Directional float tray

Claim 1

IN A VAPOR-LIQUID CONTACTING TRAY HAVING A DOWNCOMER AT ONE SIDE THEROF TO PROVIDE LIQUID FLOW IN A DIRECTION ACROSS SAID TRAY TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE TRAY, SAID TRAY DEFINING A PLURALITY OF SPACED VAPOR SLOTS ARRANGED PROGRESSIVELY IN ROWS IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID LIQUID FLOW AND MEANS PROVIDING A PRESSURE HEAD OF VAPOR BENEATH SAID TRAY, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL FLAT TAB DISPOSED ACROSS AND RECIPROCALLY MOVABLE IN EACH SLOT IN RESPONSE TO VAPOR FLOW THROUGH SAID SLOT, SAID TAB HAVING INTEGRAL TAB REST MEANS OF UNEQUAL LENGTH AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE TAB FOR RESTING AGAINST THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE TRAY AND PROVIDING INCLINATION THEREOF AND ESCAPE OF VAPOR IN THE DIRECTION OF LIQUID FLOW UPON A MINIMUM VAPOR PRESSURE HEAD, SAID TAB FURTHER HAVING INTEGRAL GUIDES EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID SLOTS AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF DOWNSTREAM AND UPSTREAM OF LIQUID FLOW, EACH GUIDE HAVING AT ITS LOWER END A STOP TO LIMIT UPWARD TRAVEL OF THE GUIDE AND THE END OF THE TAB ATTACHED THERETO, THE UPSTREAM GUIDE BEING SHORTER THAN THE DOWNSTREAM GUIDE TO PROVIDE LIMITED UPWARD TRAVEL OF THE UPSTREAM END OF THE TAB AND GREATER UPWARD TRAVEL OF SAID DOWNSTREAM END, WHEREBY SAID TAB MAY FIRST TRAVEL UPWARDLY FOR A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE IN THE INCLINED POSITION GENERALLY DETERMINED BY THE TAB REST MEANS AND THEREAFTER THE DOWNSTREAM END OF THE TAB MAY SWING UPWARDLY THROUGH A GREATER ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE TRAY UPON INCREASING VAPOR PRESSURE.