Contacting tray with rotatable valves

Claim 1

A GAS-LIQUID CONTACTING APPARATUS COMPRISING: A CONTACTING TRAY ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED HORIZONTALLY WITHIN A CONTACTING COLUMN TO RETAIN A BODY OF LIQUID THEREON AND HAVING A FLOW OPENING THERETHROUGH, AND A VALVE MOUNTED ON SAID TRAY FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT TO CONTROL THE PASSAGE THROUGH SAID OPENING BY VERTICAL MOVEMENT DUE TO UPWARD GAS FLOW, SAID VALVE COMPRISING A VALVE PLATE SITUATED ABOVE THE TRAY ENGAGEABLE WITH THE UPPER TRAY SURFACE FOR SUPPORT WHEN THE VALVE IS IN ITS LOWEST POSITION, GUIDE MEANS EXTENDING VERTICALLY DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM NEAR THE EDGE OF SAID OPENING, THE LOWER PART OF SAID GUIDE MEANS PROVIDING STOPS ENGAGEABLE WITH THE UNDER SIDE OF THE TRAY TO LIMIT UPWARD MOVEMENT OF THE VALVE, SAID VALVE BEING ROTATABLE ABOUT THE VERTICAL CENTER LINE THEREOF, AND SPACED BLADES IN A PART OF THE VALVE WHICH IS SITUATED ABOVE SAID CONTACTING TRAY AT LEAST WHEN THE VALVE IS IN ITS UPPERMOST POSITION, SAID BLADE DEFINING GAS PASSAGES FROM WHICH GAS FLOWING IS DISPERSED DIRECTLY INTO SAID LIQUID, AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE BLADES INCLUDING MEANS WHICH ARE INCLINED FOR ROTATING THE VALVE COINCIDENTALLY WITH VERTICAL MOVEMENT THEREOF.