Centrifugal separation system

Claim 1

A MULTIPLE-STAGE SEPARATOR FOR SEPARATING A MIXTURE OF MATERIALS HAVING DIFFERENT DENSITIES, SAID SEPARATOR INCLUDING A NON-ROTATABLE HOUSING; A HOLLOW ROTOR JOURNALED INSIDE SAID HOUSING FOR ROTATION AROUND AN AXIS; SAID ROTOR INCLUDING MEANS GENERALLY TRANSVERSE OF SAID AXIS AND DIVIDING THE INTERIOR OF SAID ROTOR INTO A FIRST-STAGE SEPARATION CHAMBER AND A SECOND-STAGE SEPARATION CHAMBER, SAID ROTOR BEING SPACED FROM SAID HOUSING TO FORM A FIRST RECEIVING CHAMBER BETWEEN SAID ROTOR AND SAID HOUSING ADJACENT SAID FIRST-STAGE SEPARATION CHAMBER AND A SECOND RECEIVING CHAMBER BETWEEN SAID ROTOR AND SAID HOUSING ADJACENT SAID SECOND-STAGE SEPARATION CHAMBER; MEANS BETWEEN SAID ROTOR AND SAID HOUSING SEALING SAID FIRST RECEIVING CHAMBER FROM SAID SECOND RECEIVING CHAMBER; SAID ROTOR INCLUDING A CASING HAVING THE SHAPE OF A RIGHT CIRCULAR CYLINDER AND COVERS AT ITS OPPOSITE ENDS, AN INLET EXTENDING FROM THE EXTERIOR OF SAID SEPARATOR AND OPENING INTO SAID FIRST-STAGE SEPARATION CHAMBER FOR THE DELIVERY THERETO OF A MIXTURE OF MATERIALS TO BE SEPARATED; MEANS FOR INITIALLY DIRECTING SAID MIXTURE ENTERING SAID FIRST-STAGE SEPARATION CHAMBER OUTWARDLY TOWARD THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID CASING, SAID TRANSVERSE DIVIDING MEANS INCLUDING AN APERTURE AT THE AXIS FOR THE PASSAGE OF PARTIALLY-PURIFIED LESS DENSE MATERIAL FROM SAID FIRST-STAGE SEPARATION CHAMBER TO SAID SECOND-STAGE SEPARATION CHAMBER, SAID APERTURE HAVING AN AREA THAT IS A SMALL FRACTION OF THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID CASING, SAID FIRST-STAGE SEPARATION CHAMBER HAVING AN UNOBSTRUCTED AXIAL ZONE BETWEEN SAID INITIALLY-DIRECTING MEANS AND SAID APERTURE FOR COLLECTING PARTIALLY-PURIFIED LESS DENSE MATERIAL AND TRANSMITTING IT TO SAID APERTURE, SAID CASING HAVING AT LEAST ONE EXIT OPENING FORMED THEREIN AND JOINING SAID FIRST-STAGE SEPARATION CHAMBER TO SAID FIRST RECEIVING CHAMBER FOR THE CENTRIFUGAL OUTFLOW OF MORE DENSE MATERIAL, SAID SECOND-STAGE SEPARATION CHAMBER INCLUDING OUTLET MEANS FOR RECEIVING FURTHERPURIFIED LESS DENSE MATERIAL AT OR ADJACENT SAID AXIS AND FLOWING THE FURTHER-PURIFIED LESS DENSE MATERIAL THROUGH SAID CASING INTO SAID SECOND RECEIVING CHAMBER, SAID OUTLET MEANS BEING THE ONLY OUTLET FROM SAID SECOND-STAGE SEPARATION CHAMBER SO THAT ADDITIONAL MORE DENSE MATERIAL SEPARATED IN SAID SECOND STAGE SEPARATION CHAMBER COLLECTS ADJACENT THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID CASING IN SAID SECONDSTAGE SEPARATION CHAMBER FOR REMOVAL UPON PERIODIC CLEANING, SAID HOUSING HAVING AN EGRESS OPENING FORMED THEREIN JOINING SAID SECOND RECEIVING CHAMBER TO THE SPACE OUTSIDE SAID SEPARATOR FOR THE OUTFLOW OF FURTHER-PURIFIED LESS DENSE MATERIAL.