Apparatus for the treatment of a solid material with a hot gas

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR TREATING A SOLID MATERIAL CONTAINING VAPORIZABLE CONSTITUENTS IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH A HOT GAS, COMPRISING A FURNACE HAVING THE GENERAL SHAPE OF AN INVERTED U THE LEGS OF WHICH DIRECTLY COMMUNICATE AT THEIR UPPER ENDS THROUGH A RELATIVELY LARGE CONNECTING TUBE, ONE OF SAID LEGS BEING CONSIDERABLY LARGER THAN THE OTHER LEG AND HAVING THE FORM OF A LARGE SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL, CYLINDRICAL SHAFT HAVING AN OPEN LOWER END, A CONTAINER INTO WHICH THE OPEN LOWER END OF SAID LARGER LEG EXTENDS AND WHICH IS ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A BODY OF LIQUID FOR SEALING THE BOTTOM OF SAID SHAFT, MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING SOLID MATERIAL THROUGH SAID CONTAINER AND INTO AND UPWARDS THROUGH SAID SHAFT, A COMBUSTION CHAMBER IN SAID OTHER LEG, ARRANGED FOR BURNING A COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL IN A COMPACT BED SO AS TO FORM A CURRENT OF HOT GAS, MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING ESSENTIALLY THE WHOLE AMOUNT OF SAID HOT GAS THROUGH THE INTERIOR OF SAID SHAFT IN COUNTER CURRENT CONTACT WITH ASCENDING SOLID MATERIAL IN SAID SHAFT, MEANS FOR REMOVING LIQUID PRODUCTS FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SHAFT SAID MEANS CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A TANK FOR LIQUID AND CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID ANK AND THE INTERIOR OF THE LOWER SECTION OF SAID SHAFT BY WAY OF ORIFICES IN THE WALL OF SAID SHAFT IN THE OPERATIVE ALIGNMENT WITH SAID CONDUIT MEANS, AND OUTLET MEANS FOR REMOVING SUBSTANTIALLY THE WHOLE AMOUNT OF GASEOUS PRODUCTS FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SHAFT SAID GAS OUTLET MEANS BEING LOCATED ABOVE SAID LIQUID PRODUCTS-REMOVING MEANS AND CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A GAS CONDUIT ATTACHED TO A LOWER SECTION OF THE SHAFT SAID GAS CONDUIT BEING CONNECTED WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE SHAFT THROUGH ORIFICES IN THE WALL OF THE SHAFT, AND OF MEANS FOR MAINTAINING IN SAID GAS CONDUIT A PRESSURE LOWER THAN THE PRESSURE INSIDE SAID SHAFT

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR TREATING A SOLID MATERIAL CONTAINING VAPORIZABLE CONSTITUENTS IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH A HOT GAS, COMPRISING A FURNACE HAVING THE GENERAL SHAPE OF AN INVERTED U THE LEGS OF WHICH DIRECTLY COMMUNICATE AT THEIR UPPER ENDS THROUGH A RELATIVELY LARGE CONNECTING TUBE, ONE OF SAID LEGS BEING CONSIDERABLY LARGER THAN THE OTHER LEG AND HAVING THE FORM OF A LARGE SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL, CYLINDRICAL SHAFT HAVING AN OPEN LOWER END, A CONTAINER INTO WHICH THE OPEN LOWER END OF SAID LARGER LEG EXTENDS AND WHICH IS ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A BODY OF LIQUID FOR SEALING THE BOTTOM OF SAID SHAFT, MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING SOLID MATERIAL THROUGH SAID CONTAINER AND INTO AND UPWARDS THROUGH SAID SHAFT, A COMBUSTION CHAMBER IN SAID OTHER LEG, ARRANGED FOR BURNING A COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL IN A COMPACT BED SO AS TO FORM A CURRENT OF HOT GAS, MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING ESSENTIALLY THE WHOLE AMOUNT OF SAID HOT GAS THROUGH THE INTERIOR OF SAID SHAFT IN COUNTER CURRENT CONTACT WITH ASCENDING SOLID MATERIAL IN SAID SHAFT, MEANS FOR REMOVING LIQUID PRODUCTS FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SHAFT SAID MEANS CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A TANK FOR LIQUID AND CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID ANK AND THE INTERIOR OF THE LOWER SECTION OF SAID SHAFT BY WAY OF ORIFICES IN THE WALL OF SAID SHAFT IN THE OPERATIVE ALIGNMENT WITH SAID CONDUIT MEANS, AND OUTLET MEANS FOR REMOVING SUBSTANTIALLY THE WHOLE AMOUNT OF GASEOUS PRODUCTS FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SHAFT SAID GAS OUTLET MEANS BEING LOCATED ABOVE SAID LIQUID PRODUCTS-REMOVING MEANS AND CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A GAS CONDUIT ATTACHED TO A LOWER SECTION OF THE SHAFT SAID GAS CONDUIT BEING CONNECTED WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE SHAFT THROUGH ORIFICES IN THE WALL OF THE SHAFT, AND OF MEANS FOR MAINTAINING IN SAID GAS CONDUIT A PRESSURE LOWER THAN THE PRESSURE INSIDE SAID SHAFT