USRE28616E
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Mass contact between media of different densities
Assignee: —
•
Filing: 1974-12-03
•
Granted: 1975-11-18
•
Expires: 1994-12-03
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for effecting efficient mass contact between two media of different densities is disclosed. The one of said media that is of lesser density is caused to obtain a vortical flow pattern, by means of a circular vaned chamber. The second medium, the one having the greater density, is entrained in said flow pattern in particulate form, and is thereby caused to form a dense cloud of particles within said vortical flow. An upper limit on particle size within the cloud is established by the diameter of the chamber, and by an apertured wall construction therefor, whereby oversize particles are caused to migrate outwardly from the chamber under the influence of centrifugal force.
Inventors
No inventors recorded.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 12:49
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D47/00; B01F; B01F25/00; B01F25/10; B01F25/102; B01F25/104; B01F25/1041; B01F35/00; B01F35/75; B01F35/753; B01F2025/91; B01F2025/919; B01F2025/9191
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 42
Claim 1
Independent Claim
210 words
A method of effecting mass contact between a first material in continuous phase and a second material in discontinuous phase particulate form having a substantially greater density than said first material, comprising feeding said first material into a generally cylindrical chamber having a louvered wall of substantially circular overall configuration with louver surfaces oriented at an angle between orthogonal and tangent to said circular configuration, said chamber having an exit port at one end, said first material being fed into said chamber through said louvered wall and being caused by said louver surfaces to flow spirally in said chamber to said exit port, entraining said second material in said flow of said first material, whereby centrifugal and centripetal forces are imparted to the particles of said second material in said chamber, (and) increasing the net average centripetal force of said entrained particles in said chamber by continually removing particles of said second material having a high net centrifugal force outwardly from said chamber through said louvered wall (.) and imparting to the other of said entrained particles in said chamber on statistical average approximate balance between centripetal and centrifugal forces to form a sustained densely populated suspension of said particles in said flow of said first material in said chamber.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
210 words
A method of effecting mass contact between a first material in continuous phase and a second material in discontinuous phase particulate form having a substantially greater density than said first material, comprising feeding said first material into a generally cylindrical chamber having a louvered wall of substantially circular overall configuration with louver surfaces oriented at an angle between orthogonal and tangent to said circular configuration, said chamber having an exit port at one end, said first material being fed into said chamber through said louvered wall and being caused by said louver surfaces to flow spirally in said chamber to said exit port, entraining said second material in said flow of said first material, whereby centrifugal and centripetal forces are imparted to the particles of said second material in said chamber, (and) increasing the net average centripetal force of said entrained particles in said chamber by continually removing particles of said second material having a high net centrifugal force outwardly from said chamber through said louvered wall (.) and imparting to the other of said entrained particles in said chamber on statistical average approximate balance between centripetal and centrifugal forces to form a sustained densely populated suspension of said particles in said flow of said first material in said chamber.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the ratio of the centripetal vector to tangential vector in the flow of said first material on entering said chamber through said louvered wall is different at different positions along the axis of said chAmber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as set forth in claim 2, wherein said ratio is greater at the end of said chamber adjacent said exit port than at the opposite end of said chamber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method as set forth in claim 2, wherein said ratio is greatest at the end of said chamber adjacent said exit port and smallest at the opposite end of said chamber, and the transition between said two ratios is continuous and gradual.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as set forth in claim 2, wherein said ratio is smaller at the end of said chamber adjacent said exit port than at the opposite end of said chamber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method as set forth in claim 2, wherein said ratio is smallest at the end of said chamber adjacent said exit port and largest at the opposite end of said chamber, and the transition between said two ratios is continuous and gradual.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second material is introduced into the flow of said first material outside said chamber.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second material is introduced into the flow of said first material inside said chamber.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
171 words
A method of effecting mass contact between a first material in continuous phase and a second material in discontinuous phase particulate form having a substantially greater density than said first material, comprising feeding said first material into a generally cylindrical chamber having a louvered wall of substantially circular overall configuration with louver vanes oriented at an angle between orthogonal and tangent to said circular configuration, said chamber having an exit port at one end, and said vanes having apertures therethrough, said first material being fed into said chamber through said louvered wall and being caused by said vanes to flow spirally in said chamber to said exit port, entraining said second material in said flow of said first material, whereby centrifugal and centripetal forces are imparted to the particles of said second material in said chamber, and relieving the chamber of particles of said second material having a high net centrifugal vector force by passage thereof from the interior to the exterior of said chamber through said apertures in said vanes.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
