US2908489A - Tray supports and columns containing same - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 13, 1959 c. A. LUDEKE ETAL TRAY SUPPORTS AND COLUMNS CONTAINING SAME Filed Sept. 9, 1955 CARL A.LUDEKE LIONEL A. PETROV INVENTOR.

a 2,908,489 TRAY SUPPORTS ANlgCOLUMNS CONTAINING AME Carl A. Ludeke and Lionel A. Petrov, Cincinnati, Ohio,

. assignors to National Distillers and Chemical Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Virginia Application September 9, 1955 Serial No. 533,469 I l 6 Claims. or. 261-113) trays are horizontally disposed and supported by suitable means at the interior wall surface of the column. For columns of relatively. large diameter, and in which the horizontally disposed trays are, also of relatively large diameter, the trays are additionally supported by use of vertically disposed supports that also serve as spacer bars to maintain the spaced-apart relationship of the trays and to prevent or minimize deformation (e. g., sagging) of the trays. For example, and by use of a distillation tower for illustration, such towers may comprise a serie's of spaced-apart horizontally. disposed trays in a column shell with the trays having a number of holes distributed over the trays and, in operation, the pressure and velocity of vapor passing up through the holes is maintained sufficient to hold up a body of liquidreflux on each tray and, to prevent too great a depth from accumulating, each tray is provided with conventional devices for flow of liquid to a lower tray and maintenance of a liquid seal against flow of vapor. For several reasons, itis desirable that the trays be light in weight and as thinas possible commensurate with structural strength suilicient for the trays to resist deformation during operation of the column for extended continuous periods of time and, hence, to minimize such deformation (e.g., sagging), verticallydisposed supports are employed to support the trays. As an example, such vertical supports may be in the form ofa Fatented Oct. 13, 1959 2 adequately supporting the tray, failure of the tray .as aforedescribed at the supported portions is obviated or substantially minimized.

In general, an assembly as embodied herein comprises a tray in plate form adapted for horizontal disposition in a column useful for operations such as distillation, rectification, and the like, said tray having an opening to accommodate a support means, including resilient means,

whereby the tray is adequately supported and failure of [the tray at the area of the support is obviated or substantially minimized. More specifically, an assembly as embodied herein comprises a vertically elongated member having a longitudinal annular recessed portion extending through an opening in a plate tray, and resilient means disposed in said recess portion in a manner whereby vibration of the tray is absorbed by the re- '-silient means with minimized failure of the tray at its supported portion or portions. In still more specific embodiment, the tray is supported by resilient means of spring-like type, disposed on each side of the tray, accommodatedby the shoulders formed by an annular re-- cess portion of a vertical support member extending through an opening in the tray whereby the tray is adequately supported and failure of the tray at the areas of. its supported portions is substantially minimized.

In order to illustrate the invention, but without intent of limitation, reference is made to the accompanyingdrawings wherein there is illustrated a specific embodiment of an assembly as embodied herein. In the drawings, Fig. I shows, partly diagrammatic and partly in }section, a tray in assembly with support means as embodied herein, Figure II is a plan view of the assembly of Figure I, and Figure III is an elevation of the resilient means in the form of a spring spider as shown in the assembly of Figure I. p In the drawings, a portion of a tray 1 (e.g., copper, stainless steel, etc.) is shown as having an opening 2 through which extends an annular recessed portion 3.3q of a support member 4, the recessed portion being or such dimension that the top surface of the tray does not bear on shoulder 5 and the bottom surface of the tray does not bear on shoulder 6. To provide the proper spacing between the tray and the shoulders in the re. cessed portion, support member 4 is shown in theforni of a hexagonal'member, the bottom of which is rigidly supported (not shown) at a bottom portion of thecolumn in which the assembly is disposed, and having a co.-

vertically elongated member having a coaxial. portion of reduced cross-section that accommodates an opening in a tray with the peripheral portion ofgthe opening onthei bottom of the tray resting on the lowermost shoulder; of-

