Fluid manifold assembly for solvent extractor

In a solvent extractor including a vessel having a plurality of cells formed by a plurality of radially extending walls arranged in circumferential fashion on a generally horizontal plane around a vertical extending rotor, a feed conduit for introducing solids to be treated into said cells, a solids-retaining bottom closure for each of said cells, a track to maintain said bottom closures in substantially closed position during a predetermined section of a rotational path of each of said cells, fluid manifold assemblies for successively introducing a solvent into said cells from above said predetermined section of said rotational path, liquid collection zones disposed beneath said cells and including a plurality of compartments for receiving liquid, an improved fluid manifold assembly, which comprises:

• an elongated substantially horizontally-disposed conduit member having an overflow wall member,
• a plurality of vertically-disposed gate member with said conduit member thereby dividing said conduit member into plurality of sub-zones;
• conduit means for introducing a fluid into said sub-zones of said conduit member;
• and
• means for moving said gate members from within said conduit member.