Centrifuge for continuously effecting concentration of solids from a suspension thereof in liquid

Claim 1

A CENTRIFUGE FOR THE CONTINUOUS CONCENTRATION OF SOLIDS FROM A SUSPENSION THEREOF IN A LIQUID, COMPRISING A HOLLOW BOWL ROTATED ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS, AN AXIALLY ARRANGED SERIES OF FRUSTO-CONICAL SEPARATING DISKS NESTED INTO EACH OTHER IN SPACED RELATION WITHIN SAID BOWL, SAID BOWL HAVING A SPACE FOR COLLECTED CONCENTRATED SOLIDS EXTENDING AROUND THE OUTER PERIPHERIES OF SAID DISKS AND OUTLETS FOR THE CONCENTRATED SOLIDS OPENING FROM SAID SPACE, A FRUSTO-CONICAL DIVIDING DISK ARRANGED CENTRALLY IN SAID SERIES OF SEPARATING DISKS TO DIVIDE THE LATTER INTO TWO SEPARATING SECTIONS, TWO FRUSTO-CONCIAL DISTRIBUTING DISKS ARRANGED AT THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID DIVIDING DISK AND BEING SPACED FROM THE LATTER TO DEFINE TWO DISTRIBUTING GAPS THEREBETWEEN OPENING RADIALLY OUTWARD INTO SAID SPACE FOR THE CONCENTRATED SOLIDS AT THE SAME SIDES OF SAID DIVIDING DISK AS THE RESPECTIVE SEPARATING SECTIONS, A HOLLOW TUBULAR MEMBER EXTENDING AXIALLY INTO SAID BOWL AND HAVING PASSAGES EXTENDING THEREALONG FOR RESPECTIVELY SUPPLYING SUSPENSION AND DISCHARGING CLARIFIED LIQUID, SAID DIVIDING AND DISTRIBUTING DISKS EXTENDING RADIALLY INWARD BEYOND SAID SEPARATING DISKS TO THE PROXIMITY OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER TO FORM ENTRIES FOR SUSPENSION AT THE RADIALLY INNER PERIPHERIES OF SAID DISTRIBUTING GAPS, SAID TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING OPENINGS FROM SAID SUSPENSION SUPPLYING PASSAGE IN THE REGIONS OF SAID ENTRIES, AND COLLECTING MEMBERS FOR CLARIFIED LIQUID EXTENDING FROM SAID TUBULAR MEMBER IN THE REGIONS OF SAID SEPARATING SECTIONS AND OPENING INTO SAID CLARIFIED LIQUID DISCHARGING PASSAGE, ALL OF SAID DISKS WITHIN SAID BOWL BEING IDENTICALLY ORIENTED AND SAID DISTRIBUTING GAPS BEING NARROW ENOUGH TO PREVENT SEPARATION FROM TAKING PLACE UNTIL SAID SUSPENSION REACHES SAID SPACE IN SAID BOWL AROUND THE OUTER PERIPHERIES OF SAID SEPARATING DISKS.