Multi-cell electrodialysis apparatus having resilient spacers

Claim 1

A MULTI-CELL ELECTRODIALYSIS APPARATUS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF STACKED ALTERNATE ANION PERMEABLE MEMBRANES AND CATION PERMEABLE MEMBRANES, FRAMES BETWEEN EACH TWO ADJACENT MEMBRANES DEFINING AN ELECTRODIALYSIS CHAMBER WITHIN THE PERIPHERY OF THE FRAME AND BETWEEN THE MEMBRANES, THE CHAMBER ALTERNATELY BEING DILUTING AND CONCENTRATING CHAMBERS THROUGH THE STACK, THE PERIPHERIES OF THE MEMBRANES AND FRAMES HAVING ALIGNED HOLES THEREIN FORMING SUPPLY AND EXHAUSTING CONDUITS FOR SUPPLYING AND CARRYING AWAY DILUTING AND CONCENTRATING SOLUTIONS FROM THE STACK, EACH FRAME HAVING SOLUTION PATHS BETWEEN THE HOLES AND CHAMBER DEFINED WITHIN THE FRAME AND PROVIDING COMMUNICATION ONLY BETWEEN DILUTING CHAMBERS AND SUPPLY AND EXHAUST CONDUITS FOR THE DILUTING SOLUTION AND ONLY BETWEEN A CONCENTRATING CHAMBER AND THE SUPPLY AND EXHAUST CONDUITS FOR THE CONCENTRATING SOLUTION, A PART OF THE FRAME BETWEEN A HOLE AND THE ELECTRODIALYSIS CHAMBER BEING CUT AWAY TO FORM AT LEAST ONE OF THE SOLUTION PATHS FOR DILUTING SOLUTION AND CONCENTRATING SOLUTION, AND COMPRESSIBLE POROUS SPACERS WOVEN OF CHEMICAL AND WATER RESISTANT FIBERS AND EACH HAVING A THICKNESS PRIOR TO BEING POSITIONED IN SAID APPARATUS AT LEAST SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE THICKNESS OF THE FRAME AND HAVING A THICKNESS THE SAME AS THE THICKNESS OF THE FRAME WHEN POSITIONED IN THE APPARATUS AND WHICH WILL REGAIN ITS ORIGINAL SHAPE AND THICKNESS WHEN REMOVED FROM THE APPARATUS, AND THERE BEING AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SPACERS IN THE CENTER OPENING DEFINING THE ELECTRODIALYSIS CHAMBERS IN EACH OF THE FRAMES AND EXTENDING INTO AT LEAST PART OF SAID LEAST ONE SOLUTION PATH AND HOLDING SAID MEMBRANES IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP.