Apparatus for producing crystals from solutions

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING COARSE CRYSTALS FROM A SATURATED SOLUTION UNDER REDUCED PRESSURE, AND COMPRISING A VESSEL HAVING AN UPPER CYLINDRICAL PORTION AND A LOWER CYLINDRICAL PORTION OF REDUCED DIAMETER DEFINING A COLLECTING ZONE FOR ACCUMULATINGCRYSTALS WITH A CONICAL INTERMEDIATE PORTION HAVING AN UPPER DIAMETER CONNECTING SAID UPPER CYLINDRICAL PORTION AND A LOWER DIAMETER CONNECTING SAID LOWER CYLINDRICAL PORTION, A SOLUTION DISCHARGE CONDUIT HAVING ONE END DEFINING THE LEVEL OF THE SOLUTION IN SAID UPPER CYLINDRICAL PORTION AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE WALL OF SAID VESSEL, MEANS DEFINING A FUNNEL-SHAPED CHAMBER HAVING A LARGER OPEN UPPER END AND A SMALLER OPEN LOWER END CO-AXIALLLY POSITIONED IN SAID VESSEL WITH SAID SMALLER OPEN END THEREOF DIRECTED DOWNWARDLY OF SAID VESSEL, SAID UPPER END OF SAID MEANS EXTENDING ABOVE SAID ONE END DEFINING THE LEVEL OF THE SOLUTION IN SAID UPPER CYLINDRICAL PORTION, A CIRCULATING CONDUIT HAVING ONE END ABOVE SAID LARGER OPEN UPPER END OF SAID MEANS AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID VESSEL HAVING ANOTHER END AT A POINT JUST BELOW SAID ONE END DEFINING THE LEVEL OF THE SOLUTION, SAID ONE END OF SAID DISCHARGE CONDUIT BEING SPACED ABOVE SAID ANOTHER END OF SAID CIRCULATING CONDUIT DEFINING THEREBETWEEN A SETTLING ZONE IN THE SOLUTION, A SUPPLY CONDUIT CONNECTED TO SAID CIRCULATING CONDUIT, MEANS IN SAID LOWER CYLINDRICAL PORTION FOR DISCHARGING CRYSTALS ACCUMULATING THEREIN, AN UPWARDLY CURVED BAFFLE BELOW SAID SMALLER END OF SAID MEANS AND IN THE ZONE OF SAID LOWER DIAMETER CONNECTING SAID LOWER CYLINDRICAL PORTION, AND MEANS IN THE LOWER AREA OF SAID LOWER CYLINDRICAL PORTION FOR DISTRIBUTING AIR UPWARDLY IN SAID VESSEL.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING COARSE CRYSTALS FROM A SATURATED SOLUTION UNDER REDUCED PRESSURE, AND COMPRISING A VESSEL HAVING AN UPPER CYLINDRICAL PORTION AND A LOWER CYLINDRICAL PORTION OF REDUCED DIAMETER DEFINING A COLLECTING ZONE FOR ACCUMULATINGCRYSTALS WITH A CONICAL INTERMEDIATE PORTION HAVING AN UPPER DIAMETER CONNECTING SAID UPPER CYLINDRICAL PORTION AND A LOWER DIAMETER CONNECTING SAID LOWER CYLINDRICAL PORTION, A SOLUTION DISCHARGE CONDUIT HAVING ONE END DEFINING THE LEVEL OF THE SOLUTION IN SAID UPPER CYLINDRICAL PORTION AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE WALL OF SAID VESSEL, MEANS DEFINING A FUNNEL-SHAPED CHAMBER HAVING A LARGER OPEN UPPER END AND A SMALLER OPEN LOWER END CO-AXIALLLY POSITIONED IN SAID VESSEL WITH SAID SMALLER OPEN END THEREOF DIRECTED DOWNWARDLY OF SAID VESSEL, SAID UPPER END OF SAID MEANS EXTENDING ABOVE SAID ONE END DEFINING THE LEVEL OF THE SOLUTION IN SAID UPPER CYLINDRICAL PORTION, A CIRCULATING CONDUIT HAVING ONE END ABOVE SAID LARGER OPEN UPPER END OF SAID MEANS AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID VESSEL HAVING ANOTHER END AT A POINT JUST BELOW SAID ONE END DEFINING THE LEVEL OF THE SOLUTION, SAID ONE END OF SAID DISCHARGE CONDUIT BEING SPACED ABOVE SAID ANOTHER END OF SAID CIRCULATING CONDUIT DEFINING THEREBETWEEN A SETTLING ZONE IN THE SOLUTION, A SUPPLY CONDUIT CONNECTED TO SAID CIRCULATING CONDUIT, MEANS IN SAID LOWER CYLINDRICAL PORTION FOR DISCHARGING CRYSTALS ACCUMULATING THEREIN, AN UPWARDLY CURVED BAFFLE BELOW SAID SMALLER END OF SAID MEANS AND IN THE ZONE OF SAID LOWER DIAMETER CONNECTING SAID LOWER CYLINDRICAL PORTION, AND MEANS IN THE LOWER AREA OF SAID LOWER CYLINDRICAL PORTION FOR DISTRIBUTING AIR UPWARDLY IN SAID VESSEL.