Transfer apparatus

Transfer apparatus comprising, in combination:

• a. a vessel defining a vertically extending contact chamber having upper and lower parts;
• b. a solids inlet in the upper part of said vessel for solid particulate material;
• c. a solids oulet in the lower part of said vessel for solid particulate material;
• d. a fluid inlet in the lower part of said vessel;
• e. A fluid outlet in the upper part of said vessel;
• f. A plurality of layers of bars extending generally horizontally across said vessel, at a level below the solids inlet and fluid outlet and above the solids outlet and fluid inlet, the bars of each layer being substantially parallel to one another and having a spacing between adjacent bars which is substantially the same for the bars of that layer, the parallel bars of each layer extending transversely, at an angle to the parallel bars of the adjacent layer or layers, said bars being effective to give an even distribution of solid particulate material over the cross-section of the contact chamber as it flows downwardly in said contact chamber and an even distribution of fluid over the cross-section of the contact chamber as it flows upwardly in said contact chamber.