Overhead solids withdrawal means for fluidized solids contacting vessels

Claim 1

IN A FLUIDIZED SOLIDS PROCESSING SYSTEM HAVING AT LEAST TWO FLUIDIZED SOLIDS PROCESSING VESSELS ASSEMBLED IN SERIES FOR SEQUENTIAL TREATMENT OF SOLIDS IN A DENSE FLUIDIZED BED WITH FLUIDIZING GASES IN A FIRST VESSEL AND SUBSEQUENT TREATMENT OF SAID SOLIDS IN A DENSE FLUIDIZED BED WITH THE SAME FLUIDIZING GASES IN A SECOND VESSEL, SAID FIRST VESSEL HAVING FLUIDIZING GAS INLET MEANS AND SOLIDS INLET MEANS, SAID SECOND VESSEL HAVING AN EFFLUENT GAS OUTLET MEANS AND TREATED SOLIDS OUTLET MEANS, SAID SYSTEM HAVING MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING SOLIDS AND FLUIDIZING GASES FROM SAID FIRST VESSEL TO SAID SECOND VESSEL, THE IMPROVEMENT IN SAID LAST-MENTIONED MEANS COMPRISING CONDUIT MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH A WALL OF SAID FIRST VESSEL AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGH THAT PORTION OF SAID FIRST VESSEL OCCUPIED BY THE EXPANDED VOLUME OF FLUIDIZED SOLIDS, SAID CONDUIT MEANS HAVING A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY SPACED PERFORATIONS EXTENDING THERETHROUGH OVER THAT PORTION OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS EXTENDING WITHIN SAID FIRST VESSEL, SAID PERFORATIONS BEING MANY FOLD LARGER THAN SAID SOLIDS AND COMPRISING IN CUMULATIVE AREA ONLY A MINOR PORTION OF THE CUMULATIVE AREA OF THE PORTION OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS WITHIN SAID FIRST VESSEL, AND FURTHER CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH THE FIRST-MENTIONED CONDUIT MEANS AND EXTENDING FROM SAID FIRST VESSEL THROUGH THE WALL OF SAID SECOND VESSEL BELOW THE DENSE FLUIDIZED BED THEREIN CONTAINED.