Abstract 1. IN A LIQUID-LIQUID COUNTERCURRENT TOWER COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CONTIGUOUS CONTACTING STAGES, EACH OF SAID STAGES COMPRISING A FIXED PACKED BED OCCUPYING A PORTION OF A SINGLE VERTICAL TOWER, THE IMPROVEMENT WITHIN SAID TOWER BETTWEN EACH OF SAID STAGES COMPRISING; (A) A FIRST HORIZONTAL BAFFLE SPANNING A PORTION OF THE INNER CROSS-SECTION OF SAID TOWER HAVING A PORTION OF ITS OUTER PERIMETER IN CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID TOWER AND THE REMAINDER OF SAID PERIMETER FORMING A FIRST INTERNAL EDGE, (B) A FIRST VERTICAL PLANAR BAFFLE HAVING A TOP EDGE IN CONTACT WITH SAID FIRST INTERNAL EDGE, TWO VERTICAL OUTERMOST EDGES EACH IN CONTACT WITH INNER SURFACE OF SAID TOWER AND A HORIZONTAL BOTTOM EDGE TERMINATING IN A SAW-TOOTHED EDGE TO DISTRIBUTE THE UPCOMING LIQUID ACROSS THE ENTIRE EDGE, (C) A SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL BAFFLE DISPLACED BELOW THE EDGE CONTAINING DISTRIBUTING MEANS OF SAID FIRST VERTICAL PLANAR BAFFLE, SPANNING A PORTION OF THE INNER CROSS SECTION OF SAID TOWER HAVING A PORTION OF ITS OUTER PERIMETER IN CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID TOWER SUCH THAT THE REMAINDER OF ITS PERIMETER FORMS A SECOND INTERNAL EDGE ENTIRELY BELOW SAID FIRST HORIZONTAL BAFFLE SURFACE, (D) A SECOND VERTICAL PLANAR BAFFLE HAVING A BOTTOM EDGE IN CONTACT WITH SAID SECOND INTERNAL EDGE, TWO VERTICAL OUTERMOST EDGES EACH IN CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID TOWER AND A HORIZONTAL TOP EDGE TERMINATING ABOVE SAID EDGE CONTAINING DISTRIBUTING MEANS OF SAID FIRST VERTICAL BAFFLE AND BELOW SAID FIRST HORIZONTAL BAFFLE, (E) A THIRD VERTICAL PLANAR BAFFLE HAVING A BOTTOM EDGE IN CONTACT WITH SAID SECOND HORIZONTAL BAFFLE IN SUCH A MANNER THAT IT IS NOT UNDER ANY PORTION OF SAID FIRST HORIZONTAL BAFFLE, TWO VERTICAL OUTERMOST EDGES EACH IN CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID TOWER AND A HORIZONTAL TOP EDGE TERMINATING AT ABOUT THE LEVEL OF SAID FIRST HORIZONTAL BAFFLE WHEREIN SAID THIRD VERTICAL BAFFLE HAS AT LEAST ONE PASSAGEWAY NEAR SAID BOTTOM EDGE TO ALLOW PASSAGE OF LIQUID, (F) AN OUTLET, IN THE TOWER FOR REMOVAL OF LIQUID LOCATED SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE SECOND HORIZONTAL BAFFLE BETWEEN THE OUTERMOST EDGES OF SAID THIRD VERTICAL BAFFLE ON THE SIDE OPPOSITE TO THAT OF THE FIRST AND SECOND VERTICAL BAFFLES, AND (G) SAID SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PLANAR BAFFLE BEING SLOPED TO ALLOW LIQUID TO FLOW FROM THE INNER SIDE OF THE THIRD VERTICAL SURFACE THROUGH THE PASSAGEWAY AND OUT THE OUTLET.
IN A LIQUID-LIQUID COUNTERCURRENT TOWER COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CONTIGUOUS CONTACTING STAGES, EACH OF SAID STAGES COMPRISING A FIXED PACKED BED OCCUPYING A PORTION OF A SINGLE VERTICAL TOWER, THE IMPROVEMENT WITHIN SAID TOWER BETTWEN EACH OF SAID STAGES COMPRISING; (A) A FIRST HORIZONTAL BAFFLE SPANNING A PORTION OF THE INNER CROSS-SECTION OF SAID TOWER HAVING A PORTION OF ITS OUTER PERIMETER IN CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID TOWER AND THE REMAINDER OF SAID PERIMETER FORMING A FIRST INTERNAL EDGE, (B) A FIRST VERTICAL PLANAR BAFFLE HAVING A TOP EDGE IN CONTACT WITH SAID FIRST INTERNAL EDGE, TWO VERTICAL OUTERMOST EDGES EACH IN CONTACT WITH INNER SURFACE OF SAID TOWER AND A HORIZONTAL BOTTOM EDGE TERMINATING IN A SAW-TOOTHED EDGE TO DISTRIBUTE THE UPCOMING LIQUID ACROSS THE ENTIRE EDGE, (C) A SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL BAFFLE DISPLACED BELOW THE EDGE CONTAINING DISTRIBUTING MEANS OF SAID FIRST VERTICAL PLANAR BAFFLE, SPANNING A PORTION OF THE INNER CROSS SECTION OF SAID TOWER HAVING A PORTION OF ITS OUTER PERIMETER IN CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID TOWER SUCH THAT THE REMAINDER OF ITS PERIMETER FORMS A SECOND INTERNAL EDGE ENTIRELY BELOW SAID FIRST HORIZONTAL BAFFLE SURFACE, (D) A SECOND VERTICAL PLANAR