Degassing and distillation of liquids in vacuum

Claim 1

IN AN ARRANGEMENT FOR THE DEGASIFICATION AND DISTILLATION OF A LIQUID, A VACUUM ENCLOSURE AND MOUNTED THEREIN A STATIONARY CONTAINER HAVING URREGULARLY ARRANGED THEREIN AT LEAST ONE VERTICAL COLUMN OF PREDETERMINEDLY SHAPED FILL BODIES FORMING AN EVAPORATION SURFACE WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER THAN THE CROSS SECTION OF SAID VERTICAL COLUMN; SAID FILL BODIES BEING OTHERWISE SUBSTANTIALLY INACTIVE, AND SAID CONTAINER HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL SIDE WALL WHICH IS GAS TRANSMISSIVE OVER SUBSTANTIALLY ITS ENTIRE SURFACE SURROUNDING SAID COLUMN, MEANS FOR FEEDING LIQUID TO SAID COLUMN FROM THE TOP INCLUDING MEANS FOR DISTRIBUTING SAID LIQUID OVER THE TOP LAYER OF SAID COLUMN; THE HORIZONTAL CROSS SECTION OF SAID COLUMN BEING SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER THAN THE EXTENSION OF SAID SIDE WALL TO FORCE PASSAGE OF GAS FROM SAID COLUMN THROUGH SAID ENTIRE SIDE WALL IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE FLOW OF LIQUID THROUGH SAID COLUMN, AND MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING LIQUID FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID COLUMN.