Countercurrent rotary leaches with spiral scoop solids conveyors

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR COUNTERCURRENT CONTACT OF LIQUID AND SOLID COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A LONGITUDIALLY EXTENDING CYLINDER MOUNTED FOR ROTATION; (B) A PLURALITY OF SPACED, TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING BULKHEADS WITHIN AND ROTABLE WITH SAID DRUM DIVIDING IT INTO A PLURALITY OF SIDE BY SIDE CELLS, THE SIDES OF EACH OF WHICH, EXCEPT THE END CELLS, ARE DEFINED BY ADJACENT PAIRS OF SID BULKHEADS AND THE SIDES OF THE END CELLS OF WHICH ARE DEFINED BY THE END OF THE CYLINDER AND THE BULKHEAD CLOSEST THERETO, THE ENDS OF SAID CYLINDER AND SAID BULKHEADS EACH HAVING A CENTRAL IN LINE OPENING THEREIN AND OTHERWISE PROVIDING A GAS-TIGHT CLOSURE FOR THE CELLS DEFINED THEREBY; (C) A SCOOP IN EACH CELL FASTENED TO A BULKHEAD AND ROTATABLE THEREWITH, SAID SCOOP COMPRISING: (1) A DRUM-LIKE PROJECTION ON THE BUILKHEAD IN THE CELL CONTAINING SAID SCOOP, SAID DRUM-LIKE PROJECTION SURROUNDING SAID OPENING IN SAID BULKHEAD; AND (2) A SPIRAL PASSAGEWAY COMMUNICATING AT ONE END WITH SAID DRUM-LIKE PROJECTION AND AT THE OPPOSITE END TERMINATING IN A MEMBER POSITIONED TO ENGAGE SOLID PARTICLES UPON ROTATION OF THE SCOOP, SAID SPIRAL PASSAGEWAY EXTENDING OVER A CIRCUMFERENTIAL DISTANCE OF AT LEAST 360*; (D) MEANS FOR SUPLYING SOLID PARTICLES TO ONE END OF SAID CYLINDER AND WITHDRAWING SOLIDS AT THE OTHER END; (E) MEANS FOR SUPPLYING LIQUID TO SAID CYLINDER AT THE SOLID DISCHARGE END AND WITHDRAWING IT AT THE OTHER END; (F) MEANS FOR MAINTAINING A GREATER LIQUID PRESSURE AT THE LIQUID INLET END THAN AT THE LIQUID OUTLET TO PREVENT BACKFLOW OF LIQUID; (G) MEANS FOR MAINTAINING A LEVEL OF LIQUID IN EACH CELL ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE OPENINGS IN THE BULKHEADS DEFINING THE SIDES OF SID CELL TO PROVIDE A LIQUID SEAL FOR EACH OPENING IN EACH OF THE OPPOSITE BULKHEADS DEFINING THE SIDES OF SAID CELLS TO MAINTAIN ADJACENT CELLS IN GAS-TIGHT CONDITION RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER WHILE COMMUNICABLY CONNECTED THROUGH SAID LIQUID SEALS FOR FLOW LIQUID AND SOLID PARTICLES THROUGH SAID LIQUID SEALS FROM ONE CELL TO AN ADJACENT CELL; AND (H) MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID CYLINDER AND SAID SCOOPS WHEREBY EACH OF SAID SCOOPS SCOOPS UP SOME SOLID PARTICLES IMMERSED IN THE BODY OF LIQUID MAINTAINED IN EACH CELL, AND UPON ROTATION OF THE SCOOP EFFECTS FLOW OF THE SOLID PARTICLES THROUGH THE SPIRAL PASSAGEWAY OF THE SCOOP AND THROUGH SAID LIQUID SEAL INTO THE ADJACENT CELL.