Packing for fractionating column and the like

Claim 1

PACKING FOR VAPOR OR GAS AND LIQUID CONTACT COLUMNS, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SUPERPOSED CONTACTING LAYERS OF A FABRIC HAVING MESH FORMING OPENINGS OF A SIZE SUCH THAT THEY ARE NOT FILMED OVERBY THE LIQUID BEING TREATED, SAID FABRIC BEING COMPOSED OF CAPILLARY STRANDS CONSISTING OF A PLURALITY OF CONTINUOUS FILAMENTS OF A MATERIAL WHICH IS NON-ABSORBENT, NON-WICKING AND IMPERVIOUS TO THE LIQUID BEING TREATED, THE FILAMENTS IN SAID STRANDS LYING PARALLEL AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY UNTWISTED TO FORM A GROUP THEREOF WHEREIN ADJACENT FILAMENTS ARE SO CLOSELY SPACED THAT LIQUID FLOWS ALONG THE SURFACES OF THE FILAMENTS AND IN THE INTER-FILAMENT SPACES DUE TO CAPILLARY ACTION, CONTIGUOUS LAYERS OF THE FABRIC BEING IN CONTACT TO FORM A BODY HAVING UNIFORMLY DISPOSED INTERCOMMUNICATING CELLS THROUGH WHICH THE VAPOR OR GAS CAN FREELY FLOW IN CONTACT WITH COUNTERFLOWING FILMS OF LIQUID FLOWING DOWNWARDLY ON THE CAPILLARY STRANDS, WITH A CONSEQUENT REPEATED SUBDIVISION AND RECOMBINATION OF BOTH VAPOR OR GAS AND THE LIQUID STREAMS PASSING THROUGH THE COLUMN.