Apparatus for effecting contact between a gas and a downwardly flowing contiguous mass of pebbles

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING CONTACT BETWEEN A GAS AND A DOWNWARDLY FLOWING CONTIGUOUS MASS OF PEBBLES COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL VESSEL CLOSED ON EITHER END AND ENCLOSING A CONTACTING CHAMBER, INLET MEANS FOR INTRODUCING PEBBLES INTO THE TOP THEREOF AND OUTLET MEANS FOR REMOVING PEBBLES FROM THE BOTTOM THEREOF; A FALSE BOTTOM IN SAID VESSEL SLIDABLY ADJUSTABLE VERTICALLY TO REGULATE THE LENGTH OF THE CONTACTING CHAMBER; A MOVABLE CONDUIT SECURED TO SAID FALSE BOTTOM AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CONTACTING CHAMBER THRU SAID FLASE BOTTOM, SAID MOVABLE CONDUIT BEING SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID OUTLET MEANS AND COMMUNICATING THEREWITH FOR DISCHARGING PEBBLES FROM SAID CONTACTING CHAMBER; MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID FALSE BOTTOM; INLET MEANS IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID VESSEL BELOW SAID FALSE BOTTOM FOR ADMITTING A GAS; A PLURALITY OF HOLES IN SAID FALSE BOTTOM FOR PASSING SAID GAS TO SAID CONTACTING CHAMBER; A GAS DISTRIBUTING SYSTEM IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID CONTACTING CHAMBER COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CONCENTRIC, HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED, INVERTED TROUGH-LIKE RINGS IN STAIR-STEP ARRANGEMENT FROM OUTERMOST TO INNERMOST SO AS TO PRESENT AN UPPER CONTOUR CONFORMING GENERALLY TO THE SLOPE OF A BED OF PEBBLES ADMITTED TO THE CHAMBER, A PLURALITY OF CONDUITS EXTENDING FROM THE HOLES IN SAID FLASE BOTTOM TO SAID RINGS SO AS TO CONDUCT GAS FROM BELOW SAID FALSE BOTTOM TO SAID RINGS INTO SAID CONTACTING CHAMBER; AND MEANS IN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID VESSEL FOR WITHDRAWING GAS.