Ore conditioning and reduction process

Claim 1

AN ORE REDUCING FURNACE COMPRISING A VERTICAL SPACE CONNECTED AT ITS LOWER END TO A LOWER REVERBERATING FURNACE LOCATED BENEATH SAID VERTICAL SPACE, A BURNER FOR PROJECTING A FLAME DOWNWARDLY ALONG A CENTRAL AXIS OF SAID VERTICAL SPACE, MEANS FOR FEEDING A FINELY DIVIDED FURNACE CHARGE INTO THE UPPER PART OF SAID SPACE IN A POSITION TO ALLOW SAID CHARGE TO FALL VERTICALLY AROUND SAID FLAME, AND ADDITIONAL BURNER MEANS FOR HEATING SAID LOWER REVERBERATING FURNACE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF REDUCING IRON ORE COMPRISING ESTABLISHING A CENTRAL FLAME SOURCE OF HIGH RADIANT ENERGY POTENTIAL IN A REVERBERATORY SPACE, SELECTING A FINELY DIVIDED ORE, MIXING SAID ORE WITH FINELY DIVIDED CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL TO FORM A FURNACE CHARGE, DROPPING SAID CHARGE AS A CURTAIN OF PARTICLES AROUND SAID FLAME SOURCE OF HIGH RADIANT ENERGY POTENTIAL AND SUBJECTING SAID CURTAIN OF PARTICLES DIRECTLY TO SAID RADIANT ENERGY POTENTIAL SO AS TO HEAT THE CHARGE TO REACTION TEMPERATURE PRINCIPALLY BY MEANS OF RADIANT ENERGY WHILE SAID CHARGE REMAINS DISPERSED, SAID TEMPERATURE BEING SUFFICIENT FOR THE REDUCTION REACTION BY RADIANT AND REVERBERATORY HEAT ENERGY WHILE THE FURNACE CHARGE FALLS GRAVITY FREELY DISPERSED IN THE ATMOSPHERE OF SAID HEATED REVERBERATORY FURNACE SPACE.