171 words
A method of effecting mass contact between a first material in continuous phase and a second material in discontinuous phase particulate form having a substantially greater density than said first material, comprising feeding said first material into a generally cylindrical chamber having a louvered wall of substantially circular overall configuration with louver vanes oriented at an angle between orthogonal and tangent to said circular configuration, said chamber having an exit port at one end, and said vanes having apertures therethrough, said first material being fed into said chamber through said louvered wall and being caused by said vanes to flow spirally in said chamber to said exit port, entraining said second material in said flow of said first material, whereby centrifugal and centripetal forces are imparted to the particles of said second material in said chamber, and relieving the chamber of particles of said second material having a high net centrifugal vector force by passage thereof from the interior to the exterior of said chamber through said apertures in said vanes.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the ratio of the centripetal vector to tangential vector in the flow of said first material on entering said chamber through said louvered wall is different at different positions along the axis of said chamber.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said ratio is greater at the end of said chamber adjacent said exit port than at the opposite end of said chamber.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said ratio is greatest at the end of said chamber adjacent said exit port and smallest at the opposite end of said chamber, and the transition between said two ratios is continuous and gradual.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said ratio is smaller at the end of said chamber adjacent said exit port than at the opposite end of said chamber.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said ratio is smallest at the end of said chamber adjacent said exit port and largest at the opposite end of said chamber, and the transition between said two ratios is continuous and gradual.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as set forth in claim 9, wherein said second material is introduced into the flow of said first material outside said chamber.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as set forth in claim 9, wherein said second material is introduced into the flow of said first material inside said chamber.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
223 words
A method of effecting mass contact between a first material in continuous phase and a second material in discontinuous phase particulate form having a substantially greater density than said first material, comprising feeding said first material into a generally cylindrical chamber having a louvered wall of substantially circular overall configuration with louver vanes oriented at an angle between orthogonal and tangent to said circular configuration, said chamber having an exit port at one end, and said vanes having apertures therethrough, said first material being fed into said chamber through said louvered wall and being caused by said vanes to flow spirally in said chamber to said exit port, entraining said second material in said flow of said first material, whereby centrifugal and centripetal forces are imparted to the particles of said second material in said chamber, relieving the chamber of particles of said second material having a high net centrifugal vector force by passage thereof from the interior to the exterior of said chamber through said apertures in said vanes, and increasing the average ratio of centrifugal force to centripetal force imparted to the particles of said second material as they traverse axially along said chamber toward said exit port, whereby much of said entrained second material is caused to pass outwardly of said chamber through said apertures before reaching said exit port.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
223 words
A method of effecting mass contact between a first material in continuous phase and a second material in discontinuous phase particulate form having a substantially greater density than said first material, comprising feeding said first material into a generally cylindrical chamber having a louvered wall of substantially circular overall configuration with louver vanes oriented at an angle between orthogonal and tangent to said circular configuration, said chamber having an exit port at one end, and said vanes having apertures therethrough, said first material being fed into said chamber through said louvered wall and being caused by said vanes to flow spirally in said chamber to said exit port, entraining said second material in said flow of said first material, whereby centrifugal and centripetal forces are imparted to the particles of said second material in said chamber, relieving the chamber of particles of said second material having a high net centrifugal vector force by passage thereof from the interior to the exterior of said chamber through said apertures in said vanes, and increasing the average ratio of centrifugal force to centripetal force imparted to the particles of said second material as they traverse axially along said chamber toward said exit port, whereby much of said entrained second material is caused to pass outwardly of said chamber through said apertures before reaching said exit port.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the area of the apertures in said vanes is larger at the ends of said vanes adjacent said exit port of said chamber than at the opposite ends.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
80 words
A mass contact apparatus, comprising a substantially cylindrical chamber having a peripheral louvered wall of substantially circular overall configuration and having louver vanes oriented at an angle between orthogonal and tangent to said circular configuration and extending axially of said chamber, said vanes having apertures therethrough, whereby particles of a circulating mass of material contained in said chamber having a high net centrifugal vector force can escape from the interior of said chamber to the exterior thereof through said apertures.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
