Apparatus for treating suspensions

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SOLID PARTICLES FROM THE LIQUID OF A SUSPENSION, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FIRST BODY HAVING AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEROF PORTIONS OF GREATEST AND SMALLEST DIAMETER, RESPECTIVELY, AND AN OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FLARING OUTER SURFACE EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID PORTIONS AND HAVING A VERTICAL AXIS, SAID BODY ALSO HAVING AT SAID PORTION OF SMALLEST DIAMETER A RELATIVELY DEEP CENTRAL RECESS BOUNDED BY A SURFACE PORTION OF SAID BODY FLARING OUTWARDLY AT LEAST IN THE REGION ADJACENT TO THE OPEN END OF SAID RECESS AND MERGING ALONG SAID OPEN END INTO SAID OUTWARDLY FLARING OUTER SURFACE OF SAID BODY; A SECOND ANNULAR BODY SURROUNDING SAID FIRST BODY COAXIAL THEREWITH AND HAVING AN OUTWARDLY AND UPWARDLY FLARING INNER SURFACE OF REVOLUTION AND AN OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FLARING OUTER SURFACE OF REVOLUTION, SAID INNER SURFACE OF REVOLUTION HAVING A PORTION OF GREATEST DIAMETER SPACED FROM THE PORTION OF GREATEST DIAMETER OF SAID FIRST BODY TO FORM AN ANNULAR GAP THEREWITH, SAID FIRST AND SECOND BODIES BEING SECURED TO EACH OTHER; AN ANNULAR SHIELD SURROUNDING THE PORTION OF SMALLEST DIAMETER OF SAID FIRST BODY AND HAVING A CENTRAL PORTION FORMING A CONTAINER ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A WASHING LIQUID; SUPPLY MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A SUSPENSION TO SAID RECESS; MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID BODIES AND SAID SHIELD ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID SURFACES AT SUCH A SPEED THAT THE SUSPENSION FLOWS FROM SAID RECESS ONTO SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID FIRST BODY AND FORMS THEREON A THIN LAYER AND THAT CENTRIFUGAL FORCE ACTING ON SAID LAYER IS LESS THAN THE ADHESION OF THE LIQUID WHEREBY THE SOLID PARTICLES MOVE ONTO SAID INNER SURFACE OF SAID SECOND BODY WHILE BEING MIXED WITH WASHING LIQUID FROM SAID ANNULAR SHIELD AND FROM THERE MOVE TO SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID SECOND BODY WHERE THE SOLID PARTICLES ARE SEPARATED BY THE ACTION OF THE CENTRIFUGAL FORCE FROM THE WASHING LIQUID ADHERING TO SAID OUTER SURFACE OF THE SECOND BODY; AND MEANS FOR SEPARATELY RECOVERING SAID SOLID PARTICLES AND SAID LIQUIDS.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SOLID PARTICLES FROM THE LIQUID OF A SUSPENSION, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FIRST BODY HAVING AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEROF PORTIONS OF GREATEST AND SMALLEST DIAMETER, RESPECTIVELY, AND AN OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FLARING OUTER SURFACE EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID PORTIONS AND HAVING A VERTICAL AXIS, SAID BODY ALSO HAVING AT SAID PORTION OF SMALLEST DIAMETER A RELATIVELY DEEP CENTRAL RECESS BOUNDED BY A SURFACE PORTION OF SAID BODY FLARING OUTWARDLY AT LEAST IN THE REGION ADJACENT TO THE OPEN END OF SAID RECESS AND MERGING ALONG SAID OPEN END INTO SAID OUTWARDLY FLARING OUTER SURFACE OF SAID BODY; A SECOND ANNULAR BODY SURROUNDING SAID FIRST BODY COAXIAL THEREWITH AND HAVING AN OUTWARDLY AND UPWARDLY FLARING INNER SURFACE OF REVOLUTION AND AN OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FLARING OUTER SURFACE OF REVOLUTION, SAID INNER SURFACE OF REVOLUTION HAVING A PORTION OF GREATEST DIAMETER SPACED FROM THE PORTION OF GREATEST DIAMETER OF SAID FIRST BODY TO FORM AN ANNULAR GAP THEREWITH, SAID FIRST AND SECOND BODIES BEING SECURED TO EACH OTHER; AN ANNULAR SHIELD SURROUNDING THE PORTION OF SMALLEST DIAMETER OF SAID FIRST BODY AND HAVING A CENTRAL PORTION FORMING A CONTAINER ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A WASHING LIQUID; SUPPLY MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A SUSPENSION TO SAID RECESS; MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID BODIES AND SAID SHIELD ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID SURFACES AT SUCH A SPEED THAT THE SUSPENSION FLOWS FROM SAID RECESS ONTO SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID FIRST BODY AND FORMS THEREON A THIN LAYER AND THAT CENTRIFUGAL FORCE ACTING ON SAID LAYER IS LESS THAN THE ADHESION OF THE LIQUID WHEREBY THE SOLID PARTICLES MOVE ONTO SAID INNER SURFACE OF SAID SECOND BODY WHILE BEING MIXED WITH WASHING LIQUID FROM SAID ANNULAR SHIELD AND FROM THERE MOVE TO SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID SECOND BODY WHERE THE SOLID PARTICLES ARE SEPARATED BY THE ACTION OF THE CENTRIFUGAL FORCE FROM THE WASHING LIQUID ADHERING TO SAID OUTER SURFACE OF THE SECOND BODY; AND MEANS FOR SEPARATELY RECOVERING SAID SOLID PARTICLES AND SAID LIQUIDS.