Apparatus for continuously polycondensing polymethylene glycol esters of aromatic dicarboxylic acids

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY POLYCONDENSING POLYMETHYLENE GLYCOL ESTERS OF AROMATIC DICARBOXYLIC ACIDS INTO LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYMERS THEREOF, COMPRISING: (A) A VERTICALLY ELONGATED REACTION COLUMN; (B) INLET MEANS AT THE TOP END OF SAID REACTION COLUMN FOR CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING A LIQUID POLYMETHYLENE GLYCOL ESTER OF AN AROMATIC DICARBOXYLIC ACID TO SAID COLUMN; (C) OUTLET MEANS AT THE BOTTOM END OF SAID REACTION COLUMN FOR CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING THE RESULTING LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYMER THEREFROM; (D) A FIRST PLURALITY OF PARALLEL ARRANGED ELONGATED TUBES AXIALLY DISPOSED IN SAID COLUMN BELOW SAID INLET MEANS; (E) A SECOND PLURALITY OF PARALLEL ARRANGED ELONGATED TUBES TANDEMLY DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST TUBES AND POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID FORST TUBES AND SAID OUTLET MEANS; (F) A FIRST WEIR MEANS FOR CONDUCTING SAID ESTER FROM SAID INLET MEANS TO THE TOP ENDS OF SAID FIRST TUBES WHERE SAID ESTER NORMALLY FLOWS DOWNWARDLY THEREIN IN THE FORM OF A FIRST PLURALITY OF ANNULAR THIN FILMS; (G) A SECOND WEIR MEANS FOR CONDUCTING THE ESTER DISCHARGED FROM THE BOTTOM ENDS OF SAID FIRST TUBES TO THE TOP ENDS OF SAID SECOND TUBES WHERE SAID ESTER NORMALLY FLOW DOWNWARDLY THEREIN IN THE FORM OF A SECOND PLURALITY OF ANNULAR THIN FILMS; (H) A FIRST BAFFLE BETWEEN SAID INLET MEANS AND SAID FIRST WEIR FOR DIVERTING THE ESTER INTO SAID FIRST WEIR; (I) A SECOND BAFFLE BETWEEN THE BOTTOM ENDS OF SAID FIRST TUBES AND SAID SECOND WEIR FOR DIVERTING THE ESTER INTO SAID SECON WEIR; (J) MEANS FOR HEATING SAID FILMS;