Production of catalytic cracking feed stock from petroleum residues by vacuum flashing

Claim 1

IN THE METHOD FOR THE CONTINUOUS RECOVERY OF CATALYTIC CRACKING FEED STOCK FROM PETROLEUM RESIDUE WHICH COMPRISES PASSING PETROLEUM RESIDUE THROUGH A HEATED ZONE THE EXIT OF WHICH IS MAINTAINED UNDER SUB-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, HEATING THE PETROLEUM RESIDUE TO INCIPIENT CRACKING TEMPERATURE IN SAID ZONE WHEREBY THE RESIDUE IS LARGELY BUT INCOMPLETELY VAPORIZED, PASSING THE MIXTURE OF VAPORS AND UNVAPORIZED LIQUID RESIDUE AT SUBATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE INTO A CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATION ZONE WHEREIN THE VAPORS ARE SEPARATED FROM THE UNVAPORIZED LIQUID RESIDUE, PASSING THE VAPORS UPWARD FROM THE CENTER OF SAID CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATION ZONE AND THROUGH A FORAMINOUS MIST COALESCING ZONE CONDENSING THE VAPORS AFTER PASSING THROUGH SAID FORAMLINOUS MIST COALESCING ZONE AND SPRAYING A PORTION OF THE RESULTING CONDENSATE TO A DOWNWARD DIRECTION THROUGH THE RISING VAPORS THE IMPROVEMENT IN WHICH SAID CONDENSATE IS SPRAYED AT A POINT JUST BELOW SAID FORMATION MIST COALSCING ZONE.