Method and apparatus for feeding contact material into a gas lift pipe

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR INTRODUCING LIFT GAS AND GRANULARR SOLIDS INTO AN UPWARDLY-EXTENDING LIFT PIPE FOR TRANSFERRING THE SOLIDS THERETHROUGH IN A STREAM OF LIFT GAS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A LIFT TANK, DOWNWARDLYDIRECTED SUPPLY CONDUITS PROJECTED INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF THE TANK, FOR FEEDING SOLIDS INTO THE TANK, A PLURITY OF VERTICAL FEED PIPES EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM AN INTERMEDIATE LEVEL OF SAID LIFT TANK INTO THE LOWER END OF SAID LIFT PIPE AND TERMINATING AT A PLURALITY OF POINTS UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE HORIZONTAL CROSS-SECTION OF THE LIFT NINE A SCREEN HORIZONTALLY LOCATED ACROSS THE INTERIOR OF SAID LIFT TANK AT A LEVEL ABOVE THE LOWER END OF SAID FEED PIPES AND THE LOWER END OF SAID SUPPLY CONDUITS, A SECONDARY GAS INLET ATTACHED TO SAID LIFT TANK AT AN ELEVATION ABOVE SAID SCREEN, A PRIMARY GAS INLET TO THE LIFT PIPE LOCATED BELOW THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID FEED PIPES, A HORIZONTAL PLATE LOCATED IN SAID LIFT PIPE BELOW THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID FEED PIPES BUT ABOVE THE LEVEL OF SAID PRIMARY GAS LINLET, AND MEANS DEFINING GAS PASSAGEWAYS THROUGH SAID PLATE DISTRIBUTED UNIFORMLY THEREACROSS, SO AS TO EFFECT UNIFORM DISTRIBUTION OF THE PRIMARY GAS ACROSS THE LIFT PIPE.