE ROTARY MOTION IMPARTING MEANS FOR REMOVING FLUID FROM THE CHAMBER NEAR SAID VERTICAL AXIS AND OUT OF THE APPARATUS, WHEREBY THE FLUID AFTER MOVING UPWARDLY NEAR THE CHAMBER WALL FLOWS DOWNWARDLY CENTRALLY OF THE CHAMBER TO SAID REMOVING MEANS IN THE LOWER PORTION OF THE CHAMBER.