80 words
A mass contact apparatus, comprising a substantially cylindrical chamber having a peripheral louvered wall of substantially circular overall configuration and having louver vanes oriented at an angle between orthogonal and tangent to said circular configuration and extending axially of said chamber, said vanes having apertures therethrough, whereby particles of a circulating mass of material contained in said chamber having a high net centrifugal vector force can escape from the interior of said chamber to the exterior thereof through said apertures.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
22 words
A mass contact apparatus as set forth in claim 19, wherein said angle is different at different positions axially of said chamber.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
20 words
A mass contact apparatus as set forth in claim 19, and further including a spiral input scroll surrounding said chamber.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
49 words
A mass contact apparatus as set forth in claim 21, wherein said chamber is substantially closed at one end and has an opening at the other end, and further including an annular member overlying a portion of said opening and being spaced from said opening outwardly of said chamber.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
55 words
A mass contact apparatus as set forth in claim 22, and further including a second chamber having a substantially cylindrical portion with a larger diameter than the first mentioned chamber and overlying the first mentioned chamber adjacent said opening, and said second chamber having an inwardly tapering substantially conical portion overlying said substantially cylindrical portion.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
49 words
A mass contact apparatus as set forth in claim 19, wherein said chamber is substantially closed at one end and has an opening at the other end, and further including an annular member overlying a portion of said opening and being spaced from said opening outwardly of said chamber.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
56 words
A mass contact apparatus as set forth in claim 24, and further including a second chamber having a substantially closed at one end and substantially open at the first mentioned chamber and overlying the first mentioned chamber adjacent said opening, and said second chamber having an inwardly tapering substantially conical portion overlying said substantially cylindrical portion.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
191 words
A multi-stage mass contact apparatus comprising two substantially cylindrical chambers, each being substantially closed at one end and substatnially open at the opposite end, each having a peripheral louvered wall of substantially circular overall configuration and having louver vanes oriented at an angle between orthogonal and tangent to said circular configuration and extending axially of said chamber, said vanes having apertures therethrough, whereby particles of a circulating mass of material contained in either of said chambers having a high net centrifugal vector force can escape from the interior of the respective chamber to the exterior thereof through said apertures, said two vaned chambers being positioned in subsTantially axially aligned and spaced relation to each other with the closed end of one adjacent the open end of the other, an intermediate chamber interposed between said two vaned chambers and interconnecting them and being substantially cylindrical in overall configuration and having a diameter larger than said two vaned chambers, a substantially annular input chamber surrounding the louvered wall of said one chamber, and a substantially circular louvered wall common between said input chamber and said intermediate chamber for the flow of material therebetween.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
191 words
A multi-stage mass contact apparatus comprising two substantially cylindrical chambers, each being substantially closed at one end and substatnially open at the opposite end, each having a peripheral louvered wall of substantially circular overall configuration and having louver vanes oriented at an angle between orthogonal and tangent to said circular configuration and extending axially of said chamber, said vanes having apertures therethrough, whereby particles of a circulating mass of material contained in either of said chambers having a high net centrifugal vector force can escape from the interior of the respective chamber to the exterior thereof through said apertures, said two vaned chambers being positioned in subsTantially axially aligned and spaced relation to each other with the closed end of one adjacent the open end of the other, an intermediate chamber interposed between said two vaned chambers and interconnecting them and being substantially cylindrical in overall configuration and having a diameter larger than said two vaned chambers, a substantially annular input chamber surrounding the louvered wall of said one chamber, and a substantially circular louvered wall common between said input chamber and said intermediate chamber for the flow of material therebetween.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
28 words
A multi-stage mass contact apparatus as set forth in claim 26, and further including a spiral scroll input chamber surrounding the louvered wall of said other vaned chamber.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
62 words
A multi-stage mass contact apparatus as set forth in claim 27, and further including an additional chamber having a substantially cylindrical portion with a larger diameter than said one vaned chamber adjacent the open end of said one vaned chamber, and said additional chamber having an inwardly tapering substantially conical portion adjacent said substantially cylindrical portion remote from said one vaned chamber.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
62 words
A multistage mass contact apparatus as set forth in claim 26, and further including an additional chamber having a substantially cylindrical portion with a larger diameter than said one vaned chamber adjacent the open end of said one vaned chamber, and said additional chamber having an inwardly tapering substantially conical portion adjacent said substantially cylindrical portion remote from said one vaned chamber.
