Distillation of solid carbonaceous materials

Claim 1

IN THE DISTILLATION AND REMOVAL OF VALUABLE PRODUCTS FROM SOLID HYDROCARBONACEOUS MATERIAL WHEREIN SAID MATERIAL IS PASSED IN A CRUSHED STATE DOWNWARDLY THROUGH A DISTILLATION ZONE COUNTERCURRENTLY TO A HIGH TEMPERATURE GASEOUS HEATING MEDIUM TO EFFECT THE REMOVAL OF SAID VALUABLE DISTILLATION PRODUCTS, THE IMPROVED RECOVERY METHOD COMPRISING, PASSING RESULTING DISTILLATION PRODUCTS AND HEATING MEDIUM UPWARDLY FROM THE DISTILLATION ZONE TO A SUPER-IMPOSED PRETREATING ZONE AND COUNTERCURRENTLY CONTACTING A DESCENDING BED OF CRUSHED HYDROCARBONACEOUS MATERIAL BEING INTRODUCED THERETO, EFFECTING A PREHEATING OF SAID SOLID MATERIAL AND A PARTIAL CONDENSATION OF DISTILLATION PRODUCTS IN SAID PRETERATING ZONE, DISCHARGING UNCONDENSED DISTILLATION PRODUCTS AND SUBSTANTIALLY COOLED HEATING MEDIUM FROM THE UPPER END OF SAID PRETREATING ZONE, COLLECTING AND DISCHARGING LIQUID CONDENSATE AT THE LOWER END DISCHARGING RESTRICTING THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID CONTINUOUSLY DESCENDING BED OF SOLID MATERIAL AT THE LOWER END OF SAID PRETREATING ZONE AND REGULATING THE UPWARD FLOW OF GASEOUS DISTILLATION PRODUCTS AND HEATING MEDIUM TO PRECLUDE THE DOWNWARD FLOW OF LIQUID CONDENSATE WITH SAID SOLID MATERIAL, REGULATING THE WITHDRAWAL OF CONDENSATE FROM SAID PRETRATING ZONE AND MAINTAINING A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT DEPTH LIQUID CONDENSATE BODY THEREIN, PASSING THE SOLID MATERIAL THROUGH SAID LIQUID CONDENSATE BODY WHEREBY TO EFFECT A CONTROLLED PERIOD OF SOLVENT ACTION ON SAID CRUSHED SOLID MATERIAL PRIOR TO ITS DISCHARGE TO THE LOWER HIGH TEMPERATURE DISTILLATION ZONE, AND INTRODUCING A HYDROCARBONACEOUS REFLUX STREAM TO THE UPPER END OF SAID PRETREATING ZONE WHEREBY TO MAINTAIN THE PARTIAL CONDENSATION OF THE HEAVIER DISTILLATION PRODUCTS THEREIN AND AN OPTIMUM DEPTH OF CONDENSATE IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID PRETREATING ZONE.