Conversion apparatus and associated arrangement for controlling distribution of gases passing therethrough

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, A HOUSING, SPACED UPPER AND LOWER TUBE SHEETS HORIZONTALLY SUPPORTED IN SAID HOUSING AND DEFINING THEREBETWEEN A REACTION CHAMBER ADAPTED TO CONTAIN CONTACT MATERIAL, AN UPPER AND A LOWER CHAMBER RESPECTIVELY ABOVE AND BELOW SAID REACTION CHAMBER, COOPERATING SETS OF VERTICAL TUBES ARRANGED IN PARALLEL RELATION IN SAID REACTION CHAMBER, THE TUBES OF ONE SET THEREOF BEING ANCHORED IN SAID LOWER TUBE SHEET AND OPENING THEREBELOW INTO SAID LOWER CHAMBER, THE TUBES OF A SECOND SET EXTENDING FREELY THROUGH PASSAGES PROVIDED THEREFOR IN THE UPPER TUBE SHEET AND OPENING INTO THE UPPER CHAMBER, EACH OF THE TUBES OF BOTH OF SAID COOPERATING SETS OF TUBES COMPRISING PORTS ADAPTED TO BE TRAVERSED BY GASES PASSED BETWEEN SAID UPPER AND LOWER CHAMBERS AND INTERMEDIATELY THROUGH THE CONTACT MAS IN SAID REACTION CHAMBER, A STUFFING BOX ASSEMBLY ASSOCIATED WITH A PORTION OF EACH TUBE OF SAID SECOND SET WHICH EXTENDS THROUGH THE PASSAGE PROVIDED THEREFOR IN SAID UPPER TUBE SHEET, EACH STUFFING BOX ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PACKING RING ENCIRCLING THE ASSOCIATED TUBE AND FORMING A SLIP JOINT AT SAID PASSAGE HAVING A VARIABLE LEAKAGE CHARACTERISTIC, A PLURALITY OF SPACED PIPES EXTENDING ABOVE AND HAVING LOWER TERMINALS ENDS OPENING THROUGH THE UPPER TUBE SHEET, SAID PIPES COLLECTIVELY DEINFING A MULTI-BRANCH PATH EXTENDING FROM THE REACTION WITH RESPECT TO SAID DISPOSED IN PARALLEL RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID SLIP JOINTS, AND AN EXTERNALLY ACCESSIBLE VALVE FOR VARYING THE GAS-PASSING CAPACITY OF SAID PATH.