Stagewise fluidizing reduction of zinc compounds

Claim 2

IN THE REDUCTION OF A SOLID INORGANIC OXYGENCONTAINING COMPOUND OF ZINC BY A SOLID CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT, BOTH SAID SOLIDS BEING IN COMMUNUTED FORM, UNDER FLUIDIZING CONDITIONS FOR THE RECOVERY OF ZINC, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES CONDUCTING SAID REDUCTION IN AT LEAST TWO STAGES, AND MAINTAINING CONCURRENT MOVEMENT OF THE GASES AND SOLID PARTICLES OF THE FLUIDIZED MASS FROM THE FIRST STAGE SUCCESSIVELY TO THE SUBSEQUENT STAGES WHILE PREVENTING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL BACK-FLOW OF SAID SOLID PARTICLES FROM ANY STAGE TO PRECEDING STAGES.

Claim 3

AN IMPROVED REACTOR FOR EFFECTING THE STAGEWISE REDUCTION OF A FINELY DIVIDED INORGANIC, OXYGEN-CONTAINING COMPOUND OF ZINC UNDER FLUIDIZING CONDITIONS AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE BOILING TEMPERATURE OF ZINC, WHICH COMPRISES TWO SPACED, FLAT, VERTICAL WALLS AND TWO SPACED, HONPLANAR, 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 SPACED HEATING TUBES PASSING HORIZONTALLY THROUGH SAID VESSEL AND SAID TWO FLAT WALLS AND BEING CONNECTED TO SAID TWO FLAT WALLS, AND MEANS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY ACROSS SAID VESSEL TO PROVIDE SUPERIMOPOSED REDUCTION STAGES IN SAID VESSEL.

Claim 4

AN IMPROVED REACTOR FOR EFFECTING THE STAGEWISE REDUCTION OF A FINELY DIVIDED INORGANIC, OXYGEN-CONTAINING COMPOUND OF ZINC UNDER FLUIDIZING CONDITIONS AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE BOILING TEMPERATURE OF ZINC, WHICH COMPRISES TWO SPACED, FLAT, VERTICAL WALLS AND TWO SPACED, HONPLANAR, 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 SPACED HEATING TUBES PASSING HORIZONTALLY THROUGH SAID VESSEL AND SAID TWO FLAT WALLS AND BEING CONNECTED TO SAID TWO FLAT WALLS, AND MEANS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY ACROSS SAID VESSEL TO PROVIDE SUPERIMOPOSED REDUCTION STAGES IN SAID VESSEL.