Contacting tray with variable passage

Claim 1

A GAS-LIQUID CONTACTING APPARATUS WHICH COMPRISES: (A) A CONTACTING TRAY ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED HORIZONTALLY WITHIN A CONTACTING COLUMN TO RETAIN A BODY OF LIQUID THEREON AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE FLOW OPENING THERETHROUGH, (B) A VALVE BODY MOVABLY MOUNTED ABOVE THE TRAY OVER SAID OPENING AND BEING, WHEN IN ITS LOWERMOST POSITION, SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AND SUPPORTED BY THE UPPER TRAY SURFACE, AND (C) GUIDE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID TRAY AND FAST TO SAID VALVE BODY FOR RETAINING ONE SIDE OF THE VALVE BODY ADJACENTLY TO THE TRAY WHILE PERMITTING THE OPPOSITE SIDE TO SWING UPWARDS TO A RAISED POSITION IN WHICH THE SPACE ABOVE SAID OPENING IS SUBSTANTIALLY UNOBSTRUCTED BY SAID VALVE BODY, SAID GUIDE MEANS INCLUDING: (1) AN UPPER PART WHICH EXTENDS DOWNWARDS FROM THE BODY THROUGH SAID TRAY OPENING, AND (2) STOP MEANS AT THE LOWER END OF SAID GUIDE MEANS FOR ENGAGING THE UNDER SIDE OF THE TRAY WHEN THE BODY IS SWUNG CLEAR OF THE OPENING AND SITUATED TO ONE SIDE OF THE CENTROID OF THE VALVE BODY AREA.