Apparatus for elevating contact material

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING GRANULAR MATERIAL FROM A LOWER CHAMBER CONTAINING A BODY OF THE MATERIAL TO AN UPPER CHAMBER WHICH COMPRISES AN UPRIGHT ELEVATING CONDUIT HAVING ITS LOWER OPEN END EXTENDING THROUGH THE TOP OF SAID LOWER CHAMBER TO BE POSITIONED THEREIN AND ITS UPPER END EXTENDING INTO THE UPPER CHAMBER, A FLUID CONDUIT EXTENDING THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE LOWER CHAMBER AND HAVING ITS OUTLET POSITIONED WITHIN THE LOWER END OF THE ELEVATING CONDUIT IN SPACED RELATION THEREWITH, A SLEEVE EXTENDING THROUGH THE UPPER END OF THE LOWER CHAMBER CONCENTRIC WITH AND IN SPACED RELATION WITH THE ELEVATING CONDUIT, SAID SLEEVE HAVING ITS UPPER END CLOSED AND ITS LOWER PORTION POSITIONED BELOW THE LOWER END OF THE ELEVATING CONDUIT, SAID LOWER PORTION OF THE SLEEVE EXTENDING INWARDLY TOWARD SAID FLUID CONDUIT AND THEN UPWARDLY IN SPACED RELATION WITH THE UPPER END OF THE FLUID CONDUIT PROVIDING AN ANNULUS THEREWITH, WHICH IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE GRANULAR MATERIAL AND PROVIDING ALSO AN OUTER ANNULAR FLUID SPACE WITH THE ELEVATING CONDUIT WHICH IS ADJACENT SAID ANNULUS, A DEFLECTING MEMBER WITHIN THE OUTLET END OF THE FLUID CONDUIT PROVIDING AN INNER ANNULAR FLUID SPACE ADJACENT SAID ANNULUS MEANS WITHIN THE BODY OF GRANULAR MATERIAL FOR SUPPLYING FLUID PRESSURE THERETO TO FORCE THE MATERIAL UPWARDLY INTO SAID ANNULUS AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING FLUID TO THE INNER AND OUTER ANNULAR SPACES TO PICK UP THE GRANULAR MATERIAL FROM SAID ANNULUS AND MOVE IT INTO AND UPWARDLY THROUGH THE ELEVATING CONDUIT TO THE UPPER CHAMBER.