Combined fractionation heating and liquid level control means

Claim 1

AUTOMATIC FRACTIONATION AND LEVEL CONTROL APPARATUS FOR USE WITH A FRACTIONATING COLUMN, WHICH COMPRISES IN COMBINATION, AN ELONGATED VERTICALLY POSITIONED FLOAT CHAMBER CONNECTING WITH THE LOWER LIQUID RESERVOIR PORTION OF SAID FRACTIONATING COLUMN AND PROVIDING A LIQUID LEVEL THEREIN VARYING WITH THAT IN SAID COLUMN, AN ELECTRICAL POWER SOURCE, A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY SPACED ELECTRICALLY ENERGIZED COILS AROUND SAID FLOAT CHAMBER, A FLOAT MEMBER WITHIN SAID FLOAT CHAMBER SUITABLE TO RAISE AND LOWER WITH A VARYING LIQUID LEVEL AND INTERCEPT THE ELECTRICAL FIELDS OF SAID PLURALITY OF SPACED COILS, EACH OF THE LATTER CONNECTING WITH SEPARATE ELECTRICAL RELAY MEANS, WITH EACH RELAY OF PLURALITY THEREOF CONNECTING WITH AN ELECTRICAL RESISTOR AND WITH AT LEAST ONE OF A PLURALITY OF REBOILER HEATING COILS, SAID REBOILER HEATING COILS POSITIONED IN INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH THE LIQUID RESERVOIR SECTION OF SAID FRACTIONATING COLUMN AND REGULATING HEATING OF THE LIQUID THEREIN RESPONSIVE TO CHANGES IN LIQUID LEVEL AND THE INTERCEPTION OF THE ELECTRICAL FIELDS OF SAID COILS AROUND SAID FLOAT CHAMBER, AND EACH OF SAID RESISTORS CONNECT SUCCESSIVELY WITH A THERMOCOUPLE HEATING COIL HAVING A THERMOCOUPLE POSITIONED ADJACENT THERETO, SAID THERMOCOUPLE CONNECTING WITH AND OPERATING AN AUTOMATIC CONTROL INSTRUMENT, AND THE LATTER CONNECTING WITH THE OPERATING A FLOW CONTROL MEANS IN A LIQUID CONDUIT CONNECTING WITH THE LOWER LIQUID PORTION OF SAID FRACTIONATING COLUMN.