Means for separating a mixed gaseous feed stream

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED METHOD FOR SEPARATING A MIXED GASEOUS FEED STREAM INTO LIGHT AND HEAVY GASEOUS FRACTIONS WHICH COMPRISES, INTRODUCING SAID FEED STREAM INTERMEDIATELY INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF A VERTICALLY ELONGATED FRACTIONATING AND SEPARATING ZONE AND PASSING A LEAN ABSORPTION OIL DOWNWARDLY COUNTERCURRENTLY TO SAID MIXED GAS STREAM IN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID ZONE, DISCHARGING AN UNABSORBED LIGHT GASEOUS FRACTION FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID ZONE AND COLLECTING THE RESULTING RICH ABSORPTION OIL CONTAINING THE HEAVIER FRACTIONS WITHIN A COLLECTING WELL AT A LEVEL SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE FEED STREAM INLET TO SAID ZONE, WITHDRAWING THE COLLECTED RICH ABSORPTION OIL AND PASSING IT IN INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH HOT LEAN ABSORPTION OIL AND INTRODUCING SAID RICH OIL STREAM INTO SAID ZONE BELOW SAID COLLECTING WELL, MAINTAINING A LEVEL OF THE HEATED RICH ABSORPTION OIL BELOW SAID COLLECTING WELL AND IN OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID ZONE, WITHDRAWING REGULATED AMOUNTS OF THE RICH ABSORPTION OIL AND INTRODUCING IT INTO THE LOWER SEPARATED PORTION OF SAID ZONE AND EFFECTING THE HEATING AND STRIPPING OF THE RICH OIL STREAM TO REMOVE A HEAVY GASEOUS FRACTION, DISCHARGING SAID HEAVY GASEOUS FRACTION FROM THE LATTER SEPARATED PORTION OF SAID ZONE AND RECYCLING A HEATING STRIPPING ABSORPTION OIL FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID ZONE TO THE UPPER END THEREOF AS THE AFORESAID LEAN ABSORPTION OIL.