Floating separator

Claim 1

EQUIPMENT FOR SEPARATING TWO FLUIDS OF DIFFERENT DENSITY, THE LIGHTER OF WHICH FLOATS ON THE SURFACE OF THE HEAVIER, COMPRISING A DIFFUSER MEMBER HAVING FLOAT MEANS ASSOCIATED THEREWITH, SAID FLOAT MEANS BEING SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED AS TO SUPPORT SAID DIFFUSER MEMBER IN SUCH FLUIDS WITH THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID DIFFUSER MEMBER POSITIONED IN THE PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE UNDERSURFACE OF THE LIGHTER LAYER OF FLUID, A FIXED VERTICAL PIPE, SAID DIFFUSER HAVING A DEPENDING INLET PIPE SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FIXED VERTICAL PIPE, SAID MIXTURE OF FLUIDS BEING FORCED THROUGH SAID ASSOCIATED PIPES INTO THE DIFFUSER, A SUCTION BELL POSITIONED OVER THE DIFFUSER MEMBER HAVING A SECOND FLOAT MEANS ASSOCIATED THEREWITH, SAID SECOND FLOAT MEANS BEING SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED AS TO SUPPORT SAID SUCTION BELL IN SUCH FLUIDS WITH THE UNDERSURFACE OF SAID SUCTION BELL POSITIONED IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE LIGHTER LAYER OF FLUID A VERTICAL SUCTION PIPE SECURED AT ONE END TO SAID SUCTION BELL AND RISING THEREFROM, A BALL JOINT CONNECTED TO SAID VERTICAL SUCTION PIPE TO PERMIT VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SUCTION BELL, A COUNTERWEIGHT TO BALANCE SAID SUCTION BELL AND SAID VERTICAL PIPE ABOUT SAID BALL JOINT, WHEREBY SAID DIFFUSER AND SUCTION BELL MAY RISE AND FALL INDEPENDENTLY OF EACH OTHER WITH CHANGES IN THE THICKNESS OF SAID LIGHTER LAYER OF FLUID.