Apparatus for pyrolytic conversion

Claim 1

APPARATUS OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED COMPRISING A VERTICALLY ELONGATED CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER ADAPTED TO HOLD A BED OF SOLID CATALYST, CLOSED AT ITS UPPER END AND TERMINATING AT ITS LOWER END IN A TRUNCATED CONICAL MEMBER FITTED INTERIORLY WITH A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY SPACED, SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL, PERFORATED PLATES, AND A SECOND TRUNCATED CONICAL MEMBER FORMED OF WIRE CLOTH OF A MESH SMALLER THAN THE PARTICLE SIZE OF THE CATALYST TO BE USED IN THE APPARATUS BUT ADAPTED TO PASS CATALYST FINES, SAID SECOND TRUNCATED CONCIAL MEMBER BEING SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED IN THE LOWER PORTION OF THE FIRST SAID TRUNCATED CONICAL MEMBER BENEATH THE PERFORATED PLATES AS TO FORM AN ANNULAR CHAMBER BETWEEN ITS WALL AND THE WALL OF THE FIRST SAID TRUNCATED CONICAL MEMBER CLOSED AT IT UPPER SIDE BY THE JUNCTURE OF THE WALLS OF THE TWO CONICAL MEMBERS, A COAXIALLY ARRANGED CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE DIAMETER OF AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE SMALLER BASE OF THE INNER TRUNCATED CONICAL MEMBER, A VERTICALLY DISPOSED ELEVATOR CONDUIT COAXIALLY POSITIONED IN THE CHAMBER AND APPENDAGES THERETO TERMINATING AT ITS UPPER END BELOW THE UPPER END OF THE CHAMBER AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE LOWER CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER, THE WALLS OF SAID ELEVATOR CONDUIT BEING SO PERFORATED ADJACENT ITS LOWER END AS TO PERMIT THE PASSING OF CATALYST FROM THE LOWER CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER INTO SAID CONDUIT, CONDUIT MEANS ADAPTED TO DELIVER HYDROCARBON VAPORS UNDER PRESSURE TO THE LOWER END OF THE ELEVATOR CONDUIT, VAPOR DISENGAGING MEANS POSITIONED IN AN INTERMEDIATE ZONE OF THE UPPER CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER, A SECOND VAPOR DISENGAGING MEANS POSITIONED IN A LOWER INTERMEDIATE ZONE OF THE CHAMBER, CONDUIT MEANS ADAPTED TO THE SEPARATE WITHDRAWAL OF GASEOUS MEDIA FROM THE RESPECTIVE DISENGAGING MEANS, CONDUIT MEANS ADAPTED TO THE DELIVERY OF AIR UNDER PRESSURE TO THE LOWER ZONE OF THE CHAMBER AND AN OUTLET FROM THE ANNULAR CHAMBER FOR WITHDRAWAL OF CATLAYST FINES.