Method of reducing ores without melting

Claim 1

A METHOD OF REDUCING METAL OXIE ORES WHICH COMPRISES ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING A BODY OF A MIXTURE OF ORE AND A SOLID REDUCING AGENT IN LOOSE GRANULAR FORM IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL ROTARY CYLINDRICAL FURNACE CHAMBER BY SUPPLYING ORE AND REDUCING AGENT AT ONE END OF SAID BODY AND WITHDRAWING REDUCED ORE TOGETHER WITH REMAINING REDUCING AGENT FROM THE OTHER END OF SAID BODY, THE REDUCING AGENT BEING ADDED IN AN EXCESS OF AT LEAST 50 PER CENT OVER THE AMOUNT REQUIRED FOR THE REDUCTION OF THE ORE PLUS THAT CONSUMED BY COMBUSTION, CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING THE REACTION CHAMBER AROUND ITS SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS THEREBY CAUSING A TUMBLING ACTION WITHIN SAID BODY THE UPPER BOUNDARY OF WHICH TAKES THE SHAPE OF A SLOPING SURFACE OF ROLLING AND SLIDING PARTICLES SUBSTANTIALLY CONSISTING OF REDUCING AGENT, HEATING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID SLOPING SURFACE TO INCANDESCING TEMPERATURE AND MAINTAINING INCANDESCENCE BY CONTINUOUSLY BLOWING OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS ONTO SAID SURFACE PORTION THEREBY SIMULTANEOUSLY BURNING COMBUSTIBLE GASES EVOLVING FROM SAID BODY AND THE SOLID FUEL PARTICLES IN SAID SURFACE PORTION AND THEREBY TRANSMITTING HEAT NECESSARY FOR THE REDUCTION OF THE ORE TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID BODY.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF REDUCING METAL OXIE ORES WHICH COMPRISES ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING A BODY OF A MIXTURE OF ORE AND A SOLID REDUCING AGENT IN LOOSE GRANULAR FORM IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL ROTARY CYLINDRICAL FURNACE CHAMBER BY SUPPLYING ORE AND REDUCING AGENT AT ONE END OF SAID BODY AND WITHDRAWING REDUCED ORE TOGETHER WITH REMAINING REDUCING AGENT FROM THE OTHER END OF SAID BODY, THE REDUCING AGENT BEING ADDED IN AN EXCESS OF AT LEAST 50 PER CENT OVER THE AMOUNT REQUIRED FOR THE REDUCTION OF THE ORE PLUS THAT CONSUMED BY COMBUSTION, CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING THE REACTION CHAMBER AROUND ITS SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS THEREBY CAUSING A TUMBLING ACTION WITHIN SAID BODY THE UPPER BOUNDARY OF WHICH TAKES THE SHAPE OF A SLOPING SURFACE OF ROLLING AND SLIDING PARTICLES SUBSTANTIALLY CONSISTING OF REDUCING AGENT, HEATING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID SLOPING SURFACE TO INCANDESCING TEMPERATURE AND MAINTAINING INCANDESCENCE BY CONTINUOUSLY BLOWING OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS ONTO SAID SURFACE PORTION THEREBY SIMULTANEOUSLY BURNING COMBUSTIBLE GASES EVOLVING FROM SAID BODY AND THE SOLID FUEL PARTICLES IN SAID SURFACE PORTION AND THEREBY TRANSMITTING HEAT NECESSARY FOR THE REDUCTION OF THE ORE TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID BODY.