Caustic lime producing plant and process

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING LIME FORM LIMESTONE, IN WHICH CRUSHED LIMESTONE IS BURNED IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL ROTARY KILN, CHARACTERIZED BY CRUSHING LIMESTONE AND THEREBY PRODUCING CRUSHED LIMESTONE OF A DESIRED SIZE FOR BURNING IN THE KILN, REMOVING DUST FROM THE CRUSHED LIMSTONE, CONVEYING THE CRUSHED LIMESTONE INTO A DRYING ZONE AND THEREIN DRYING THE CRUSHED LIMESTONE IN CONTACT WITH HOT GASES FROM THE ROTARY KILN, PASSING SAID HOT GASES THROUGH THE DRYING ZONE TO REMOVE DUST FROM THE CRUSHED LIMESTONE, CONDUCTING THE DRIED CRUSHED LIMSTONE FROM THE DRYING ZONE TO A SCREENING ZONE AND REMOVING FINES AND DUST, CONDUCTING THE DRY CRUSHED LIMESTONE FREE OF FINES AND DUST INTO A PREHEATING ZONE AND THEREIN PREHEATING THE DRIED CRUSHED LIMESTONE TO A RELATIVELY HIGH TEMPERATURE BY CONTACTING THEREWITH SUBSTANTAILLY DUST-FREE HIGH TEMPERTURE GASES FROM THE ROTARY KILN, FEEDING THE PRHEATED CRUSHED LIMESTONE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF DUST INTO THE FEED END OF THE ROTARY KILN AND THEREIN ADVANCING A STREAM OF THE CRUSHED LIMESTONE GRADUALLY THROUGH THE KILN COUNTERCURRENT TO HIGH TEMPERATURE COMBUSTION GASES, COMPLETING THE CALCINING OF THE CRUSHED LIMESTONE IN THE DISCHARGE END PORTION OF THE ROTARY KILN, AND DISCHARGING THE CALCINED LIMESTONE FROM THE DISCHARGE END OF THE KILN.