Contact apparatus

Claim 2

IN CONTACT APPARATUS OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED IN WHICH RISING FLUID COUNTERCURRENTLY ENGAGES A DESCENDING FLUID, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING AN APERTURED DECK, VALVE MEANS FOR AT LEAST SOME OF SAID DECK APERTURES LIFTABLE THEREFROM BY FLUID PRESSURE EXERTED FROM BENEATH SAID DECK, A PLURALITY OF RETAINING MEANS FOR LIMITING THE DISTANCE SAID VALVE MEANS MAY MOVE FROM SAID DECK, EACH OF SAID RETAINING MEANS COMPRISING AN UPWARDLY BENT PORTION OF SAID DECK AND THEREBY BEING INTEGRALLY FORMED WITH SAID DECK.

Claim 3

IN A PROCESS FOR FORMING A TRAY FOR USE IN A CONTACT APPARATUS, THE STEPS COMPRISING STAMPING OUT PORTIONS OF DECK SO AS TO FORM DISCRETE STRIPS CONVERGING TOWARD THE CENTER OF AN APERTURE FORMED IN THE DECK, SAID STRIPS BEING INITIALLY DISPOSED IN THE PLANE OF THE DECK, SIMULTANEOUSLY SHEARING LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS OF EACH OF SAID STRIPS FROM PERIPHERAL PORTIONS OF SAID DECK DEFINING SAID APERTURE DURING SAID STAMPING STEP, BENDING SAID STRIPS ABOUT AXES DISPOSED AT THE PROXIMAL ENDS OF SAID STRIP FURTHEST FROM THE CENTER OF SAID APERTURE WHEREBY SAID STRIPS ARE DISPOSED AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES TO THE PLANE OF THE DECK, PLACING A VALVE MEANS OF SUFFICIENT AREA TO BE SUPPORTED BETWEEN THE BENT STRIPS OVER SAID DECK AND APERTURE, AND INWARDLY BENDING DISTAL PORTIONS OF SAID STRIPS OVER SAID VALVE MEANS AND UNDERLYING DECK APERTURE WHEREBY SAID VALVE MAY NOT BE DISENGAGED FROM SAID DECK BUT IS RETAINED THERETO BY SAID STRIPS.

Claim 4

IN A PROCESS FOR FORMING A TRAY FOR USE IN A CONTACT APPARATUS, THE STEPS COMPRISING STAMPING OUT PORTIONS OF DECK SO AS TO FORM DISCRETE STRIPS CONVERGING TOWARD THE CENTER OF AN APERTURE FORMED IN THE DECK, SAID STRIPS BEING INITIALLY DISPOSED IN THE PLANE OF THE DECK, SIMULTANEOUSLY SHEARING LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS OF EACH OF SAID STRIPS FROM PERIPHERAL PORTIONS OF SAID DECK DEFINING SAID APERTURE DURING SAID STAMPING STEP, BENDING SAID STRIPS ABOUT AXES DISPOSED AT THE PROXIMAL ENDS OF SAID STRIP FURTHEST FROM THE CENTER OF SAID APERTURE WHEREBY SAID STRIPS ARE DISPOSED AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES TO THE PLANE OF THE DECK, PLACING A VALVE MEANS OF SUFFICIENT AREA TO BE SUPPORTED BETWEEN THE BENT STRIPS OVER SAID DECK AND APERTURE, AND INWARDLY BENDING DISTAL PORTIONS OF SAID STRIPS OVER SAID VALVE MEANS AND UNDERLYING DECK APERTURE WHEREBY SAID VALVE MAY NOT BE DISENGAGED FROM SAID DECK BUT IS RETAINED THERETO BY SAID STRIPS.