Vacuum distillation apparatus and process

Claim 1

A METHOD OF RECTIFICATION AT SUB-ATMOSPHERIC PRESURES OF THE VAPORS OF PETROLEUM AND OF PETROLEUM FRACTIONS WHICH COMPRISES: PASSING LIQUID REFLUX DOWNWARDLY THROUGH A PLURALITY OF NOT LESS THAN FOUR SUPERIMPOSED ZONE IN A RECTIFYING COLUMN AND CAUSING IT TO FLOW HORIZONTALLY ACROSS EACH SUCH ZONE; PASSING THE VAPORS TO BE RECTIFIED UPWARDLY THROUGH THE SAID PLURALITY OF SUPERIMPOSED ZONES, AND THROUGH THE DOWNFLOWING REFLUX DURING THE HORIZONTAL PASSAGE OF THE SAID REFLUX ACROSS EACH ZONE; CONTROLLABLY ADDING HEAT TO EACH OF A FIRST SERIES OF THE SAID ZONES AND AND CONTROLLABLY EXTRACTING HEAT FROM EACH OF A SECOND SERIES OF THE SAID ZONES, WHILE HAVING THE INDIVIDUAL ZONES OF ONE SERIES FOLLOW THE INDIVIDUAL ZONES OF THE OTHER SERIES IN ALTERNATE SUCCESSION; AND FINALLY CONDENSING THE RECTIFIED VAPORS AND RETURNING A PORTION OF SUCH CONDENSATE TO A HIGH POINT IN THE RECTIFYING COLUMN TO SERVE AS THE REFLUX LIQUID.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF RECTIFICATION AT SUB-ATMOSPHERIC PRESURES OF THE VAPORS OF PETROLEUM AND OF PETROLEUM FRACTIONS WHICH COMPRISES: PASSING LIQUID REFLUX DOWNWARDLY THROUGH A PLURALITY OF NOT LESS THAN FOUR SUPERIMPOSED ZONE IN A RECTIFYING COLUMN AND CAUSING IT TO FLOW HORIZONTALLY ACROSS EACH SUCH ZONE; PASSING THE VAPORS TO BE RECTIFIED UPWARDLY THROUGH THE SAID PLURALITY OF SUPERIMPOSED ZONES, AND THROUGH THE DOWNFLOWING REFLUX DURING THE HORIZONTAL PASSAGE OF THE SAID REFLUX ACROSS EACH ZONE; CONTROLLABLY ADDING HEAT TO EACH OF A FIRST SERIES OF THE SAID ZONES AND AND CONTROLLABLY EXTRACTING HEAT FROM EACH OF A SECOND SERIES OF THE SAID ZONES, WHILE HAVING THE INDIVIDUAL ZONES OF ONE SERIES FOLLOW THE INDIVIDUAL ZONES OF THE OTHER SERIES IN ALTERNATE SUCCESSION; AND FINALLY CONDENSING THE RECTIFIED VAPORS AND RETURNING A PORTION OF SUCH CONDENSATE TO A HIGH POINT IN THE RECTIFYING COLUMN TO SERVE AS THE REFLUX LIQUID.