Method and apparatus for high vacuum distillation

Claim 1

A HIGH VACUUM FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION COLUMN COMPRISING A TUBULAR SHELL; A PLURALITY OF PARTITIONS WITHIN SAID SHELL SUBDIVIDING SAID SHELL INTO A SERIES OF DISCRETE STAGES, SAID PARTITIONS AND SHELL FORMING WITHIN EACH STAGE A BASIN FOR THE COLLECTION OF A POOL OF LIQUID; LIQUID CONDUIT MEANS FOR FLOWING LIQUID SUCCESSIVELY FROM EACH BASIN TO THE NEXT IN THE SERIES OUT OF CONTACT WITH VAPOR; AND A VAPOR CONDUIT OF LARE CROSS-SECTION FOR EACH STAGE EXCEPT THE FIRST IN THE SERIES HAVING AN INTAKE IN THE RESPECTIVE STAGE AND AN OUTLET IN THE PRECEDING STAGE ABOVE THE LIQUID POOL THEREIN, SAID OUTLET HAVING THE AXIS THEREOF SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL TO DISCHARGE VAPOR DOWNWARDLY SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULARLY AGAINST THE SURFACE OF THE SECOND POOL AND BEING RESTRICTED IN AREA TO DISCHARGE SAID VAPOR AT THIGH VELOCITY SUFFICIENT TO DEFORM SAID LIQUID SURFACE MATERIALLY FROM A FLAT, HORIZONTAL SURFACE FOR EFFECTING INTIMATE CONTACT WITH SAID LIQUID.