the recess and the uppermost shoulder of; the; recess being in abutment with thegperipheral portion of the opening on the top of the tray whereby the tray islrigidly supported in the recess. By use, of such rigid supportsfor horizontally disposed trays, and particularlyinstances wherein the trays undergovibration during operation of the column, difficulties may be encountered in the form of. tray failures resulting from cracking of theitrays, particularly in .the area of the openings providingthe rigid;

support for the tray with the vertically disposed suppor't means. Such tray failures are obviously undesirable as they decrease efliciencyof thev operation and necessitate costly and time consuming shutdowns. A primary object of this invention is the provision of an assembly comprising a tray, adapted for -horizontal disposition in a column for operations as aforedefined, with improved means for-supportof the tray "whereby; in additionto axial portion 3a of reduced cross-section, so as to formshoulder 6. Support member 4 is shown as also having a coaxial portion 30, which is of smaller cross-section than coaxial portion 3a, and which is externally threaded whereby it is adapted to be screw threaded into 'internal-, ly threaded bore 7 of support member portion 4a. shown, support member {la has acoaxial portion8 of "reduced cross-section 'to provide shoulder 5.'. A,.rsi lientj means, illustratedby spring spider 9',(e.g,,-iberyllimft copper alloy) having an opening 10.is disposedin the 1 iphera1 portion of the opening' in the spring spider is manner shown wherebythe peripherallportion"of 'the.

opening is accommodated by recess portion 3-1-3kz of support member 4 in a manner whereby it abuts shoulder: 5. and the legs 9a of the spring spider rest on thejupper surface .of tray 1 at a portion thereof away from the opening in tray l that'accommodates the recess portion, 3 of ,support member 4. Asis also showinI-ariother resilient means, and preferably a spring spider such as aforedescribed, is disposedin a manner whereby the peaccommodated by the recess portio'n'3a of support menibet 4 to abut shoulder 6, and for bottom portionslfof tray 1 to rest on the legs of the spring spider atpoints away from "the opening in the tray that accommodates the recess 'porti'on 3a"of supportmemb'er'4f The assembly shown and aforedescribed may be assembled in a vertically elongated column in the following manner. With the bottom portion of support mem ber 44a vertically disposed and rigidly supported in the column, the spring spider is inserted in a manner whereby it rests on shoulder 6 and with the 'legs of the spider being upwardly disposed. Tray 1 is then placed in position so that recess portion 3a of member 4 extends through opening 2 in th tray and the tray rests on the legs of the spring spider resting on shoulder 6. Upper portion 4a of member 4, with spring spider 9 inserted so that recess portion 3 extends through the opening in the spring spider, is then screwed into externally threaded portion 30 of member 4 to the extent that legs 9a of the spring spider contact upper surface portions of sieve tray 1, and shoulder 5 abuts the peripheral portion of the opening in spring spider 9 through which recess portion 3 extends. Though not shown, tray 1, when horizontally disposed in a column, is supported by suitable means (not shown) at its periphery to the inner wall of the vessel.

By use of an assembly as aforedescribed and embodied herein wherein the opening in the tray to be accommodated by the vertically disposed support member is supported by resilient means, it has been found that, as compared with rigid support of the trays at such openings, failure of the trays at the areas of such openings, and particularly failures due to cracking induced by vibration, are obviated or materially reduced, thereby resulting in a marked reduction in frequency of shutdown of operations such as distillation, rectification, and'the like for replacement or reconditioning of trays.

Although, in the foregoing description of the invention it has been illustrated with respect to a tray supported by a single assemblage as embodied herein, it should be obvious to those skilled in the art that a plurality of such assemblages may be used to support a tray at a plurality of points and, particularly, a plurality of such assemblages is utilized for trays of relatively large diameter. Moreover, and as should also be obvious to those skilled in the art, a series of horizontally disposed trays in a column may be supported by a vertical member, such as illustrated by member 4 in the drawings, composed of a plurality of coaxial portions in which the recessed portions 33a are properly spaced apart so as to maintain the desired horizontally spaced-apart relationship of the trays.

