Apparatus for processing air, gas or vapors

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING A MEDIUM SUCH AS AIR, GAS OR VAPORS, USING GRANULAR MATERIAL FOR SAID PROCESSING, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A CLOSED SHELL ARRANGED WITH ITS AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY IN VERTICAL POSITION, WITH AN INLET OPENING NEAR THE BOTTOM AND AN OUTLET OPENING NEAR THE TOP FOR THE MEDIUM, AN INLET ONDUIT AT THE TOP AND AN OUTLET CONDUIT NEAR THE BOTTOM OF SAID SHELL FOR SAID GRANULAR MATERIAL, THROWER WHEEL MEANS MOUNTED TO ROTATE ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS WITHIN AND CENTRALLY OF SAID SHELL, SAID MEANS BEING DISPOSED TO RECEIVE THE GRANULAR MATERIAL FROM SAID INLET CONDUIT AND ARRANGE TO THROW SAID GRANULAR MATERIAL FROM THE CENTER PART OF SAID SHELL IN AN UNOBSTRUCTED FREE FLIGHT STREAM TO ADJACENT ITS CIRCUMFERENCE, STATIONARY MEANS ADJACENT THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE SHELL IN A POSITION TO BE STRUCK BY THE GRANULAR MATERIAL AT THE END OF ITS UNOBSTRUCTED FREE FLIGHT PATH FROM THE CENTER TO ADJACENT THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE SHELL AND SO DISPOSED THAT THE GRANULAR MATERIAL IMPINGING ON SAID MEANS IMMEDIATELY LEAVES THE SAME, THE MEDIUM FLOWING CROSSWISE THROUGH SAID FREE FLIGHT STREAM OF GRANULAR MATERIAL IN A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT VERTICAL UPWARD PATH, AND A STATIONARY SLANTED FORAMINOUS ANNULAR MEANS DISPOSED TO RECEIVE SAID GRANULAR MATERIAL FROM NEAR THE SHELL CIRCUMFEFENCE AFTER STRIKING THE STATIONARY MEANS AND GUIDE IT BACK TOWARD THE CENTER PART OF SAID SHELL BELOW SAID THROWER WHEEL BY GRAVITY, AND THENCE TO SAID OUTLET CONDUIT, WITH THE FLOW OF SAID GRANULAR MATERIAL AND THE MEDIUM BEING ESSENTIALLY COUNTERFLOW.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING A MEDIUM SUCH AS AIR, GAS OR VAPORS, USING GRANULAR MATERIAL FOR SAID PROCESSING, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A CLOSED SHELL ARRANGED WITH ITS AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY IN VERTICAL POSITION, WITH AN INLET OPENING NEAR THE BOTTOM AND AN OUTLET OPENING NEAR THE TOP FOR THE MEDIUM, AN INLET ONDUIT AT THE TOP AND AN OUTLET CONDUIT NEAR THE BOTTOM OF SAID SHELL FOR SAID GRANULAR MATERIAL, THROWER WHEEL MEANS MOUNTED TO ROTATE ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS WITHIN AND CENTRALLY OF SAID SHELL, SAID MEANS BEING DISPOSED TO RECEIVE THE GRANULAR MATERIAL FROM SAID INLET CONDUIT AND ARRANGE TO THROW SAID GRANULAR MATERIAL FROM THE CENTER PART OF SAID SHELL IN AN UNOBSTRUCTED FREE FLIGHT STREAM TO ADJACENT ITS CIRCUMFERENCE, STATIONARY MEANS ADJACENT THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE SHELL IN A POSITION TO BE STRUCK BY THE GRANULAR MATERIAL AT THE END OF ITS UNOBSTRUCTED FREE FLIGHT PATH FROM THE CENTER TO ADJACENT THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE SHELL AND SO DISPOSED THAT THE GRANULAR MATERIAL IMPINGING ON SAID MEANS IMMEDIATELY LEAVES THE SAME, THE MEDIUM FLOWING CROSSWISE THROUGH SAID FREE FLIGHT STREAM OF GRANULAR MATERIAL IN A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT VERTICAL UPWARD PATH, AND A STATIONARY SLANTED FORAMINOUS ANNULAR MEANS DISPOSED TO RECEIVE SAID GRANULAR MATERIAL FROM NEAR THE SHELL CIRCUMFEFENCE AFTER STRIKING THE STATIONARY MEANS AND GUIDE IT BACK TOWARD THE CENTER PART OF SAID SHELL BELOW SAID THROWER WHEEL BY GRAVITY, AND THENCE TO SAID OUTLET CONDUIT, WITH THE FLOW OF SAID GRANULAR MATERIAL AND THE MEDIUM BEING ESSENTIALLY COUNTERFLOW.