Analysis of particle size distribution

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SAMPLING A LIQUID SUSPENSION FOR DETERMINING THE PARTICLES SIZE DISTRIBUTION IN SAID LIQUID SUSPENSION, COMPRISING A RECEPTACLE HAVING AN INTERNAL CYLINDRICAL PERIPHERAL WALL UPSTANDING FROM A FLAT BOTTOM SURFACE, DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID RECEPTACLE ABOUT ITS AXIS WHEREBY PARTICLES IN THE SUSPENSION WITHIN THE RECEPTACLE ARE CENTRIFUGALLY DISTRIBUTED RADIALLY OF SAID RECEPTACLE, A SPIGOT EXTENDING COAXIALLY UPWARDS WITHIN SAID RECEPTACLE, A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED FIRST VERTICAL PASSAGES FORMED DOWNWARDLY INTO SAID BASE SUBSTANTIALLY IN A CIRCULAR ROW CO-AXIAL WITH SAID SPIGOT AND DISPOSED AT A PREDETERMINED LOCATION INTERMEDIATE THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID RECEPTACLE AND SAID PERIPHERAL WALL, EACH OF SAID FIRST VERTICAL PASSAGES TERMINATING IN AN OPENING IN SAID FLAT BOTTOM SURFACE OF THE BASE FOR DIRECT ACCESS TO PARTICLES DISPOSED IN THE ANNULAR ZONE OF THE SUSPENSION OVERLYING THE CIRCULAR ROW OF SAID OPENINGS, A FURTHER VERTICAL PASSAGE FORMED COAXIALLY IN SAID SPIGOT, MEANS PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTAL PASSAGES CONNECTING ALL OF SAID VERTICAL PASSAGES WITH SAID FURTHER VERTICAL PASSAGE IN SAID SPIGOT, AND MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID FURTHER VERTICAL PASSAGE ADAPTED TO PERMIT THE WITHDRAWAL OF SUSPENSION THROUGH SAID PASSAGES AT SELECTED TIMES DURING ROTATION OF SAID RECEPTACLE.