Apparatus for fluid catalytic reactions

Claim 1

A VESSEL FOR CONDUCTING FLUID CATALYTIC OPERATIONS INCLUDING A SHELL, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING REACTANTS AND SOLID CATALYST PARTICLES INTO SAID SHEL,MEANS IN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID SHELL FOR DISCHARGING GASEOUS PRODUCT THEREFROM, SEPARATION MEANS FOR SEPARATING GASEOUS PRODUCT FORM SOLID CATALYST PARTICLES IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID LAST-MENTIONED MEANS, SAID SEPARATION MEANS INCLUDING A CYCLONE SEPARATOR, SAID CYCLONE SEPARATOR HAVING A DIP LEG DEPENDING INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID HELL, SAID CYCLONE SEPARATOR HAVING FIXEDLY SECURED TO THE LOWERMOST END OF ITS DIP LEG A TRICKLE VALVE, SAID TRICKLE VALVE INCLUDING A BRACKET FIXEDLY SECURED TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID DIP LEG, SAID BRACKET HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS THEREIN, AN ANNULAR HINGE IN EACH SAID OPENING FORMED FROM A ROD HAVING A CORE THICKNESS APPRECEIABLY LESS THAN THE INNER DIAMETER OF THE OPENING IN WHICH SAID HINGE IS RECEIVED, A VALVE PLATE, SAID HINGES PASSING THROUGH OPENINGS IN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID VALVE PLATE WHEREBY SAID VALVE PLATE IS SUSPENDED FROM SAID HINGES ON THE OUTSIDE OF SAID DIP LEG WITH SAID VALVE PLATE JUXTAPOSED TO THE MOUTH OF SAID DIP LEG, THE OPENINGS IN SAID VALVE PLATE HAVING AN INSIDE DIAMETER APPRECIABLY LARGER THAN THE CORE THICKNESS OF THE ROD FORMING SAID HINGES, THE DIAMETER OF THE OPENINGS IN SAID BRACKET AND VALVE PLATE BEING SO MUCH LARGER THAN THE CORE THICKNESS OF THE ROD FORMING THE HINGES AS TO PERMIT BOTH LATERAL AND ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF SAID HINGES THROUGH EACH OF SAID OPENINGS, THE WIDTH AND LENGTH OF SAID VALVE PLATE BEING APPRECIABLY GREATER THAN THE MAXIMUM WIDTH AND LENGTH DIMENSIONS OF TH DISCHARGE OPENING OF SAID DIP LEG, THE FACE OF THE VALVE PLATE JUXTAPOSED TO THE DISCHARGE OPENING OF SAID DIP LEG SEATING AGAINST THE EDGE OF THE DISCHARGE OPENING OF SAID DIP LEG WHEN SAID VALVE PLATE IS DISPOSED IN ITS CLOSED POSITION, AND SAID JUXTAPOSED FACE OF THE VALVE PLATE BEING DISPOSED AWAY FROM THE EDGE OF THE DISCHARGE OPENING OF SAID DIP LEG WHEN THE VALVE PLATE IS DISPOSED IN ITS OPEN POSITION THE DISCHARGE OPENING OF SAID DIP-LEG BEING SO POSITIONED IN RESPECT TO THE VALVE PLATE THAT GRAVITY BIASES THE VALVE PLATE AWAY FROM THE EDGE OF THE DISCHARGE OPENING.