Table feeder for pebble heater apparatus

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED FEEDER DEVICE FOR CONTROL OF PEBBLE FLOW THROUGH A PEBBLE HEATER APPARATUS, COMPRISING A HOUSING, AN UPPER CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER INTEGRAL WITH SAID HOUSING AND EXTENDING VERTICALLY THROUGH THE TOP THEREOF AND HAVING AN OPEN LOWER END, SAID CHAMBER AND SAID HOUSING TOGETHER FORMING A GAS-TIGHT PRESSURE-RESISTING ENCLOSURE, A CONDUIT FOR INTRODUCING PEBBLES FROM SAID PEBBLE HEATER APPARATUS INTO SAID UPPER CHAMBER FOR FLOWING DOWNWARDLY THERETHROUGH, MEANS FOR INJECTING SEALING FLUID INTO SAID CONDUIT, A ROTATABLE HORIZONTAL TABLE WITHIN SAID HOUSING DISPOSED BELOW SAID OPEN LOWER END CHAMBER, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID TABLE TO CAUSE PEBBLES OF SAID UPPER CHAMBER FOR RECEIVING PEBBLES FROM SAID PASSED THEREONTO FROM SAID CHAMBER TO FLOW OVER THE EDGE THEREOF AND INTO THE BOTTOM OF SAID HOUSING, MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID OPEN END OF SAID CHAMBER AND SAID TABLE FOR CONTROLLING THE RATE OF FLOW OF THE PEBBLES FROM SAID CHAMBER, MEANS FOR REMOVING PEBBLES FROM THE BOTTOM DO SAID HOUSING, A CONDUIT DISPOSED IN BY-PASS RELATION TO SAID LOWER END OF SAID UPPER CHAMBER AND IN COMMUNICATION AT ONE END WITH PEBBLES AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE THE POINT OF INJECTION OF SEALING FLUID INTO SAID FIRST MENTIONED CONDUIT AND SAID OPEN LOWER END OF SAID CHAMBER IN SAID HOUSING, AND AT THE OTHER END IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING.