Method and apparatus for elevating granular material

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING GRANULAR MATERIAL THROUGH AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING LIFT PIPE COMPRISING A CHAMBER SURROUNDING THE LOWER END PORTION OF SAID LIFT PIPE TO PROVIDE A CONFINED PATH FOR PASSING SAID GRANULAR MATERIAL AS A COMPACT MOVING BED DOWNWARDLY ABOUT AND BELOW SAID LIFT PIPE, MEANS REMOTE FROM THE INLET END OF SAID LIFT PIPE FOR INTRODUCING LIFT GAS INTO SAID MOVING BED, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING LIFT GAS INTO SAID MOVING BED IN A CONFINED STREAM DISCHARGING DOWNWARDLY ADJACENT AND ABOUT THE LOWER PERIMETER OF SAID LIFT PIPE, A HOLLOW TUBULAR MEMBER CONCENTRICALLY ARRANGED WITHIN THE LOWER END PORTION OF SAID LIFT PIPE AND SPACED THEREFROM TO FORM AN ANNULAR INLET PATH, SAID MEMBER BEING INTERNALLY PARTITIONED INTO UPPER AND LOWER HOLLOW SECTIONS, AND MEANS FOR INTRODUCING LIFT GAS INTO SAID HOLLOW SECTIONS, THE LIFT GAS IN SAID UPPER HOLLOW SECTION DISCHARGING FROM THE UPPER END THEREOF AXIALLY UPWARD ALONG SAID LIFT PATH, AND THE LIFT GAS IN SAID LOWER HOLLOW SECTION DISCHARGING FROM THE LOWER END THEREOF DOWNWARDLY INTO SAID BED.