Contact plate for use in a rectifying or contacting column

Claim 1

A CONTACT PLATE, FOR USE IN A RECTIFYING OR CONTACTING COLUMN WHEREIN A LIQUID SUPPLIED THROUGH AN INLET AND DISCHARGED THROUGH A SEPARATE OUTLET IS BROUGHT INTO INTIMATE CONTACT WITH A GASEOUS MEDIUM, SAID CONTACT PLATE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A BASE HAVING A CIRCULAR CIRCUMFERENCE AND HAVING A SERIES OF GAS CHIMNEYS FORMING PASSAGES FOR THE GASEOUS MEDIUM, THE UPPER OPEN ENDS OF SAID GAS CHIMNEYS BEING IN A LEVEL ABOVE THE LEVEL OF SAID BASE, A DISTRIBUTING PLATE SPACED FROM SAID BASE AND CARRIED BY THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID GAS CHIMNEYS, SAID DISTRIBUTING PLATE COVERING THE ENTIRE SURFACE OF THE BASE AND BEING DIVIDED INTO A PLURALITY OF ZONES, EACH ZONE HAVING A SERIES OF DISCHARGING PASSAGES ARRANGED IN PARALLEL ROWS AND EXTENDING FROM THE LOWER SURFACE OF THE DISTRIBUTING PLATE TO THE UPPER SURFACE THEREOF IN A DIRECTION INCLINED TO THE PLANE OF SAID DISTRIBUTING PLATE, OVERFLOW MEANS PASSING THROUGH SAID BASE AND SAID DISTRIBUTING PLATE FOR THE DISCHARGE OF LIQUID DELIVERED TO SAID BASE, THE UPPEREDGE OF SAID OVERFLOW MEANS BEING IN A LEVEL ABOVE THE PLANE OF SAID DISTRIBUTING PLATE SO AS TO CAUSE THE DAMMING OF A LAYER OF LIQUID OF A PREDETERMINED HEIGHT ON SAID BASE, AND A SERIES OF SPACED CAP-LIKE GAS DEFLECTING MEANS, EACH GAS DEFLECTING MEANS BEING ARRANGED ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID DISTRIBUTING PLATE OPPOSITE A GAS CHIMNEY ENGAGED WITH THE LOWER SURFACE OF THE LATTER FOR DEFLECTING THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF THE GASEOUS MEDIUM EMITTED FROM THE ASSOCIATED GAS CHIMNEY SO AS TO PASS THROUGH DISCHARGING PASSAGES OF THE DISTRIBUTING PLATE DOWNWARDLY INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID DISTRIBUTING PLATE AND THE BASE AND, THENCE, THROUGH OTHER DISCHARGING PASSAGES OF THE DISTRIBUTING PLATE UPWARDLY INTO THE LAYER OF LIQUID COVERING SAID DISTRIBUTING PLATE, AND THE OUTLETS OF SAID ROWS OF DISCHARGING PASSAGES BEING ARRANGED AROUND THE VERTICAL AXIS OF SAID BASE IN DIRECTIONS CAUSING A DISCHARGE OF THE GASEOUS MEDIUM IN A UNIFORM RADIAL AND TANGENTIAL DIRECTION TO SAID VERTICAL AXIS OF THE BASE WHEREBY THE LAYER OF LIQUID IS ROTATED ABOUT THE CENTER OF SAID CIRCULAR CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID BASE.