Hydrocarbon conversion apparatus and process

Claim 1

IN THE CRACKING OF PETROLEUM STOCKS WITH ACID ACTIVATED SUB-BENTONITE CLAY CATALYST, THE PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOSLY PASSING SUCH CLAY CATALYST DOWNWARDLY THROUGH A REACTION ZONE, CONTACTING SAID CATALYST WITH SAID PETROLEUM STOCK IN THE REACTION ZONE UNDER CATALYTIC CRACKING CONDITIONS AND REMOVING CRACKED PRODUCTS FROM SAID REACTION ZONE, DISCHARGING USED CATALYST FROM SAID REACTION ZONE, REGENERATING THE DISCHARGED CATALYST, RETURNING REGENERATED CATALYST TO FORM A NARROW VERTICAL COLUMN OF CATALYST ABOVE SAID REACTION ZONE, PILING CATALYST BY GRAVITY DISCHARGE FROM SAID COLUMN TO ACCUMULATE THE CATALYST AS A WIDE BED ABOVE THE REACTION ZONE, INTRODUCING AN INERT SEAL GAS ABOVE SAID BED OF CATALYST AND UPWARDLY INTO SAID NARROW VERTICAL COLUMN OF CATALYST, A PORTION OF THE SEAL GAS PASSING DOWNWARDLY WITH THE CATALYST INTO SAID REACTION ZONE THEREBY PREVENTING FLOW OF HYDROCARBONS INTO SAID BED; CONTINUOUSLY DISCHARGING CATALYST FROM SAID BED INTO SAID RE-