Liquid hydrocarbon conversion method and apparatus

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE CONVERSION OF HIGH BOILING LIQUID HYDROCARBONS TO LOWER HYDROCARBONS IN THE PRESENCE OF A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT, MOVING COLUMN OF GRANULAR CONTACT MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES: MAINTAINING A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT MOVING COLUMN OF GRANULAR CONTACT MATERIAL WITHIN THE LOWER SECTION OF A CONFINED CONVERSION ZONE, MAINTAINING A GAS SPACE IN THE UPPER SECTION OF SAID CONVERSION ZONE ABOVE SAID CONTACT MATERIAL COLUMN, REMOVING CONTACT MATERIAL FROM THE LOWER SECTION OF SAID COLUMN, PASSING CONTACT MATERIAL INTO SAID GAS SPACE BY MEANS OF A PLURALITY OF PASSAGES LATERALLY CONFINED BY SOLID SURFACES TERMINATING AT SUCCESSIVELY LOWER LEVELS WITHIN SAID GAS SPACE, DISCHARGING CONTACT MATERIAL FROM EACH PASSAGE OVER THE CONFINING SURFACE OF THE PASSAGE WHICH TERMINATES NEXT BELOW WHEREBY SAID SURFACE WILL BE SCRUBBED FREE OF ANY COKE FORMED THEREON, PASSING THE CONTACT MATERIAL SO DISCHARGED TO SAID COMPACT COLUMN SPRAYING A HIGH BOILING LIQUID HYDROCARBON CHARGE INTO THE PORTION OF SAID GAS SPACE LYING BENEATH THE UPPERMOST OF SAID PASSAGES, PASSING SAID LIQUID CHARGE THROUGH SAID COLUMN TO EFFECT ITS CONVERSION TO LOWER BOILING HYDROCARBONS AND REMOVING SAID LOWER BOILING HYDROCARBONS FROM THE CONVERSION ZONE.