Apparatus for pneumatic elevation of granular solids

Claim 1

IN A SYSTEM FOR PNEUMATIC ELEVATION OF GRANULAR MATERIALS COMPRISING A PRESSURE-TIGHT GAS-ENGAGING HOPPER CLOSED AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM AND PROVIDED WITH INLET MEANS FOR THE GRANULAR MATERIAL AT ONE SIDE THEREOF, WHEREBY SAID GRANULAR MATERIAL FED TO SAID HOPPER IS CAUSED TO FORM A BED THEREIN HAVING ITS UPPER LEVEL SLOPING FROM THE INLET SIDE TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID HOPPER; A LIFT CONDUIT HAVING ITS BOTTOM CLOSED BY AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE TOP OF SAID HOPPER; AND OPEN ENDED UPRIGHT SOLIDS FEEDER PIPE OF NARROWER DIMENSION THAN SAID CONDUIT PASSING UPWARDLY THROUGH THE TOP OF THE HOPPER INTO SAID CONDUIT AND TERMINATING THEREIN AT A LEVEL ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF SAID CONDUIT, THE LOWER END OF SAID FEEDER PIPE TERMINATING AT A LEVEL ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF SAID HOPPER; A VERTICALLY DISPOSED OPEN-ENDED SOLIDSDEFLECTING CYLINDRICAL BARRIER SURROUNDING SAID FEEDER PIPE AND HORIZONTALLY SPACED FROM THE OUTER PERIPHERY THEREOF, THE BOTTOM OF SAID BARRIER BEING SPACED VERTICALLY ABOVE THE LOWER END OF SAID FEEDER PIPE A DISTANCE OF AT LEAST 0.8 TIMES THE HORIZONTAL DISTANCE BETWEEN THE BARRIER AND THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID PIPE, AND MEANS FOR INTRODUCING LIFT GAS INTO SAID HOPPER FOR DOWNWARD FLOW THROUGH THE INTERIOR OF SAID BARRIER INTO THE BED OF SOLIDS LYING BELOW SAID BARRIER, AND SEPARATE GAS INLET MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID LIFT CONDUIT FOR DIRECTLY SUPPLYING GAS THERETO AT A LEVEL BELOW THE TOP OF SAID FEEDER PIPE.