Patent ID: 7396464

Claim:
A device for the separation of substances from a liquid comprising: a housing having a first end and a second end opposite the first end; a hollow shaft extending generally between the first end and the second end of the housing and generally along the center of the housing, the hollow shaft being rotatable about a rotational axis extending through the center of the hollow shaft; a plurality of generally disc shaped filtering elements disposed in the housing and attached to the hollow shaft so as to be rotatable in conjunction with the shaft, the filtering elements comprising an outer surface and an inner space, the inner spaces being fluidly connected to the hollow shaft so as to allow a filtered liquid to pass through the outer surfaces and through the inner space and into the hollow shaft; wherein at least one throughflow opening is provided in the filtering elements in the proximity of the hollow shaft configured for allowing substances with a density lower than that of the liquid to flow past the filtering elements; and wherein the hollow shaft defines a discharge opening for the filtered liquid; wherein the housing comprises an inlet configured for ingress of the liquid, a first outlet configured for egress of heavy substances, and a second outlet configured for egress of light substances, and wherein the first outlet and the second outlet are both disposed on the first end of the housing; and wherein the first outlet is disposed near the outer diameter of the first end of the housing and wherein the second outlet is disposed near the hollow shaft.