Krypton-xenon separation from a gas mixture

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR COVERING KRYPTON AND XENON FROM A PROCESS STREAM CONTAINING THESE ELEMENTS, A PRIMARY RECTIFICATION COLUMN, A CONCENTRATING COLUMN, MEANS TO TRANSFER AN ENRICHED LIQUID FRACTION FROM SAID PRIMARY COLUMN TO SAID CONCENTRATING COLUMN, SAID TRANSFER MEANS COMPRISING THE FOLLOWING: CONDENSING MEANS AT THE TOP OF SAID CONCENTRATING COLUMN CONNECTED TO RECEIVE SAID ENRICHED LIQUID FRACTION FROM SAID PRIMARY COLUMN, WHEREIN SAID ENRICHED LIQUID FRACTION IS VAPORIZED BY HEAT TRANSFER FROM SAID CONDENSING MEANS TO FORM AN ENRICHED EVAPORTED FRACTION, THEREBY FORMING REFLUX IN SAID CONCENTRATING COLUMN BY CONDENSATION OF VAPOR THEREIN, CATALYZING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CONDENSING MEANS, WHEREIN SAID ENRICHED EVAPORATED FRACTION IS TREATED FOR REMOVAL OF HYDROCARBONS, AND MEANS FOR INTRODUCING INTO THE CONCENTRATING COLUMN AS FEED THERETO THE FRACTION THUS FREED FROM HYDROCARBONS; REBOILING MEANS IN SAID CONCENTRATING COLUMN HEATED BY LOW BOILING EFFLUENT FROM SAID PRIMARY COLUMN WHEREBY KRYPTON-XENON RICH LIQUID ACCUMULATES IN SAID CONCENTRATING COLUMN, MEANS TO RETURN REBOILED VAPOR FROM SAID CONCENTRATING COLUMN TO SAID PRIMARY COLUMN, A SIMPLE BATCH STILL, MEANS FOR INTERMITTENTLY TRANSFERRING ACCUMULATED KRYPTON-XENON RICH LIQUID FROM SAID CONCENTRATING COLUMN TO SAID SAMPLE BATCH STILL FOR FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION OF KRYPTON AND XENON, SAID BATCH STILL HAVING A TOP A CONDENSER REFRIGERATED BY LOW BOILING EFFLUENT FROM SAID PRIMARY COLUMN AND HAVING A REBOILER HEATED BY WARMED UP LOW BOILING EFFLUENT FROM SAID PRIMARY COLUMN, AND MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING THE FRACTIONALLY DISTILLED KRYPTON-XENON FROM THE STILL, THE WITHDRAWAL OPERATING IN ACCORD WITH THE TEMPERATURE OF THE TOP CONDENSER.