Claim 35
Independent Claim
208 words
A method of effecting mass contact between a first material in continuous phase and a second material in discontinuous phase particulate form having a substantially greater density than said first material, comprising feeding said first material into a generally cylindrical chamber having a louvered wall of substantially circular overall configuration with louver vanes oriented at an angle between orthogonal and tangent to said circular configuration to provide louver openings in said wall, said chamber having an exit port at one end, and said wall having additional apertures therethrough, said first material being fed into said chamber through said louver openings and being caused by said vanes to flow spirally in said chamber to said exit port, entraining said second material in said flow of said first material and imparting by said spiral flow centrifugal and centripetal forces to the particles of said second material in said chamber to cause said particles to seek circulating orbits in said chamber where said centrifugal and centripetal forces are substantially equal, and relieving the chamber of particles of said second material having a centrifugal force requiring a said circulating orbit outside said chamber by passage thereof from the interior to the exterior of said chamber through said additional apertures in said vanes.
Claim 36
Independent Claim
208 words
A method of effecting mass contact between a first material in continuous phase and a second material in discontinuous phase particulate form having a substantially greater density than said first material, comprising feeding said first material into a generally cylindrical chamber having a louvered wall of substantially circular overall configuration with louver vanes oriented at an angle between orthogonal and tangent to said circular configuration to provide louver openings in said wall, said chamber having an exit port at one end, and said wall having additional apertures therethrough, said first material being fed into said chamber through said louver openings and being caused by said vanes to flow spirally in said chamber to said exit port, entraining said second material in said flow of said first material and imparting by said spiral flow centrifugal and centripetal forces to the particles of said second material in said chamber to cause said particles to seek circulating orbits in said chamber where said centrifugal and centripetal forces are substantially equal, and relieving the chamber of particles of said second material having a centrifugal force requiring a said circulating orbit outside said chamber by passage thereof from the interior to the exterior of said chamber through said additional apertures in said vanes.
Claim 37
Independent Claim
185 words
A method of effecting mass contact between a first material in continuous phase and second material in discontinuous phase particulate form having a substantially greater density than said first material, comprising establishing an inwardly spiralling vortical flow of said first material, passing said flow through an apertured circumambient wall surrounding the center axis of said vortical flow, entraining said second material in said flow whereby centrifugal and centripetal forces are imparted to the entrained particles of said second material to establish a suspension thereof within the confines of said wall, (and) increasing the net average centripetal force of said entrained particles contained in the suspension within the confines of said wall by continually removing therefrom suspended particles having a high net centrifugal force by movement of such suspended particles outwardly from said axis through the apertures in said wall (.) and imparting to the other of said entrained particles contained in the suSpension within the confines of said wall on statistical average approximate balance between centripetal and centrifugal forces to sustain said suspension of particles in said flow of said first material in said chamber.
Claim 38
Independent Claim
185 words
A method of effecting mass contact between a first material in continuous phase and second material in discontinuous phase particulate form having a substantially greater density than said first material, comprising establishing an inwardly spiralling vortical flow of said first material, passing said flow through an apertured circumambient wall surrounding the center axis of said vortical flow, entraining said second material in said flow whereby centrifugal and centripetal forces are imparted to the entrained particles of said second material to establish a suspension thereof within the confines of said wall, (and) increasing the net average centripetal force of said entrained particles contained in the suspension within the confines of said wall by continually removing therefrom suspended particles having a high net centrifugal force by movement of such suspended particles outwardly from said axis through the apertures in said wall (.) and imparting to the other of said entrained particles contained in the suSpension within the confines of said wall on statistical average approximate balance between centripetal and centrifugal forces to sustain said suspension of particles in said flow of said first material in said chamber.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as set forth in claim 31, wherein combined tangential and inward radial flow vectors relative to a circle about said axis are imparted to the flow of said first material by said apertured wall.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as set forth in claim 32, wherein combined tangential and inward radial flow vectors relative to a circle about said axis are also imparted to the flow of said first material outside the confines of said apertured wall.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as set forth in claim 31, wherein combined tangential and inward radial flow vectors relative to a circle about said axis are imparted to the flow of said first material outside the confines of said apertured wall.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as set forth in claim 31, wherein at least a portion of the particles removed outwardly through said apertures are suspended agglomerates of smaller particles previously entrained in said flow within the confines of said wall.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-11-17 | 1979-05-19 | 1979-11-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-11-17 | 1983-05-19 | 1983-11-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-11-17 | 1987-05-19 | 1987-11-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |