Continuous carbonization process and apparatus

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR COKING CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS OF PREDOMINANTLY FIXED CARBON CONTENT A PORTION AT LEAST OF WHICH IS PLASTIC AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES AND WHICH EVOLVE VAPORS AT SUCH TEMPERATURES, WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING SUCH MATERIAL IN PARTICULATE FORM INTO ONE END OF AN EXTERNALLY-HEATED, SMOOTH-WALLED TUBE OF UNIFORM CROSS SECTION THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH FROM WHICH OXYGEN IS EXCLUDED, FORCING THE MATERIAL THROUGH THE TUBE UNDER A PRESSURE IN EXCESS OIF ONE POUND PER SQ. IN. APPLIED OVER THE ENTIRE CROSS SECTIONAL AREA THEREOF AT THE FEED END OF THE MATERIAL IN THE TUBE HEATING THE MATERIAL TO A TEMPERATURE IN EXCESS OF 800*F., THEREBY PLASTICIZING THE PLASTICIZABLE COMPONENT THEREOF, COMPACTING THE MASS AND EVOLVING VAPORS THEREFROM, RETAINING THE PARTICULATE MATERIAL IN FLOWABLE CONDITION AND UNDER PRESSURE IN THE TUBE UNTIL COKING IS COMPLETED TO A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM DENSITY THROUGHOUT THE MASS OF MATERIAL, AND RECOVERING THE VAPORS AND COKE PRODUCT FROM THE TUBE.