Apparatus for contacting subdivided solid particles with different fluid streams within separate superimposed contacting zones

Claim 1

A UNITARY APPARATUS FOR CONTACTING SUBDIVIDED SOLID MATERIAL WITH AT LEAST TWO FLUID STREAMS WHICH COMPRISES IN COMBINATION, A VERTICALLY POSITIONED CHAMBER HAVING PARTITIONING MEANS DEPENDING FROM THE VERTICAL WALL OF SAID CHAMBER AND DIVIDING THE INTERIOR THEREOF INTO UPPER AND LOWER CONTACTING SECTIONS, AN OPENENDED CONDUIT EXTENDING FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID LOWER SECTION TO AN ELEVATED PORTION OF SAID UPPER CONTACTING SECTION, A TRANSPORTING FLUID INLET COMMUNICATING WITH THE LOWER END OF SAID OPEN-ENDED CONDUIT AND DIRECT VERTICALLY UPWARD INTO SAID CONDUIT, A SEPARATE FLUID INLET TO SAID LOWER CONTACTING SECTION, SAID PARTITIONING MEANS COMPRISING A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING CIRCULAR WALL SPACED FROM AND SURROUNDING SAID CONDUIT AND FORMING AN ANNULAR PASSAGEWAY FOR SOLID MATERIAL AROUND SAID CONDUIT, SAID PARTITIONING MEANS FURTHER COMPRISING AN INNER WALL IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SAID CONDUIT AND A WALL CONNECTING THE BOTTOM OF SAID DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING WALL AND SAID INNER WALL AND CLOSING THE BOTTOM OF SAID ANNULAR PASSAGEWAY, A BAFFLE PLATE DEPENDING FROM SAID CONDUIT WITHIN SAID ANNULAR PASSAGEWAY AND OVERHANGING SAID INNER WALL OF THE PARTITIONING MEANS TO DEFLECT SOLID MATERIAL FROM THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID CONDUIT AND SAID INNER WALL, A FLUID OUTLET FROM EACH OF SAID UPPER AND LOWER CONTACTING SECTIONS, AND A SEALING FLUID INLET TO SAID ANNULAR PASSAGEWAY.