Multiple bed catalyst apparatus

Claim 1

IN A REACTOR FOR EFFECTING A REACTION IN A STREAM OF FLUID REACTANTS BY PASSAGE THROUGH A SERIES OF VERTICALLY SPACED BEDS OF PARTICULATE CATALYST FOR SAID REACTION WHEREIN TEMPERATURE CONTROL IS MAINTAINED BY INJECTING PORTIONS OF A COOLING MEDIUM INTO SAID STREAM WHILE PASSING THROUGH THE SPACES BETWEEN SAID VERTICALLY SPACED CATALYST BEDS, THE IMPROVEMENT OF A UNITARY, REMOVABLE FRAME FOR SUPPORTING SAID VERTICALLY SPACED CATALYST BEDS AND FOR SUPPLYING SAID COOLING MEDIUM INTO SAID SPACES WHICH COMPRISES A PLURALITY OF UPRIGHT ELEMENTS, A PLURALITY OF FORAMINOUS PLATES HORIZONTALLY FASTENED BY SAID UPRIGHT ELEMENTS IN VERTICALLY SPACED RELATION TO ONE ANOTHER TO SUPPORT SAID VERTICALLY SPACED CATALYST BEDS, A DISTRIBUTOR FOR SAID COOLING MEDIUM POSITIONED BELOW EACH OF SAID PLATES EXCEPT THE LOWERMOST PLATE, AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING SAID COOLING MEDIUM THROUGH ONE OF SAID UPRIGHT ELEMENTS TO EACH SAID DISTRIBUTOR.