Means for forming stages in fluidized masses

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED REACTOR FOR EFFECTING STAGEWISE REDUCTION FO FINELY DIVIDED ZINC OXIDE UNDER FLUIDIZING CONDITIONS AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE BOILING TEMPERATURE OF ZINC, WHICH COMPRISES TWO SPACED, FLAT, VERTICAL WALLS AND TWO SPACED, NONPLANAR, UPRIGHT WALLS, SAID FOUR WALLS FORMING A TALL VESSEL HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR, HORIZONTAL CROSS-SECTION WHICH INCREASES IN AREA IN THE UPWARD DIRECTION THROUGH SAID VESSEL, AN INLET DUCT CONNECTED TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID VESSEL, AN OUTLET DUCT CONNECTED TO THE TOP OF SAID VESSEL, A PLURALITY OF WIDELY SPACED HEATING TUBES AND A PLURALITY OF CLOSELY SPACED HEATING TUBES ALL OF SAID TUBES PASSING HORIZONTALLY THROUGH SAID VESSEL AND SAID TWO FLAT WALLS AND BEING CONNECTED TO SAID TWO FLAT WALLS, SAID PLURALITY OF CLOSELY SPACED HEATING TUBES FORMING A SUBSTDANTIALLY HORIZONTED GRID ACROSS SAID VESSEL TO PROVIDE SUPERIMPOSED REDUCTION STAGES IN SAID VESSEL AND THE SPACED BETWEEN SAID CLOSELY SPACED HEATING TUBES FORMING SAID GRID BEING FROM ABOUT 1/20 TO 1/2 TO THE HORIZONTAL WIDTH OF SAID CLOSELY SPACED TUBES.