Packing material unit

Claim 2

A packing material unit for liquid-gas contact apparatus, said unit including a plurality of elongated filament portions of narrow width and thickness relative to the length thereof, said filament portions having opposite ends and having narrow elongated surfaces between said opposite ends defining flow paths for liquid, at least one of said surfaces having an abrupt deviation intermediate the opposite ends thereof and transverse to the direction therebetween, said deviation including surface means continuous with said one surface in said direction and having opposite sides substantially perpendicular to said one surface and intersecting said one surface at spaced locations in said direction, whereby said deviation abruptly interrupts the contour of said one surface to define a hold-up point by which liquid on said one surface is displaced therefrom.

Claim 3

A packing unit as in claim 1, in which said deviation is a sharply defined recess in said one surface.

Claim 4

A packing unit as in claim 1, in which said deviation is a sharply defined projection extending outwardly from said one surface.

Claim 5

A packing unit as in claim 3, in which said filament is substantially square in cross-section and said projection has a width greater than the width of said one surface.

Claim 6

A packing unit as in claim 1, wherein a second of said surfaces of said filament portions is provided with at least one abrupt deviation, said one deviation including surface means continuous with said second surface in the direction between the opposite ends of said second surface and having opposite sides substantially perpendicular to said second surface and intersecting said second surface at spaced locations in said direction, whereby said one deviation abruptly interrupts the contour of said second surface to define a hold-up point by which liquid on said second surface is displaced therefrom.

Claim 7

A packing unit as in claim 8, in which said abrupt deviation and said one abrupt deviation are sharply defined projections extending outwardly from the corresponding one of said one and second surfaces.

Claim 8

A packing unit as in claim 5, in which said abrupt deviation and said one abrupt deviation are sharply defined recesses.

Claim 9

A packing unit as in claim 5, in which one of said abrupt deviation and said one abrupt deviation is a sharply defined projection and the other is a sharply defined recess.

Claim 10

A packing material unit for liquid-gas contact apparatus comprising a plurality of elongated filament portions each substantially in the form of a loop, said loops being disposed in a circular pattern about an axis, each of said loops having narrow inner and outer peripheral surfaces defining flow paths for liquid, at least one of said surfaces of each of said loops having at least one abrupt deviation includIng surface means continuous with said one surface in the peripheral direction thereof and having opposite sides substantially perpendicular to said one surface and intersecting said one surface at peripherally spaced locations therealong, whereby said deviation abruptly interrupts the contour of said one surface to define a hold-up point by which liquid flowing on said one surface is displaced therefrom.

Claim 11

A packing material unit for liquid-gas contact apparatus comprising a plurality of elongated filament portions each substantially in the form of a loop, said loops being disposed in a circular pattern about an axis, each of said loops having narrow inner and outer peripheral surfaces defining flow paths for liquid, at least one of said surfaces of each of said loops having at least one abrupt deviation includIng surface means continuous with said one surface in the peripheral direction thereof and having opposite sides substantially perpendicular to said one surface and intersecting said one surface at peripherally spaced locations therealong, whereby said deviation abruptly interrupts the contour of said one surface to define a hold-up point by which liquid flowing on said one surface is displaced therefrom.

Claim 12

A packing unit as in claim 9, wherein said deviation in said one surface is a sharply defined recess.

Claim 13

A packing unit as in claim 9, wherein said abrupt deviation is an annular filament extending about said axis and being interconnected with at least one of said loops.

Claim 14

A packing unit as in claim 9, wherein said deviation in said one surface is a sharply defined porjection extending outwardly from said one surface.

Claim 15

A packing unit as in claim 12, and a filament ring interconnected with the outer surface of at least one of said loops.

Claim 16

A packing unit as in claim 12, wherein the other of said surfaces of each of said loops has at least one abrupt deviation therein, said one abrupt deviation including surface means peripherally continuous with said other surface and having opposite sides substantially perpendicular to said other surface and intersecting said other surface at peripherally spaced locations therealong, whereby said one deviation abruptly interrupts the contour of said other surface.

Claim 17

A packing unit as in claim 14, wherein said deviation in said other of said surfaces is a sharply defined projection extending outwardly from said other surface.

Claim 18

A packing material unit for liquid-gas contact apparatus comprising a plurality of elongated filament portions each substantially in the form of a loop, said loops being disposed in a circular pattern about an axis and having inner ends extending generally toward said axis and interconnected, whereby said loops together resemble a torus, each of said loops having narrow inner and outer peripheral surfaces defining flow paths for liquid, said inner and outer surfaces of at least one of said loops each having at least one abrupt deviation including surface means continuous with the corresponding one of said inner and outer surfaces in the peripheral direction thereof and having opposite sides extending substantially perpendicular to the corresponding surface and intersecting said corresponding surface at peripherally spaced locations therealong, whereby said deviation abruptly interrupts the contour of said corresponding surface to define a holdup point by which liquid flowing on said corresponding surface is displaced therefrom.

Claim 19

A packing material unit for liquid-gas contact apparatus comprising a plurality of elongated filament portions each substantially in the form of a loop, said loops being disposed in a circular pattern about an axis and having inner ends extending generally toward said axis and interconnected, whereby said loops together resemble a torus, each of said loops having narrow inner and outer peripheral surfaces defining flow paths for liquid, said inner and outer surfaces of at least one of said loops each having at least one abrupt deviation including surface means continuous with the corresponding one of said inner and outer surfaces in the peripheral direction thereof and having opposite sides extending substantially perpendicular to the corresponding surface and intersecting said corresponding surface at peripherally spaced locations therealong, whereby said deviation abruptly interrupts the contour of said corresponding surface to define a holdup point by which liquid flowing on said corresponding surface is displaced therefrom.

Claim 20

A packing unit as in claim 17, wherein said deviations on said inner and outer surfaces are sharply defined projections extending outwardly from the corresponding one of said inner and outer surfaces.

Claim 21

A packing unit as in claim 17, wherein said projections are generally parallel to said axis.

Claim 22

A packing unit as in claim 18, and a filament ring interconnected with the outer surfaces of at least one of said loops.