Thin-film processing apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED COMPRISING A HORIZONTAL CHAMBER OF GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL CONFORMATION, SAID CHAMBER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FULLY ENCLOSED, A TEMPERATURE CONTROL JACKET ABOUT THE CHAMBER EXTERIORLY THEREOF, A COAXIAL HORIZONTAL ROTOR IN THE CHAMBER, MEANS TO ROTATE THE ROTOR, GENERALLY RADIAL VANES ON THE ROTOR EXTENDING OUTWARDLY IN CLOSE ASSOCIATION WITH THE INTERIOR WALL OF THE CHAMBER LEAVING A SMALL SPACE BETWEEN THE TIPS OF THE VANES AND SAID INTERIOR WALL, A MATERIAL INLET AND A CONCENTRATE OUTLET IN SAID CHAMBER, A DAM ARRANGED ON THE WALL OF THE CHAMBER INTERIORLY THEREOF, SAID DAM EXTENDING ANNULARLY ABOUT THE CHAMBER AND INWARDLY TOWARD THE ROTOR FOR A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE TIPS OF THE VANES AND THE CHAMBER WALL, A CORRESPONDING REDUCED PORTION ON EACH OF SAID VANES TO ACCOMMODATE SAID DAM, THERE BEING A GAP BETWEEN THE ADJACENT EDGES OF THE VANES AND THE DAM AND MEANS TO AXIALLY ADJUST THE ROTOR TO VARY THE GAP BETWEEN THE DAM AND THE ADJACENT EDGES OF THE VANES AT THE REDUCED PORTIONS THEREOF.