Fluid inlet distributor

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION: A DOWNFLOW CONTACTING VESSEL OF RELATIVELY LARGE DIAMETER CONTAINING A CONTACTING ZONE FOR THE CONTACTING OF FLUIDS IN DOWNFLOW RELATIONSHIP; A VERTICAL FLUID INLET NOZZLE OF SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER DIAMETER THAN SAID VESSEL LOCATED AT THE TOP OF SAID CONTACTING VESSEL ABOVE SAID CONTACTING ZONE TO PROVIDE FLUID COMMUNICATION FROM THE EXTERIOR OF SAID VESSEL TO THE INTERIOR THEREOF; A HORIZONTAL BASE PLATE OF A SIZE AND CONFIGURATION TO SUBSTANTIALLY COVER THE HORIZONTAL CROSS-SECTION OF SAID NOZZLE SAID PLATE HAVING A CENTER OPENING THERETHROUGH; A VERTICAL CHIMNEY OF SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER CROSS-SECTION THAN SAID NOZZLE HAVING SIDE WALLS AND A CLOSED TOP, SAID CHIMNEY BEING ATTACHED TO AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BASE PLATE SO AS TO COVER SAID CENTER OPENING, AND SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING A PLURALITY OF APERTURES UNIFORMLY LOCATED ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID CHIMNEY; MEANS FOR REMOVABLY SUPPORTING SAID BASE PLATE IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION WITHIN SAID NOZZLE; A PLURALITY OF FLAT, PERFORATE PLATES; AND MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID PERFORATE PLATES IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP ONE ABOVE THE OTHER IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION WITHIN SAID VESSEL IMMEDIATELY BELOW SAID NOZZLE SO THAT AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE FLUIDS FLOWING DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID NOZZLE WILL PASS OUTWARDLY AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID PERFORATE PLATES.