Tower packing elements.

摘要

@ A randomly dumpable self orienting or orderly stackable hollow or cellular plastic packing elements of uniformly distributed high surface area and open cells comprised of adjacent first and second hollow triangular structures angularly displace 60° relative to one another about a central axis each including structural side members connected together at apexes of the triangular structure and at crossing portions of the inclined structural members of the first and second triangular structure. Each of the inclined structural side members of each triangular structure is connected to a radial structural member of a Y-shape structure located on the adjacent outer side of each of the first and second triangular structures and interconnected by a central hub about the central axis of the packing element. Angular shape structural members interconnect the radial structural members of the Y-shape structure on each side to the inclined structural side member of a triangular member on each opposite side of the packing element. The packing element may be provided with a number of short drip fingers or members extending from or crossing the inclined structural side member of the triangular structure and the radial structural member of the Y-shape structure to drip ends situated within open ended uniformly distributed cells of the packing element resulting from the equal angular displacement of the structural members about the central axis. A further embodiment includes an outer rim extending around and connected to the ends of the inclined structural side members at the apexes of the triangular structures. As a result, no two structural members of the packing element are ever in the same axial plane and the structural members are interconnected and situated at an angle to each other and thereby increase the rigidity and strength of the packing element.