Apparatus for effecting catalytic

Claim 1

A REACTOR FOR THE CONVERSION OF GASEOUS REACTANTS WITH A FINELY-DIVIDED SOLID CATLAYST WHICH COMPRISES A VERTICAL VESSEL, A VERTICAL REACTION TUBE SUPPORTED WITHIN SAID VESSEL, A VERTICAL ANNULAR CHANNEL BETWEEN SAID TUBE AND SAID VESSEL THE UPPER AND LOWER END RESPECTIVELY OF SAID TUBE BEING IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH THE UPPER AND LOWER PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY OF SAID CHANNEL, A CONTINUOUS VERTICAL HELICAL SCREW ROTATIVELY SUPPORTED WITHIN SAID TUBE, SAID HELICALLY DISPOSED FLANGE SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS, HELICALLY DISPOSED FLANGE EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE AXIS OF SAID SCREW, SAID FLANGE HAVING SPACED, GENERALLY PARALLEL UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES AND TERMINATING IN THEIR OUTER MARGINS IN A PERIPHERAL FACE EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES AND SPACED INWARDLY FROM THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID VERTICAL REACTION TUBE, SAID PERIPHERAL FACE BEING INCLINED TOWARD THE AXIS OF THE HELICAL SCREW IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION SUCH AS TO PERMIT MARGINAL GRAVITATION OF CASCADING CATALYST PARTICLES, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID HELIX, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING GASEOUS REACTANTS TO THE LOWER END OF SAID TUBE AND MEANS FOR REMOVING GASEOUS PRODUCTS OF REACTION FROM THE UPPER END OF SAID VESSEL.