Drying, preheating, transferring and carbonizing coal

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR DRYING AND PREHEATING WET COAL PRELIMINARY TO CARBONIZING THE COAL WHICH COMPRISES PASSING HOT GASES UP THROUGH A FLUIDIZED BED OF COAL SUPPORTED ON A MECHANICALLY OPERATED GRATE AT A SUFFICIENT VELOCITY TO MAINTAIN THE BED OF COAL IN THE FLUIDIZED STATE AND TO DRY AND PREHEAT SAID COAL, MECCHANICALLY OPERATING SAID GRATE TO DISCHARGE DRIED. PREHEATED COAL AT A CONTROLLED RATE DOWN THROUGH SAID GRATE, PASSING THE GASES LEAVING THE TOP OF THE FLUIDIZED BED OF COAL AND CONTAINING SUSPENDED FINELY DIVIDED PARTICLES OF COAL ELUTRIATED FROM THE FLUIDIZED BED UPWARDLY THROUGH A SECOND MECHANICALLY OPERATED GRATE SUPPORTING A COMPACT COLUMN OF COAL, SAID GASES PENETRATING THE LOWERMOST PORTION OF THE COMPACT COLUMN OF COAL THEREBY TRANSFERRING SENSIBLE HEAT OF THE GASES TO THE COAL AND FILTERING SUSPENDED FINELY DIVIDED PARTICLEES OF COAL FROM THE GASES, DISCHARGING THE COOLER FILTERED GASES FROM THE COAL AT A POINT NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE COLUMN OF COAL, SAID COMPACT COLUMN OF COAL BEING