Patent ID: 7191797

Claim:
A rotary distribution apparatus including: a fixed inner distribution member with an inner conduit zone; a rotatable outer distribution member rotatable about the fixed inner distribution member; a plurality of fluid distribution chambers located between the fixed inner distribution member and the rotatable outer distribution member; each fluid distribution chamber having a fixed port in the fixed inner distribution member to which a fixed supply or return conduit for a fluid can in use be connected, and at least one distribution port in the rotatable outer distribution member; at least one indexing arrangement including a rotatable indexing member and a fixed indexing member; a plurality of passageways extending through each of the rotatable and fixed indexing members, the plurality of passageways each having indexing ports and connection ports with the indexing ports being provided in an indexing surface; and the connection ports of the rotatable indexing member in use being connected to the distribution ports of the distribution chambers by connecting conduits, and the connection ports of the fixed indexing member in use being connected to process chambers by fixed conduits; so that, in use, when the rotatable outer distribution member, the rotatable indexing member and the connecting conduits are rotated, fluid fed to a fluid distribution chamber is sequentially fed to the process chambers and returned from the process chambers to other fluid distribution chambers as the indexing ports of the rotatable indexing member index relative to the indexing ports of the fixed indexing member.