Method of hydrocarbon conversion to lower boiling hydrocarbons and coke

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF CONVERTING HEAVY HYDROCARBONS INTO COKE AND LIGHTER HYDROCARBONS, PASSING THROUGH A SPACE INCLUDING A REACTION ZONE AND A COMBUSTION ZONE BY GRAVITY ONLY, A RELATIVELY DEEP, UNAGITATED, FREE-FLOWING, HOMOGENEOUS AND CONTINUOUS COLUMN OF PREHEATED COKE PARTICLES, SPREADING ON THE COKE PARTICLES OF SAID MOVING COLUMN AT POINTS WITHIN SAID COLUMN AND IN AN UPPER PORTION OF SAID REACTION ZONE A CHARGE COMPRISNG HEAVY HYDROCARBONS IN LIQUID PHASE INJECTED IN A DIRECTION CONCURRENT WITH THE DIRECTION OF COLUMN MOVEMENT, CONVERTING THE SPREAD CHARGE INTO SOLID COKE ADHERING TO THE COKE PARTICLES OF SAID COLUMN AND VAPOROUS LIGHTER HYDROCARBONS REMOVABLE FROM SAID REACTION ZONE, SUBJECTING SAID COKE PARTICLES AND ADHERING COKE TO PARTIAL COMBUSTION IN SAID COMBUSTION ZONE WHICH IS SEALED OFF FROM REACTION ZONE TO DRIVE OFF VOLATILES FROM THE COKE FORMED IN SAID REACTION ZONE AND ADHERING TO THE COKE PARTICLES OF SAID COLUMN, AND REMOVING FROM THE PORTION OF SAID COLUMN IN THE ZONE OF PARTIAL COMBUSTION SUFFICIENT HEAT TO BRING SAID PORTION OF THE HEATED COLUMN OF COKE SUBSTANTIALLY TO A TEMPERATURE SUITABLE FOR READMISSION TO SAID REACTION ZONE AS COLUMN MAKE-UP, THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION BEING PREVENTED FROM ENTERING INTO THE REACTION IN SAID REACTION ZONE BY SEALING OFF OF SAID REACTION ZONE FROM THE COMBUSTION ZONE IN WHICH PARTIAL COMBUSTION OCCURS.