Digestion and analysis apparatus and method

Claim 1

CONTINUOUS LIQUID-TREATMENT AND ANALYSIS APPARATUS, COMPRISING A HORIZONTALLY MOUNTED LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING ROTARY MEMBER HAVING MEANS DEFINING A HELICAL PASSAGE THEREIN DISPOSED COAXIALLY OF THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID MEMBER FOR THE FLOW OF LIQUID THEREIN FROM A POINT OF LIQUID SUPPLY TO A LIQUID-DELIVERY POINT DOWNSTREAM FROM SAID POINT OF SUPPLY, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID MEMBER ABOUT SAID AXIS FOR THE FLOW OF THE LIQUID IN SAID HELICAL PASSAGE TO SAID POINT OF DELIVERY, MEANS FOR HEATING SAID MEMBER DURING ITS ROTATION WHEREBY TO HEAT THE LIQUID, MEANS OPERABLE TO INTRODUCE A SERIES OF SEPARATE LIQUID SAMPLES DURING SPACED INTERVALS OF TIME INTO SAID ROTARY MEMBER AT SAID POINT OF LIQUID SUPPLY FOR TREATMENT IN SAID MEMBER, DURING THE FLOW OF SAID SAMPLES TO SAID POINT OF DELIVERY, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A REAGENT LIQUID INTO SAID ROTARY MEMBER AT A POINT UPSTREAM OF SAID LIQUID DELIVERY POINT FOR TREATING SAID LIQUID SAMPLES WHILE SAID SAMPLES FLOW IN SAID MEMBER TOWARD SAID DELIVERY POINT, SAID REAGENT BEING HEATED DURING ITS FLOW IN SAID MEMBER WHEREBY THE SAMPLES ARE SUBJECTED TO THE ACTION OF SAID HEATED REAGENT LIQUD, DURING THE FLOW TOWARD SAID DELIVERY POINT, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A DILUENT INTO SAID ROTARY MEMBER AT A POINT UPSTREAM FROM SAID LIQUID DELIVERY POINT AND DOWNSTREAM FROM SAID REAGENT DELIVERY POINT, MEANS FOR RECEIVING THE DILUTED LIQUID FROM SAID ROTARY MEMBER IN THE FORM OF A STREAM CONTAINING THE TREATED LIQUID SAMPLES SPACED FROM EACH OTHER LONGITUDINALLY OF THE STREAM BY OTHER INTERVENING LIQUID, AND MEANS FOR TREATING THE TREATED LIQUID SAMPLES IN SAID LAST MENTIONED STREAM DURING THE FLOW THEREOF FOR EXAMINATION IN RESPECT TO A PARTICULAR SUBSTANCE THEREIN.