Hydrocarbon conversion apparatus

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING LIQUID PHASE CATALYTIC REACTIONS, A REACTOR COMPRISING AN ELONGATED, CLOSED TANK ADAPTED IN USE TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED A PLURALITY OF SPACED PARTITIONS CLOSING THE FULL CROSS SECTION OF SAID TANK AND SUBDIVIDING INTERNAL SPACE THEREOF INTO A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE, SERIES ARRANGED SECTIONS, EACH OF SAID SECTION CLOSING PARTITIONS HAVING A LOWER PORTION THEREOF CUT AWAY TO PROVIDE A PORT FOR ENTRANCE FROM THE SECTION ON ONE SIDE THEREOF TO THE SECTION ON THE OTHER SIDE THEREOF, PLATE MEANS IN EACH OF THE SECTIONS AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RESPECTIVE SECTION CLOSING PARTITION HAVING ONE END UNITED TO THE CUT EDGE OF THE RESPECTIVE PARTITION AND ITS LATERAL EDGES UNITED TO THE WALLS OF THE TANK TO PROVIDE A PASSAGEWAY, BARRIER MEANS IN EACH OF SAID SECTIONS UNITED TO THE OTHER END OF THE RESPECTIVE PLATE MEANS AND THE WALLS OF THE TANK TO CLOSE SAID PASSAGEWAY, A HOLE IN EACH OF SAID PLATE MEANS ADJACENT THE MIDDLE REGION OF THE RESPECTIVE SECTION TO PROVIDE AN INLET FOR THE RESPECTIVE SECTION, MIXING MEANS IN EACH OF SAID SECTIONS INCLUDING A PROPELLING DEVICE HAVING AN INLET MOUTH SPACED FROM AND OVERLYING THE INLET HOLE IN ITS RESPECTIVE PLATE MEANS, EACH OF SAID SECTIONS INCLUDING A LEVEL DEFINING PARTITION THEREIN UNITED TO THE WALLS OF THE TANK AND HAVING ITS UPPER PORTION REMOVED TO ESTABLISH A DESIRED LIQUID LEVEL, EACH OF SAID LEVEL DEFINING PARTITIONS BEING SPACED FROM THE CONTIGUOUS SECTIONS CLOSING PARTITION TO PROVIDE A DOWNFLOW PASSAGEWAY TO THE ENTRANCE PORT OF THE ADJACENT DOWNSTREAM SECTION FOR MATERIAL OVERFLOWING THE LEVEL DEFINING PARTITION.