Countercurrent contacting devices

A contacting device subassembly for the countercurrent contacting of a solid and liquid phase or a liquid and vapor phase, said contacting device subassembly comprising:

• a first grid formed of a first set of spaced-apart, parallel-extending, planar deflector blades;
• a second grid formed of a second set of spaced-apart, parallel-extending, planar deflector blades that are interleaved with and cross the first set of deflector blades at an included angle within the range of 45 to 135 degrees, adjacent ones of the interleaved deflector blades in the first and second sets of deflector blades each having opposed ends and linear side edges, the side edges having uncut portions that join the adjacent ones of the interleaved deflector blades along first transverse strips located adjacent each of the opposed ends and cut portions that extend from the uncut portions, each of the deflector blades in the second set of deflector blades having a bent portion that places segments of each of the deflector blades in the second set of deflector blades on opposite sides of the uncut portion in offset planes, wherein the side edges of the deflectors blades in the first grid face the side edges of adjacent deflector blades in the first grid and the side edges of the deflectors blades in the second grid face the side edges of adjacent deflector blades in the second grid;
• a third grid formed of a third set of spaced-apart, parallel-extending, planar deflector blades;
• a fourth grid formed of a fourth set of spaced apart, parallel-extending, planar deflector blades that are interleaved with and cross the third set of deflector blades at an included angle within the range of 45 to 135 degrees, adjacent ones of the interleaved deflector blades in the third and fourth sets of deflector blades each having opposed ends and linear side edges, the side edges having uncut portions that join the adjacent ones of the interleaved deflector blades along second transverse strips located adjacent each of the opposed ends and cut portions that extend from the uncut portions, each of the deflector blades in the fourth set of deflector blades having a bent portion that places segments of each of the deflector blades in the fourth set of deflector blades on opposite sides of the uncut portion in offset planes that are parallel to each other, wherein the side edges of the deflectors blades in the third grid face the side edges of adjacent deflector blades in the third grid and the side edges of the deflectors blades in the fourth grid face the side edges of adjacent deflector blades in the fourth grid;
• and
• apertures formed in the deflector blades of the first, second, third, and/or fourth sets of deflector blades and directional tabs associated with the apertures,
• wherein one of the ends in at least some of the deflector blades in the first set of deflector blades is uncut and is interconnected with an uncut one of the ends of the deflector blades in the third set of deflector blades along a reverse bend that aligns the first and second grids of deflector blades with the third and fourth grids of deflector blades,
• wherein one of the ends in each of the deflector blades in the second set of deflector blades is spaced apart from and aligned with one of the ends in each of the deflector blades in the fourth set of deflector blades,
• wherein the first, second, third and fourth grids have a least one side shaped to conform to a curved longitudinal plane.