Multiple effect distillation apparatus

Claim 1

DISTILLATION APPARATUS COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF DISTILLATION COMPARTMENTS, SAID COMPARTMENTS HAVING ONE ABOVE ANOTHER, EACH OF SAID COMPARTMENTS HAVING AN INCLINED UPPER HEAT TRANSFER WALL CONSTITUTING A CONDENSING SURFACE AND A REVERSELY INCLINED LOWER HEAT TRANSFER WALL CONSTITUTING AN EVAPORATION SURFACE, SAID HEAT TRANSFER WALLS HAVING ON EACH SURFACE A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED PARALLEL PROTUBERANCES SEPARATED BY DEPRESSIONS, MEANS FOR CONVEYING DISTILLED FROM THE LOWER EDGE OF EACH OF SAID EVAPORATING SURFACES TO THE UPPER EDGE OF THE NEXT HIGHEST EVAPORATING SURFACE, COMPRISING A DISTILLED-FILLED CONDUIT ESTABLISHING A PRESSURE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMPARTMENTS EQUAL TO THE LIQUID LEG, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING DISTILLAND TO THE LOWEST OF SAID EVAPORATING SURFACES, MEANS FOR COLLECTING DISTILLATE FROM EACH OF SAID CONDENSATING SURFACES, AND MEANS FOR HEATING THE LOWEST OF SAID EVAPORATING SURFACES.