Methods of and means for thermal operations

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR TREATING A MATERIAL BY MEANS OF A SUBSTANCE FORMING A LIQUID BATH, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION AT LEAST ONE ELEMENT CONSISTING OF THREE COAXIALLY ARRANGED SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL TUBES, THE OUTERMOST OF SAID COAXIALLY ARRANGED TUBES HAVING A CLOSED LOWER END AND AN OPEN UPPER END; A FIRST PLATE ATTACHED TO SAID UPPER END OF SAID OUTERMOST TUBE AND HAVING AT ITS PERIPHERY AN UPWARDLY DIRECTED TROUGH OPEN AT THE TOP THEREOF, THE INTERMEDIATE ONE OF SAID COAXIALLY ARRANGED TUBES HAVING OPEN UPPER AND LOWER ENDS; A SECOND PLATE ATTACHED TO SAID UPPER END OF SAID INTERMEDIATE TUBE AND ARRANGED ABOVE AND AT A DISTANCE APART FROM SAID FIRST PLATE, THE INNERMOST OF SAID COAXIALLY ARRANGED TUBES HAVING AN OPEN LOWER END AND AN UPPER END; A HOOD ELEMENT HAVING A LOWER PERIPHERAL PORTION EXTENDING INTO SAID TROUGH, SAID HOOD ELEMENT BEING ARRANGED ABOVE SAID SECOND PLATE SO AS TO ENCLOSE THE SAME AND FORM A CHAMBER THEREWITH; AND A PIPING CONNECTED TO SAID UPPER END OF SAID INNERMOST TUBE, AND PIPING PASSING THROUGH AN APERTURE PROVIDED IN SAID HOOD ELEMENT, WHEREBY THE MATERIAL IS FED TO THE APPARATUS BY MEANS OF SAID PIPING AND SAID INNERMOST TUBE CONNECTED THEREWITH, WHEREAS THE LIQUID BATH DESCENDS FROM SAID FIRST PLATE IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID OUTERMOST AND SAID INTERMEDIATE TUBES, SO THAT THE MATERIAL AND THE SUBSTANCE FORMING A LIQUID BATH ARE BROUGHT TO INTIMATE CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID INTERMEDIATE AND INNERMOST TUBES AND SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER ON SAID SECOND PLATE, THE SEPARATED MATERIAL COLLECTING IN SAID CHAMBER FORMED BY SAID HOOD ELEMENT AND SAID SECOND PLATE.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR TREATING A MATERIAL BY MEANS OF A SUBSTANCE FORMING A LIQUID BATH, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION AT LEAST ONE ELEMENT CONSISTING OF THREE COAXIALLY ARRANGED SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL TUBES, THE OUTERMOST OF SAID COAXIALLY ARRANGED TUBES HAVING A CLOSED LOWER END AND AN OPEN UPPER END; A FIRST PLATE ATTACHED TO SAID UPPER END OF SAID OUTERMOST TUBE AND HAVING AT ITS PERIPHERY AN UPWARDLY DIRECTED TROUGH OPEN AT THE TOP THEREOF, THE INTERMEDIATE ONE OF SAID COAXIALLY ARRANGED TUBES HAVING OPEN UPPER AND LOWER ENDS; A SECOND PLATE ATTACHED TO SAID UPPER END OF SAID INTERMEDIATE TUBE AND ARRANGED ABOVE AND AT A DISTANCE APART FROM SAID FIRST PLATE, THE INNERMOST OF SAID COAXIALLY ARRANGED TUBES HAVING AN OPEN LOWER END AND AN UPPER END; A HOOD ELEMENT HAVING A LOWER PERIPHERAL PORTION EXTENDING INTO SAID TROUGH, SAID HOOD ELEMENT BEING ARRANGED ABOVE SAID SECOND PLATE SO AS TO ENCLOSE THE SAME AND FORM A CHAMBER THEREWITH; AND A PIPING CONNECTED TO SAID UPPER END OF SAID INNERMOST TUBE, AND PIPING PASSING THROUGH AN APERTURE PROVIDED IN SAID HOOD ELEMENT, WHEREBY THE MATERIAL IS FED TO THE APPARATUS BY MEANS OF SAID PIPING AND SAID INNERMOST TUBE CONNECTED THEREWITH, WHEREAS THE LIQUID BATH DESCENDS FROM SAID FIRST PLATE IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID OUTERMOST AND SAID INTERMEDIATE TUBES, SO THAT THE MATERIAL AND THE SUBSTANCE FORMING A LIQUID BATH ARE BROUGHT TO INTIMATE CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID INTERMEDIATE AND INNERMOST TUBES AND SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER ON SAID SECOND PLATE, THE SEPARATED MATERIAL COLLECTING IN SAID CHAMBER FORMED BY SAID HOOD ELEMENT AND SAID SECOND PLATE.