While there are above disclosed but a limited number of embodiments of the invention herein presented, it is possible to produce still other embodiments without departing from the inventive concept herein disclosed, and it is desired therefore that only such limitations be imposed on the appended claimsas are stated therein.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vertically disposed column adapted for carrying out operations such as distillations and rectifications, a tray horizontally disposed in the interior of said colportion of reduced cross section extending through said opening in said tray, a spring-like member bearing on the upper shoulder and an upper surface portion of said tray and a spring-like member bearing on the lower shoulder and a bottom portion of said tray whereby, during operation of said column, said spring-like members serve to absorb vibration of the tray.

- 3. In an elongated, vertically disposed column adapted for carrying out operations such as distillations and rectifications, a tray horizontally disposed in the interior of said column and having a vertical opening, a rigidly supported vertically disposed member having a portion of reduced cross section thereby forming a recessed portion having an upper shoulder and a lower shoulder, said portion of reduced cross section extending through said opening in said tray, a first spring spider having a central opening the peripheral portion of which central opening bears upon the upper of said shoulders and the legs of which first spring spider bear on portions of the upper surface of said tray and a second spring spider having a central opening the peripheral portion of which central opening bears on the lower shoulder and the legs of which second spring spider bear upon portions of the lower surface of said tray.

4. An assembly, adapted to absorb vibrations of a tray horizontally disposed in a vertically disposed column, which comprises a tray having an opening, a rigidly supported member having a coaxial portion of reduced cross section extending through said opening in said tray whereby said opening is disposed in-between a pair of spaced apart shoulders provided by said portion of reduced cross section, a resilient member bearing on one of said shoulders and a surface portion of said tray, and a resilient member bearing on the other of said shoulders and on a surface portion of said tray whereby said resilient members serve to absorb vibration of said tray.

5. An assembly, adapted to absorb vibrations of a plurality of spaced-apart perforated trays horizontally disposed in a vertically disposed column, which comprises horizontally disposed trays each having a vertical opening, a rigidly supported member having coaxial portions of reduced cross section one of said portions extending through said opening in each of said trays whereby said opening is disposed in-between a pair of spaced apart umn, said tray having a vertical opening removed from the periphery thereof, a rigidly supported vertically dis posed member having a. longitudinal portion of reduced crosssection thereby forming a recessed portion having an upper shoulder and a lower shoulder, said portion of reduced'cr'oss section extending through said opening in said tray, a resilient member bearing on the upper shoulder and an upper surface portion of said tray'and a resilient member bearing on the lower shoulder and a bottom surfacepor-tion of said tray. 1

2. In an elongated, vertically disposed column adapted for carrying out operations such as distillations and rectifications, a tray horizontally disposed in the interior of said column, said tray having a vertical opening removed from the periphery thereof, a rigidly"suppor'ted' vertically disposed member having a longitudinal portion of reduced cross section thereby forming a recessed portion having an upper shoulder and a lower shoulder, said shoulders provided by each of said portions of reduced cross section, a spring-like member bearing on the upper shoulder and on an upper surface portion of each of said trays and a spring-like member bearing on the lower shoulder and on a bottom surface portion of each of said trays whereby said spring-like members serves to absorb vibrations of said trays.

6. An assembly, adapted to absorb vibrations of a tray horizontally disposed in a vertically disposed column, which comprises a horizontally disposed tray having a vertical opening removed from its periphery, a rigidly supported vertically disposed member having a coaxial portion of reduced cross section extending through said opening whereby said opening is disposed in-between a pair of spaced apart shoulders provided by said portion of reduced cross section, a spring spider having a central opening the peripheral portion of which central opening bears upon the upper of said shoulder and the legs of said spider bear upon upper surface portions of said tray, and a second spring spider having a central opening the peripheral portion of which bears upon the lower of said shoulders and the legs of which second spider bear upon portions of the lower surface of said tray whereby said spring spiders serve to support and absorb vibration of said tray.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS

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