Catalyst transfer apparatus in moving bed system

Claim 1

IN A MOVING BED HYDROCARBON CONVERSION PROCESS IN WHICH A GRANULAR CATALYST IS PASSED AS A GRAVIATING BED THROUGH REACTION AND RECONDITIONING ZONES AND IN WHICH SAID CATALYST IS PASSED AS A LATERALLY CONFINED COMPACT STREAM THROUGH A STEEPLY SLOPING FLOODED PASSAGE WHEREIN FINE PARYICLES ARE LOCKED IN THE CATALYST STREAM, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: PASSING THE GRAVITATING STREAM OF CATYALYST THROUGH A ZONE INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF SAID PASSAGE, SAID ZONE HAVING ITS UPPER EXTERMITY SUFFICIENTLY ABOVE THE UPPER EXTREMITY OF SAID PASSAGE TO PROVIDE A FREE CATALYST SURFACE IN SAID INTERMEDIATE ZONE, SAID FREE CATALYST SURFACE BEING THE ONLY FREE CATALYST SURFACE WITHIN SAID SLOPING PASSAGE, WHEREBY GRANULAR PARTICLES FLOW FREELY ACROSS SAID SURFACE AND FINE PARTICLES ARE RELEASED THEREBY TO PERCOLATE TO THE LOWER EXTREMITY OF SAID INTERMEDIATE ZONE, WITHDRAWING FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID INTERMEDIATE ZONE A STREAM OF CATALYST ENRICHED IN FINES CONTENT, TRANSFERRING SAID FINES-ENRICHED CATALYST STREAM TO A FINES REMOVAL ZONE FOR SEPARATION AND REMOVAL OF SAID FINES FROM THE GRANULAR CATALYST AND RETURNING SAID GRANULAR CATALYST TO THE PROCESS, WHEREBY THE FINES CONTENT IN SAID PROCESS IS MAINTAINED AT SAFE OPERATING LEVELS.