BAFFLE HAVING A BOTTOM EDGE IN CONTACT WITH SAID SECOND INTERNAL EDGE, TWO VERTICAL OUTERMOST EDGES EACH IN CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID TOWER AND A HORIZONTAL TOP EDGE TERMINATING ABOVE SAID EDGE CONTAINING DISTRIBUTING MEANS OF SAID FIRST VERTICAL BAFFLE AND BELOW SAID FIRST HORIZONTAL BAFFLE, (E) A THIRD VERTICAL PLANAR BAFFLE HAVING A BOTTOM EDGE IN CONTACT WITH SAID SECOND HORIZONTAL BAFFLE IN SUCH A MANNER THAT IT IS NOT UNDER ANY PORTION OF SAID FIRST HORIZONTAL BAFFLE, TWO VERTICAL OUTERMOST EDGES EACH IN CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID TOWER AND A HORIZONTAL TOP EDGE TERMINATING AT ABOUT THE LEVEL OF SAID FIRST HORIZONTAL BAFFLE WHEREIN SAID THIRD VERTICAL BAFFLE HAS AT LEAST ONE PASSAGEWAY NEAR SAID BOTTOM EDGE TO ALLOW PASSAGE OF LIQUID, (F) AN OUTLET, IN THE TOWER FOR REMOVAL OF LIQUID LOCATED SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE SECOND HORIZONTAL BAFFLE BETWEEN THE OUTERMOST EDGES OF SAID THIRD VERTICAL BAFFLE ON THE SIDE OPPOSITE TO THAT OF THE FIRST AND SECOND VERTICAL BAFFLES, AND (G) SAID SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PLANAR BAFFLE BEING SLOPED TO ALLOW LIQUID TO FLOW FROM THE INNER SIDE OF THE THIRD VERTICAL SURFACE THROUGH THE PASSAGEWAY AND OUT THE OUTLET.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
401 words
IN A LIQUID-LIQUID COUNTERCURRENT TOWER COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CONTIGUOUS CONTACTING STAGES, EACH OF SAID STAGES COMPRISING A FIXED PACKED BED OCCUPYING A PORTION OF A SINGLE VERTICAL TOWER, THE IMPROVEMENT WITHIN SAID TOWER BETTWEN EACH OF SAID STAGES COMPRISING; (A) A FIRST HORIZONTAL BAFFLE SPANNING A PORTION OF THE INNER CROSS-SECTION OF SAID TOWER HAVING A PORTION OF ITS OUTER PERIMETER IN CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID TOWER AND THE REMAINDER OF SAID PERIMETER FORMING A FIRST INTERNAL EDGE, (B) A FIRST VERTICAL PLANAR BAFFLE HAVING A TOP EDGE IN CONTACT WITH SAID FIRST INTERNAL EDGE, TWO VERTICAL OUTERMOST EDGES EACH IN CONTACT WITH INNER SURFACE OF SAID TOWER AND A HORIZONTAL BOTTOM EDGE TERMINATING IN A SAW-TOOTHED EDGE TO DISTRIBUTE THE UPCOMING LIQUID ACROSS THE ENTIRE EDGE, (C) A SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL BAFFLE DISPLACED BELOW THE EDGE CONTAINING DISTRIBUTING MEANS OF SAID FIRST VERTICAL PLANAR BAFFLE, SPANNING A PORTION OF THE INNER CROSS SECTION OF SAID TOWER HAVING A PORTION OF ITS OUTER PERIMETER IN CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID TOWER SUCH THAT THE REMAINDER OF ITS PERIMETER FORMS A SECOND INTERNAL EDGE ENTIRELY BELOW SAID FIRST HORIZONTAL BAFFLE SURFACE, (D) A SECOND VERTICAL PLANAR BAFFLE HAVING A BOTTOM EDGE IN CONTACT WITH SAID SECOND INTERNAL EDGE, TWO VERTICAL OUTERMOST EDGES EACH IN CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID TOWER AND A HORIZONTAL TOP EDGE TERMINATING ABOVE SAID EDGE CONTAINING DISTRIBUTING MEANS OF SAID FIRST VERTICAL BAFFLE AND BELOW SAID FIRST HORIZONTAL BAFFLE, (E) A THIRD VERTICAL PLANAR BAFFLE HAVING A BOTTOM EDGE IN CONTACT WITH SAID SECOND HORIZONTAL BAFFLE IN SUCH A MANNER THAT IT IS NOT UNDER ANY PORTION OF SAID FIRST HORIZONTAL BAFFLE, TWO VERTICAL OUTERMOST EDGES EACH IN CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID TOWER AND A HORIZONTAL TOP EDGE TERMINATING AT ABOUT THE LEVEL OF SAID FIRST HORIZONTAL BAFFLE WHEREIN SAID THIRD VERTICAL BAFFLE HAS AT LEAST ONE PASSAGEWAY NEAR SAID BOTTOM EDGE TO ALLOW PASSAGE OF LIQUID, (F) AN OUTLET, IN THE TOWER FOR REMOVAL OF LIQUID LOCATED SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE SECOND HORIZONTAL BAFFLE BETWEEN THE OUTERMOST EDGES OF SAID THIRD VERTICAL BAFFLE ON THE SIDE OPPOSITE TO THAT OF THE FIRST AND SECOND VERTICAL BAFFLES, AND (G) SAID SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PLANAR BAFFLE BEING SLOPED TO ALLOW LIQUID TO FLOW FROM THE INNER SIDE OF THE THIRD VERTICAL SURFACE THROUGH THE PASSAGEWAY AND OUT THE OUTLET.