Contacting apparatus for rectifying and contacting columns

Claim 1

A RECTIFYING AND CONTACTING COLUMN COMPRISING MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A LIQUID INTO SAID COLUMN AND FOR DISCHARGING SAID LIQUID THEREFROM, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A GAS INTO SAID COLUMN AND FOR DISCHARGING SAID GAS THEREFROM, A PLURALITY OF SPACED INSERT TRAYS, SUPPORT MEANS FOR SAID TRAYS, SAID TRAYS OCCUPYING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE CROSS-SECTION OF SAID COLUMN AND BEING SUBDIVIDED INTO A PLURALITY OF SECTORS, DOWNCOMER MEANS FOR FEEDING LIQUDI FROM PERIPHERAL REGIONS OF CENTRIFUGAL TRAYS,A ND FROM CENTRAL REGIONS OF CENTRIPETAL TRAYS TO RESPECTIVELY SUCCESSIVE PERIPHERAL REGIONS OF CENTRIPETAL TRAYS AND CENTRAL REGIONS OF CENTRIFUGAL TRAYS, EACH OF SAID SECTORS BEING SUBDIVIDED INTO A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL INDIVIDUAL ELEMENTS, THE CORNERS OF WHICH ARE HELD BY SAID SUPPORT MEANS, EACH OF SAID ELEMENTS DEFINING IN THEIR BODY A PLURALITY OF UNIFORM ANGULAR PASSAGES ENABLING UNIFORM ANGULAR FLOW OF SAID GAS, SAID PASSAGES HAVING DIFFERENT ANGULAR DIRECTI-ONS IN EACH OF SAIDSECTORS, SAID DIRECTIONS BEING ANGULARLY DISPLACED WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER IN ADJACENT SECTORS SO THAT SAID LIQUID PASSES OVER SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE SURFACE OF EACH OF SAID TRAYS, SAID DIRECTION IN ELEMENTS O FSUCCESSIVE TRAYS BEING ALTERNATELY CENTRIFUGAL AND CENTRIPETAL, WHEREBY THE FLOW OF SAID LIQUID IS SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRIUGAL IN PREDETERMINED TRAYS AND SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRPETAL IN THE TRAYS INTERMEDIATE SAID PREDTERMINED TRAYS.