Pebble heater

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED PEBBLE HEAT EXCHANGER COMPRISING A CLOSED SHELL; PEBBLE INLET MEANS IN THE UPPER END PORTION OF SAID SHELL; PEBBLE OUTLET MEANS IN THE BOTTOM END PORTION OF SAID SHELL; FLUID INLET MEANS IN THE LOWER END PORTION OF SAID SHELL; A VENTURI MEMBER DISPOSED WITHIN THE UPPER END PORTION OF SAID SHELL FORMING AN ANNULAR CHAMBER BETWEEN SAID SHELL AND SAID VENTURI MEMBER; SAID VENTURI AND SAID SHELL BEING PROPORTIONED TO PROVIDE SAID ANNULAR CHAMBER AND TO PROVIDE BELOW SAID VENTURI MEMBER A SUBSTANTIAL SECTION WITHIN SAID SHELL, WITHIN WHICH A REACTION, FORMING GASEOUS REACTION PRODUCTS, CAN BE EFFECTED; SAID VENTURI BEING ADAPTED TO BE THE SOLE GASEOUS REACTION EFFUENT COLLECTING MEANS WITHIN SAID SHELL AND TO COLLECT GASEOUS REACTANTS FROM SAID SECTION BELOW SAID VENTURI; SAID VENTURI FROM ITS LOWER END BEING PROGRESSIVELY SMALLER IN CROSS-SECTION TO AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION AND FROM SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION BEING PROGRESSIVELY LARGER IN CROSS-SECTION TO ITS UPPER END, THUS HAVING A LOWER FLARED PORTION, A CONSTRICTED PORTION, AND AN UPPER PORTION FLARING OUTWARDLY TO ITS END; SAID VENTURI BEING CLOSED AT ITS UPPER END WITHIN SAID SHELL; A GASEOUS REACTION EFFLUENT CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH AND EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM SAID UPPER ENLARGED AND CLOSED FLARING PORTION OF SAID VENTURI AND ALSO COMMUNICATING WITH THE EXTERIOR OF SAID SHELL.