Pebble heater apparatus

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED PEBBLE HEATER SYSTEM WHICH COMPRISE IN COMBINATION A FIRST CLOSED, UPRIGHT, ELONGATED SHELL; A PEBBLE INLET IN THE UPPER END OF SAID FIRST SHELL; GASEOUS EFFLUENT MEANS IN THE UPPER END OF SAID FIRST SHELL; GASEOUS MATERIAL INLET MEANS IN THE LOWER END PORTION OF SAID FIRST SHELL; A SECOND CLOSED UPRIGHT, ELONGATED SHELL POSITION BELOW SAID FIRST SHELL; PEBBLE CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING THE LOWER END PORTION OF SAID FIRST SHELL TO THE UPPER END PORTION OF SAID SECOND SHELL; GASEOUS EFFLUENT OUTLET MEANS IN THE UPPER END PORTION OF SAID SECOND SHELL; GASEOUS MATERIAL INLET MEANS IN THE LOWER END PORTION OF SAID SECOND SHELL; PEBBLE OUTLET MEANS IN THE LOWER END OF SAID SECOND SHELL; A GAS-LIFT ELEVATOR COMPRISING AN ENGAGING POT A GAS-LIFT CONDUIT AND A SEPARATOR CHAMBER SAID ENGAGING POT BEING CONNECTED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID PEBBLE OUTLET MEANS; A PEBBLE CONDUIT EXTENDING EXTENDING BETWEEN SEPARATOR CHAMBER AND SAID PEBBLE INLET; LIFT GAS INLET MEANS CONNECTED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID ENGAGING POT; A GASEOUS EFFLUENT CONDUIT IN THE UPPER END PORTION OF SAID SEPARATOR CHAMBER MEANS FOR INDICATING THE PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL AT TWO VERTICALLY SPACED POINTS WITHIN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID GAS-LIFT CONDUIT; MEANS, RESPONSIVE TO SAID LAST MENTIONED MEANS, FOR VARYING THE AMOUNT OF PEBBLES PASSING THROUGH SAID PEBBLE OUTLET MEANS INTO SAID ENGAGING POT; MEANS FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF LIFT GAS SUPPLIED TO SAID LIFT GAS INLET MEANS AND MEANS FOR MAINTAINING THE LIFT GAS AT A DESIRED TEMPERATURE.