Method of feeding subdivided solids

Claim 1

IN THE METHOD OF FEEDING COARSELY SUBDIVIDED SOLIDS FROM A ZONE OF RELATIVELY LOW PRESSURE TO A ZONE OF RELATIVELY HIGHER PRESSURE WHEREIN NO SUBSTANTIAL RESISTANCE IS INTERPOSED WITHIN SAID ZONE OF HIGHER PRESSURE AGAINST THE INFLUX OF THE SOLIDS, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES MAINTAINING A VERTICAL NON-FLUIDIZED COLUMN OF SAID COARSE SOLIDS HAVING A PARTICLE SIZE BETWEEN ABOUT 1/ 10 AND 1/2 INCH DIAMETER WITHIN A CLOSED PATH COMMUNICATING WITH THE TWO ZONES, SUPPLYING SOLIDS TO AN UPPER PORTION OF SAID COLUMN AT SAID RELATIVELY LOW PRESSURE, FEEDING SOLIDS FROM THE BASE OF SAID COLUMN BY GRAVITY INTO SAID HIGH PRESSURE ZONE, RESTRICTING THE FREE FLOW OF SOLIDS IN A CONTROLLED MANNER AT A POINT IN SAID BASE SO AS TO CONTROL THE RATE OF FLOW OF SAID SOLIDS INTO SAID HIGH PRESSURE ZONE, INTRODUCING A GAS INTO THE BASE OF SAID COLUMN AT A POINT IMMEDIATELY ABOVE SAID POINT OF RESTRICTION AT A RATE SUCH THAT THE PRESSURE DROP OF SAID GAS PER UNIT LENGTH OF SAID COLUMN IN RISING THROUGH SAID COLUMN IS BELOW THE BULK DENSITY OF SAID SOLIDS IN SAID COLUMN, SAID BULK DENSITY BEING OF THE ORDER OF 40-100 LBS. PER CU. FT., AND CONTROLLING THE HEIGHT OF SAID COLUMN WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 1-3 FT. FOR EACH POUND PER SQUARE INCH PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN SAID LOW PRESSURE AND HIGH PRESSURE ZONES AND THE AMOUNT OF SAID GAS IN SUCH A MANNER THAT AS A RESULT OF THE GAS FLOW RESISTANCE OF SAID COLUMN SAID GAS AT ITS POINT OF INTRODUCTION INTO SAID BASE IS AT A PRESSURE AT LEAST EQUALLING SAID HIGHER PRESSURE.