Patent ID: 7285251

Claim:
A device for loading a chemical reactor tube with catalyst and for checking the height of the catalyst within the reactor tube after loading, where the chemical reactor tube is one of a large number of reactor tubes extending from an upper tube sheet to a lower tube sheet, comprising: an upper flange portion for resting on top of the upper tube sheet, said upper flange portion having an outside diameter and defining an opening that is substantially unrestricted and suitable for receiving whole catalyst particles that are brushed across the top of the upper tube sheet when the flange is resting on top of the upper tube sheet; a tubular sleeve portion having a top and a bottom, wherein the top is adjoined to said upper flange portion, so that the opening of the flange opens into said tubular sleeve portion, and wherein said tubular sleeve portion projects downwardly from said upper flange portion; wherein the outside diameter of said tubular sleeve portion is smaller than the largest outside diameter of the upper flange portion for the entire length of the tubular sleeve portion, so that the tubular sleeve portion will extend into the reactor tube when the flange is resting on the upper tube sheet, and wherein the inside diameter of said tubular sleeve portion is larger than the smallest diameter of the opening in the flange for the entire length of the tubular sleeve portion, to ensure that any particles that can pass through the opening in the flange also will flow freely through the entire tubular sleeve portion; and at least one marking on said tubular sleeve portion at a height above the bottom of said tubular sleeve portion.