Liquid transport in continuous extraction apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION OF A HEAVY PHASE AND A LIGHT PHASE IN COUNTERCURRENT FLOW, SAID HEAVY PHASE AND SAID LIGHT PHASE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY IMMISCIBLE, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF VESSELS, MEANS JOINING SAID VESSELS IN SERIES TO PROVIDE FOR FLOW THERETHROUGH FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER OF THE APPARATUS, INLET AND OUTLET MEANS FOR THE HEAVY AND LIGHT PHASES RESPECTIVELY EACH AT ONE END OF THE APPARATUS, A PULSING MEANS, SAID JOINING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS CONNECTING THE UPPER PART OF THE FIRST VESSEL, SAID CONNECTING MEANS COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE OPEN CONNECTION LINE COMMON TO BOTH PHASES, SAID LINE BEING CAPABLE OF TRANSMITTING LIQUID IN BOTH DIRECTIONS AND, IN A DIRECTION LEADING FROM SAID UPPER PART OF SAID FIRST VESSEL TO SAID LOWER PART OF SAID SECOND VESSEL, SAID LINE COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED CONDUIT ELEMENTS AND AN UPWARDLY DIRECTED CONDUIT ELEMENT BETWEEN AND CONNECTING SAID DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED CONDUIT ELEMENT THE VOLUME OF EACH DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED CONDUIT ELEMENT BEING NO GREATER THAN APPROXIMATELY THE VOLUME WHICH IS DISPLACED IN SAID CONNECTION LINE AT ONE STROKE OF SAID PULSING MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING LIQUID THROUGH SAID CONNECTION LINE.