Separation of components of liquidsolid mixtures

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF COMPACTING SOLIDS IN A MIXTURE OF SUCH SOLIDS AND A LIQUID AND OF SEPARATING THE LIQUID IN CLARIFIED CONDITION FROM THE SOLIDS, WHICH PROCESS INCLUDES THE STEPS OF INTRODUCING THE MIXTURE INTO A ZONE OF CENTRIFUGING COMPRISING THIN STACKED FRUSTO-CONICAL CLARIFYING SPACES AND A COMPACTING SPACE RADIALLY REMOVED FROM AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE CLARIFYING SPACES, CAUSING THE SOLIDS TO PASS FROM SAID CLARIFYING SPACES AND TO SETTLE ON A NON-RADIAL COMPACTION SURFACE PORTION IN THE COMPACTING SPACE, THE SURFACE PORTION BEING SPACED RADIALLY FROM SAID CLARIFYING SPACES AND BEING BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER PERIPHERY OF THE ZONE, CAUSING THE SOLIDS WITH ENTRAINED LIQUID TO PASS THROUGH A RESTRICTED OPENING IN THE NON-RADIAL SURFACE PORTION AND FROM SAID SURFACE PORTION AND INTO A CARRIER LIQUID, DISCHARGINT THE CARRIER LIQUID WITH THE SOLIDS FROM THE ZONE, SEPARATELY DISCHARGING THE CLARIFIED LIQUID, AND MOVING THE LIQUID SEPARATED FROM THE SOLIDS AFTER PASSING THROUGH THE RESTRICTED OPENING BACK ALONG THE OPPOSITE FACE OF THE COMPACTION SURFACE PORTION, AND THEN INTO THE CLARIFYING SPACES TO DISCHARGE WITH THE CLARIFIED LIQUID.