Method and apparatus for the liquid separation of a mixture of materials

Claim 1

Method for the liquid separation of a mixture having a plurality of component parts of differing specific gravities and absorption characteristics, one of said component parts being a botanical material comprising: passing said mixture into a first separation zone having a liquid medium therein with a specific gravity intermediate the specific gravity range of the botanical material; retaining said mixture in said first zone until an intermediate portion of said mixture including botanical material absorbs an amount of said liquid medium and approaches the specific gravity of the liquid medium and separates from the remainder of said mixture; collecting the part of the remainder of said mixture having a specific gravity significantly less than the specific gravity of the liquid medium and being substantially of botanical material from the top of said separation zone and collecting the part of the remainder of said mixture having a specific gravity greater than the specific gravity of the liquid medium and containing substantially no botanical material from the bottom of said zone; removing the intermediate portion of said mixture from said first zone and passing it into a second separation zone having a second liquid medium therein with a specific gravity greater than the specific gravity of the previous liquid medium and intermediate the specific graVity range of said intermediate portion; retaining the intermediate portion in said second zone until a further intermediate portion of said mixture including botanical material separates from the remainder of said intermediate portion and an additional fraction thereof absorbs an amount of said second liquid medium and approaches the specific gravity of the second liquid medium; collecting the part of the remainder of said intermediate portion having a specific gravity significantly less than the specific gravity of the second liquid medium and being substantially of botanical material including an additional amount thereof due to the absorption of the first liquid medium by the botanical material in the first stage which thereby approaches the specific gravity of the first liquid medium and, consequently, will float upward in said second zone to facilitate collection thereof; collecting the part of the remainder of said intermediate portion having a specific gravity significantly greater than the specific gravity of the second liquid medium and containing substantially no botanical material; and in a similar manner passing the collected parts and additional fraction of said intermediate portion into the desired number of further separation zones having appropriate specific gravities for ultimate collection of the desired percentage of botanical material free of other components.

Claim 5

The method for the liquid separation of a mixture having a plurality of component parts of differing specific gravities and absorption characteristics, one of said component parts being a foliaceous material, comprising: passing said mixture into a first separation zone having a liquid medium therein with the liquid medium having a specific gravity intermediate the specific gravity range of the foliaceous material introduced therein; retaining said mixture in said first zone until an intermediate portion of said mixture including foliaceous material absorbs an amount of said liquid medium and approaches the specific gravity of the liquid medium and separates from the remainder of said mixture; collecting the part of the remainder of said mixture having a specific gravity significantly less than the specific gravity of the liquid medium and being substantially of foliaceous material from the top of said separation zone and collecting the part of the remainder of said mixture having a specific gravity significantly greater than the specific gravity of the liquid medium and containing substantially no foliaceous material from the bottom of said zone; removing the intermediate portion of said mixture from said first zone and passing it into a second separation zone having a second liquid medium therein with a specific gravity greater than the specific gravity of the previous liquid medium and intermediate the specific gravity range of said intermediate portion; retaining the intermediate portion in said second zone until a further Intermediate portion of said mixture including foliaceous material separates from the remainder of said intermediate portion and an additional fraction thereof absorbs an amount of said second liquid medium and approaches the specific gravity of the second liquid medium; collecting the part of the remainder of said intermediate portion having a specific gravity significantly less than the specific gravity of the second liquid medium and being substantially of foliaceous material including an additional amount thereof due to the absorption of the first liquid medium by the foliaceous material in the first stage which thereby approached the specific gravity of the first liquid medium and, consequently, will float upward in said second zone to facilitate collection thereof; collecting the part of the remainder of said intermediate portion having a specific gravity significantly greater than the specific gravity of the second liquid medium and containing substantially no foliaceous material; and in a similar manner passing the collected parts and additional fraction of said intermediate portion into the desired number of further separation zones having appropriate specific gravities for ultimate collection of the desired percentage of foliaceous material free of other components.

Claim 6

The method for the liquid separation of a mixture having a plurality of component parts of differing specific gravities and absorption characteristics, one of said component parts being a foliaceous material, comprising: passing said mixture into a first separation zone having a liquid medium therein with the liquid medium having a specific gravity intermediate the specific gravity range of the foliaceous material introduced therein; retaining said mixture in said first zone until an intermediate portion of said mixture including foliaceous material absorbs an amount of said liquid medium and approaches the specific gravity of the liquid medium and separates from the remainder of said mixture; collecting the part of the remainder of said mixture having a specific gravity significantly less than the specific gravity of the liquid medium and being substantially of foliaceous material from the top of said separation zone and collecting the part of the remainder of said mixture having a specific gravity significantly greater than the specific gravity of the liquid medium and containing substantially no foliaceous material from the bottom of said zone; removing the intermediate portion of said mixture from said first zone and passing it into a second separation zone having a second liquid medium therein with a specific gravity greater than the specific gravity of the previous liquid medium and intermediate the specific gravity range of said intermediate portion; retaining the intermediate portion in said second zone until a further Intermediate portion of said mixture including foliaceous material separates from the remainder of said intermediate portion and an additional fraction thereof absorbs an amount of said second liquid medium and approaches the specific gravity of the second liquid medium; collecting the part of the remainder of said intermediate portion having a specific gravity significantly less than the specific gravity of the second liquid medium and being substantially of foliaceous material including an additional amount thereof due to the absorption of the first liquid medium by the foliaceous material in the first stage which thereby approached the specific gravity of the first liquid medium and, consequently, will float upward in said second zone to facilitate collection thereof; collecting the part of the remainder of said intermediate portion having a specific gravity significantly greater than the specific gravity of the second liquid medium and containing substantially no foliaceous material; and in a similar manner passing the collected parts and additional fraction of said intermediate portion into the desired number of further separation zones having appropriate specific gravities for ultimate collection of the desired percentage of foliaceous material free of other components.