Method for separating particles from a liquid

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR SEPARATING PARTICLES FROM A MIXTURE OF LIQUID AND PARTICLES WHEREIN THE PARTICLES COMPRISE A LIGHTER FRACTION AND A HEAVIER FRACTION, BY INTRODUCING THE MIXTURE OF LIQUID AND PARTICLES CENTRALLY INTO A CYLINDRICAL HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED BASIN AND PRODUCING A FREE SUBSTANTIALLY UNOBSTRUCTED HORIZONTAL FLOW FROM THE CENTER OF THE BASIN, SAID FLOW MIXTURE OF LIQUID AND PARTICLES BEING CAUSED TO FLOW OUT FROM THE CENTER OF THE BASIN IN A RADIAL DIRECTION WHILE IMPARTING A RELATIVELY MINOR COMPONENT OF VELOCITY IN TANGENTIAL DIRECTION TO THE RADIALLY OUTWARD FLOWING MIXTURE TO SUBJECT THE FLOWING MIXTURE TO CENTRIFUGAL FORCE SUCH THAT A WHIRLING HORIZONTAL FIELD OF THE MIXTURE IS CREATED, THE TANGENTIAL COMPONENT BEIMG RELATIVELY MINOR WITH RESPECT TO THE RADIAL VELOCITY COMPONENT, THE MIXTURE AFTER TRAVERSING THE HORIZONTAL WHIRLING FIELD BEING FORCED ALONG A CONICAL SURFACE TOWARDS THE CENTER OF THE BASIN TO PERMIT HEAVIER PARTICLES TO MOVE IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION IN THE BASIN, THE HEAVIER FRACTION PARTICLES BEING DISCHARGED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE BASIN, AT LEAST A PART OF SAID RADIALLY HORI ZONTAL OUTWARD FLOW BEING DEFLECTED IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION THROUGH APPROXIMATELY 180* FROM THE CENTRAL INTRODUCTION OF THE MIXTURE AND AROUND A SCREENING AREA, AND WHEREIN A PORTION OF THE FLOW PASSING BY THE SCREENING AREA IS RADIALLY INWARDLY RETURNED TO AN AREA IN THE CENTER OF THE BASIN WHICH IS SITUATED ABOVE THE INLET FOR THE MIXTURE, A PART OF THE RADIALLY INWARD FLOW CONSTITUTING A RING OF A VERTICALLY DESCENDING MIXTURE, THE LIGHTER PORTION OF THIS RADIALLY INWARD FLOW FOLLOWING AN UPWARD COURSE TOGETHER WITH THE LIGHTER FRACTION PARTICLES MOVING IN THE DIRECTION OF AN OVERFLOW EDGE.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR SEPARATING PARTICLES FROM A MIXTURE OF LIQUID AND PARTICLES WHEREIN THE PARTICLES COMPRISE A LIGHTER FRACTION AND A HEAVIER FRACTION, BY INTRODUCING THE MIXTURE OF LIQUID AND PARTICLES CENTRALLY INTO A CYLINDRICAL HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED BASIN AND PRODUCING A FREE SUBSTANTIALLY UNOBSTRUCTED HORIZONTAL FLOW FROM THE CENTER OF THE BASIN, SAID FLOW MIXTURE OF LIQUID AND PARTICLES BEING CAUSED TO FLOW OUT FROM THE CENTER OF THE BASIN IN A RADIAL DIRECTION WHILE IMPARTING A RELATIVELY MINOR COMPONENT OF VELOCITY IN TANGENTIAL DIRECTION TO THE RADIALLY OUTWARD FLOWING MIXTURE TO SUBJECT THE FLOWING MIXTURE TO CENTRIFUGAL FORCE SUCH THAT A WHIRLING HORIZONTAL FIELD OF THE MIXTURE IS CREATED, THE TANGENTIAL COMPONENT BEIMG RELATIVELY MINOR WITH RESPECT TO THE RADIAL VELOCITY COMPONENT, THE MIXTURE AFTER TRAVERSING THE HORIZONTAL WHIRLING FIELD BEING FORCED ALONG A CONICAL SURFACE TOWARDS THE CENTER OF THE BASIN TO PERMIT HEAVIER PARTICLES TO MOVE IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION IN THE BASIN, THE HEAVIER FRACTION PARTICLES BEING DISCHARGED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE BASIN, AT LEAST A PART OF SAID RADIALLY HORI ZONTAL OUTWARD FLOW BEING DEFLECTED IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION THROUGH APPROXIMATELY 180* FROM THE CENTRAL INTRODUCTION OF THE MIXTURE AND AROUND A SCREENING AREA, AND WHEREIN A PORTION OF THE FLOW PASSING BY THE SCREENING AREA IS RADIALLY INWARDLY RETURNED TO AN AREA IN THE CENTER OF THE BASIN WHICH IS SITUATED ABOVE THE INLET FOR THE MIXTURE, A PART OF THE RADIALLY INWARD FLOW CONSTITUTING A RING OF A VERTICALLY DESCENDING MIXTURE, THE LIGHTER PORTION OF THIS RADIALLY INWARD FLOW FOLLOWING AN UPWARD COURSE TOGETHER WITH THE LIGHTER FRACTION PARTICLES MOVING IN THE DIRECTION OF AN OVERFLOW EDGE.