Liquid solids contacting

Claim 1

IN A CONTINUOUS CYCLIC PROCESS FOR TREATING OILS TO PURIFY THE SAME, THE IMPROVED METHOD OF CONTACTING THE OIL AND SOLID ADSORBENT, WHICH COMPRISES: INTRODUCING AN OIL FEED INTO THE LOWER SECTION OF A VERTICALLY EXTENDED PERCOLATION ZONE AND WITHDRAWING THE OIL FROM SAID ZONE AT A HIGHER ELEVATION TO MAINTAIN A LIQUID SURFACE LEVEL IN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID ZONE, INTRODUCING ADSORBENT IN PALPABLE PARTICULATE FORM INTO THE PERCOLATION ZONE THROUGH AT LEAST ONE LATERALLY CONFINED INLET FLOW PASSAGE WHICH IS TERMINATED AT ITS LOWER END AT A LEVEL BENEATH THE LIQUID SURFACE LEVEL IN THE PERCOLATION ZONE, WITHDRAWING THE ADSORBENT FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID ZONE THROUGH AN OUTLET FLOW PASSAGE AT A FLOW RATE LOW ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN A COLUMNAR MASS WITH UPPER SURFACE LEVEL IN SAID PERCOLATION ZONE BELOW THE LEVEL AT WHICH THE MATERIAL IS DISCHARGED FROM SAID CONFINED PASSAGE, MAINTAINING THE FLOW RATE OF THE UPWARDLY MOVING OIL IN SAID PERCOLATION ZONE AT A RATE INSUFFICIENT TO SUBSTANTIALLY DISRUPT THE COLUMNAR MASS OF ADSORBENT IN SAID ZONE, SUSPENDING IN THE PERCOLATION ZONE A FLOAT HAVING A DENSITY HIGHER THAN THE OIL BUT LOW ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE FLOAT TO BE LIFTED UPWARDLY THROUGH THE OIL-SOLIDS COLUMNAR MASS TO THE TOP OF THE COLUMNAR MASS DURING CONTACTING, AND ADJUSTING THE FLOW RATE OF THE STREAM OF ADSORBENT PASSING THROUGH ONE OF SAID FLOW PASSAGES IN RESPONSE TO ANY CHANGE IN THE ELEVATION OF THE FLOAT WHILE MAINTAINING THE FLOW RATE OF THE OTHER STREAM SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT, WHEREBY THE COLUMNAR MASS UPPER SURFACE LEVEL IS MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT WITHIN A PREDETERMINED NARROW RANGE.