Contacting tray with variable passage

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 BETWEEN A LOWER AND AN UPPER POSITION TO CONTROL THE PASSAGE THROUGH THE SAID OPENING, SAID VALVE COMPRISING A VALVE BODY SITUATED ABOVE THE TRAY, AT LEAST A PART OF SAID BODY BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH THE UPPER TRAY SURFACE FOR SUPPORT WHEN THE VALVE IS IN TIS LOWEST POSITION, SAID BODY HAVING PERIPHERAL RECESSES THEREIN, AND AT LEAST ONE RESILIENT SPRING SEPARATE FROM SAID VALVE BODY INCLUDING AA TOP PORTION SITUATED ABOVE THE BODY AND GUIDE MEMBERS EXTENDING DOWN THROUGH SAID RECESSES AND THENCE DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID TRAY OPENING NEAR THE EDGE THEREOF FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT TOGETHER WITH THE BODY RELATIVE TO THE TRAY, SAID SPRING BEING SECURED TO THE BODY BY RESILIENT CLAMPING ENGAGEMENT THERETO AT THE ENDS OF SAID TOP PORTION, THE LOWER PARTS OF SAID GUIDE MEMBERS PROVIDING STOPS WHICH ARE SITUATED IN SPACED RELATION BENEATH THE TRAY WHEN THE VALVE IS IN SAID LOWEST POSITION AND EXTEND LATERALLY OUTWARDS FROM THE GUIDE MEMBERS FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE UNDER SIDE OF THE TRAY TO LIMIT UPWARD MOVEMENT OF THE VALVE.