Regeneration of individual molecular sieve compartments

Claim 1

IN A MOLECULAR SIEVE SEPARATION PROCESS WHEREIN A FEEDSTOCK, AT LEAST A PORTION OF WHICH IS ADSORBABLE, IS PASSED THROUGH A MOLECULAR SIEVE SEPARATION ZONE WHEREBY THE SAID ABSORBABLE PORTION IS ADSORBED ONTO THE MOLECULAR SIEVE, HALTING THE FLOW OF SAID FEEDSTOCK, THEN DESORBING THE SAID ADSORBED COMPONENT BY MEANS OF A DISPLACING AGENT AND THE CYCLE CONTINUED UNTIL THE SAID MOLECULAR SIEVE CONTAINS A DEACTIVATING AMOUNT OF A STRONGLY ADSORBED CONTAMINANT WHICH SERVES TO REDUCE ITS ADSORPTIVE CAPACITY, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES COMPARTMENTALIZING THE SAID MOLECULAR SIEVE BED, HALTING THE FLOW OF FEED TO AT LEAST ONE OF THE SAID COMPARTMENTS IN THE SAID MOLECULAR SIEVE BED ZONE WHILE PASSING FEED INTO THE REMAINING COMPARTMENTS TO ADSORB THE ADSORBABLE COMPONENTS OF THEFEED IN SAID BEDS, PASSING THE SAID DISPLACING AGENT THROUGH ALL OF SAID COMPARTMENTALIZED ZONES AND CONTINUING THIS PROCEDURE FOR AT LEAST 5 CYCLES UNTIL THE DEACTIVATING AMOUNT OF CONTAMINANT IS REMOVED.