Liquid control for a fractionating column

Claim 2

FOR USE WITH A FRACTIONATING COLUMN HAVING A SEPARATING ZONE BELOW A FRACTIONATING ZONE AND A THERMOSYPHON REBOILER COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SEPARATING ZONE MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING ONLY SELECTEDLIQUID COMPONENTS FROM SAID SEPARATING ZONE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A BAFFLE PROVIDING AN OVERFLOW WEIR AND SEPARATING SAID LAST-NAMED ZONE INTO A FIRST POOL AND A SECOND POOL, MEANS FOR DIRECTING LIQUID FLOWING FROM SAID FRACTIONATING ZONE INTO SAID FIRST POOL, A LIQUID INLET CONNECTION FOR SAID THERMOSYPHON REBOILER ADJACENT TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID FIRST POOL, A RETURN FLUID CONNECTION FROM SAID THERMOSYPHON REBOILER TO SAID FIRST POOL AND SPACED ABOVE SAID WEIR, AND A LIQUID OUTLET FOR SECOND POOL.

Claim 3

IN A PROCESS FOR FRACTIONALLY DISTILLING LIQUIDS IN A FRACTIONATING COLUMN HAVING A FRACTIONATING ZONE, A LIQUID BOTTOMS-ACCUMULATING ZONE, A LIQUID-VAPOR SEPARATING BOTTOM-ACCUMULATING ZONE, A LIQUID-VAPOR SEPARATING LATING ZONE, AND A REBOILING ZONE, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE PASSING ALL OF THE LIQUID FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID FRACTIONATING ZONE INTO A FIRST BOTTOMS-ACCUMULATING POOL, WITHDRAWING ACCUMULATED LIQUID ADJACENT THE BOTTOM THEREOF, PASSING IT THROUGH A REBOILING ZONE TO EFFECT PARTIAL VAPORIZATION THEREOF, DISCHARGING ALL OF THE HEATED FLUIDS FROM THE REBOILING ZONE IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE LEVEL OF VAPOR SEPARATING ZONE IMMEDIDATELY ABOVE THE LEVEL OF LIQUID IN SAID POOL AND OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID LIQUID FROM SAID FRACTIONATING ZONE, PASSING SEPARATED VAPORS TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID FRACTIONATING ZONE, MAINTAINING SAID POOL AT A CONSTANT LIQUID LEVEL BY FLOWING LIQUID THERE FROM INTO A CONTIGUOUS SECOND BOTTOMS-PRODUCT ACCUMULATING POOL MAINTAINED IN OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID LIQUID-VAPOR SEPARATING ZONE, AND WITHDRAWING A LIQUID BOTTOMS-PRODUCT FROM THE SECOND POOL.

Claim 4

IN A PROCESS FOR FRACTIONALLY DISTILLING LIQUIDS IN A FRACTIONATING COLUMN HAVING A FRACTIONATING ZONE, A LIQUID BOTTOMS-ACCUMULATING ZONE, A LIQUID-VAPOR SEPARATING BOTTOM-ACCUMULATING ZONE, A LIQUID-VAPOR SEPARATING LATING ZONE, AND A REBOILING ZONE, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE PASSING ALL OF THE LIQUID FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID FRACTIONATING ZONE INTO A FIRST BOTTOMS-ACCUMULATING POOL, WITHDRAWING ACCUMULATED LIQUID ADJACENT THE BOTTOM THEREOF, PASSING IT THROUGH A REBOILING ZONE TO EFFECT PARTIAL VAPORIZATION THEREOF, DISCHARGING ALL OF THE HEATED FLUIDS FROM THE REBOILING ZONE IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE LEVEL OF VAPOR SEPARATING ZONE IMMEDIDATELY ABOVE THE LEVEL OF LIQUID IN SAID POOL AND OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID LIQUID FROM SAID FRACTIONATING ZONE, PASSING SEPARATED VAPORS TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID FRACTIONATING ZONE, MAINTAINING SAID POOL AT A CONSTANT LIQUID LEVEL BY FLOWING LIQUID THERE FROM INTO A CONTIGUOUS SECOND BOTTOMS-PRODUCT ACCUMULATING POOL MAINTAINED IN OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID LIQUID-VAPOR SEPARATING ZONE, AND WITHDRAWING A LIQUID BOTTOMS-PRODUCT FROM THE SECOND POOL.