Process for reducing iron ores

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE REDUCTION AND CONCENTRATION OF IRON ORE, WHICH COMPRISES: FORCIBLY FEEDING A MIXTURE OF IRON ORE, A SOLID CARBONACEOUS FUEL AND A SLAG-FORMING CONSTITUENT CONTINOUSLY INTO THE BASE PORTION OF A VERTICALLYDISPOSED OPEN-TOP FORNACE CHAMBER, SAID INTRODUCED MIXTURE BEING THEN CONTINUOUSLY FORCED UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID VERTICALLY-DISPOSED FURNACE CHAMBER BY PRESSURE OF CONTINOUSLY INTRODUCED FRESH MATERIAL THEREBENEATH, SAID FUEL UNDERGOING COMBUSTION, AND SAID IRON ORE UNDERGOING REDUCTION, AS THEY TRAVEL UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID FURNACE CHAMBER; INTRODUCING AN OXYGENCONTAINING GAS INTO SAID VERTICALLY-DISPOSED FURNACE CHAMBER AT POINT ADJACENT THE BASE PORTION THEREOF, SAID INTRODUCED GAS THEN TRAVELLING UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID FURNACE CHAMBER WITH SAID MIXTURE, AND SERVING TO SUPPLY THE OXYGEN NEEDE TO BRING ABOUT COMBUSTION OF SAID FUEL AND REDUCTION OF SAID ORE, AUGMENTING THE SUPPLY OF CARBON MONOXIDE GENERATED IN SAID FURNACE CHAMBER BY COMBUSTION OF SAID FUEL BY INTRODUCING ADDITIONAL CARBON MONOXIDE ADJACENT THE BASE PORTION OF SAID FURNACE CHAMBER, SAID INTRODUCED CARBON MONOXIDE ALSO TRAVELLING UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID FURNACE CHAMBER ALONG WITH SAID OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS AND SAID MIXTURE; AND COLLECTING SAID REDUCED ORE IN THE FORM OF NONMOLTEN DISCRETE MASSES, AFTER SAID REDUCED ORE, TOGETHER WITH ASH AND RESIDUAL MATERIAL RESULTING FROM COMBUSTION OF SIAD FUEL, IS DISCHARGED FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID FURNACE CHAMBER BY OVERFLOWING SAID FURNACE CHAMBER, SAID REDUCED ORE AND SAID ASH AND RESIDUAL MATERIAL BEING FORCED OUT OF SAID FURNACE CHAMBER BY DISPLACEMENT ACTION OF SAID MIXTURE OF SOLID CARBONACEOUS FUEL, IRON ORE AND SLAG-FORMING CONSTITUENT BEING CONTINOUSLY INTRODUCED INTO THE BASE PORTION OF SAID FURNACE CHAMBER.