Pebble heater apparatus

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED PEBBLE HEATER APPARATUS WHICH COMPRISES IN COMBINATION A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY DISPOSED CLOSED PEBBLE HEATER CHAMBER, SAID CHAMBER HAVING A PEBBLE INLET AND AN EFFLUENT OUTLET CONDUIT IN ITS UPPER END PORTION, AND A GAS INLET AND A PEBBLE OUTLET IN ITS LOWER END PORTION; A CLOSED GAS HEATING CHAMBER HAVING A PEBBLE INLET AND AN EFFLUENT OUTLET IN ITS UPPER END PORTION AND A GAS INLET AND A PEBBLE OUTLET IN ITS LOWER END PORTION, SAID GAS HEATING CHAMBER BEING IN SUBSTANTIALLY COAXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID PEBBLE HEATING CHAMBER AND SAID PEBBLE INLET OF SAID GAS HEATING CHAMBER COMMUNICATING WITH SAID PEBBLE OUTLET OF SAID PEBBLE HEATING CHAMBER; A PEBBLE FEEDER WHICH COMPRISES IN COMBINATION AN OUTER SHELL, A PEBBLE INLET CONDUIT COMMUNICATING WITH THE PEBBLE OUTLET CONDUIT OF SAID GAS HEATING CHAMBER AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY INTO THE CHAMBER WITHIN SAID SHELL, A SCREW CONVEYOR ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID PEBBLE INLET CONDUIT ON A HOLLOW STEM WHICH EXTENDS UPWARDLY THROUGH THE UPPER END WALL OF SAID SHELL, TALBE SUPPORT MEANS ROTATABLY EXTENDING COAXIALLY THROUGH AND OUT OF EACH END OF SAID HOLLOW STEM, A TABLE RIGIDLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS AND SPACED BELOW THE OUTLET END OF SAID PEBBLE INLET CONDUIT, ELEVATION MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE UPPER END PORTION OF SAID TABLE SUPPORT MEANS, REVERSIBLE-VARIABLE SPEED ROTATION MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SCREW CONVEYOR, AND A PEBBLE OUTLET CONDUIT IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SHELL; GRAVITY MEASURING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID EFFLUENT OUTLET OF SAID GAS HEATING CHAMBER AND SAID ELEVATION MEANS; FIRST TEMPERATURE MEASURING MEANS IN THE PEBBLE OUTLET OF SAID GAS HEATING CHAMBER AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID REVERSIBLE-VARIABLE SPEED ROTATION MEANS; AND ELEVATOR MEANS CONNECTED AT ITS LOWER END TO SAID PEBBLE OUTLET CONDUIT OF SAID PEBBLE FEEDER AND AT ITS UPPER END TO SAID PEBBLE INLET CONDUIT TO SAID PEBBLE HEATER CHAMBER.