Apparatus for producing titanium sponge

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR MAKING TITANIUM SPONGE BY REDUCING TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE WITH A REDUCING METAL, COMPRISING ENCLOSURE STRUCTURE MEANS FOR APPLYING HEAT, REACTOR CASING MEANS AT LEAST PARTLY WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE MEANS, THE CASING MEANS PROVIDING A REACTION CHAMBER, A REACTION VESSEL IN SAID REACTOR CASING MEANS, THE REACTION VESSEL HAVING A BOTTOM WALL SUFFICIENTLY IMPERFORATE TO RETAIN THEREON A GROWING BODY OF THE RESULTING TITANIUM SPONGE AND TO RETAIN THE MOLTEN REDUCING METAL AND THE RESULTING MOLTEN CHLORIDE OF SAID REDUCING METAL, THE REACTION VESSEL HAVING FORAMINOUS SIDE WALL SURFACE, THE FORAMINA THEREOF BEING DISRIBUTED OVER SAID SURFACE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AT A PLURALITY OF LEVELS TO PROVIDE A MULTIPLICITY OF VENTS, THE FORAMINA BEING OF A DIAMETER SUFFICIENTLY SMALL TO RETAIN THE MOLTEN REDUCING METAL BUT LARGE ENOUGH TO PASS SAID RESULTING MOLTEN CHLORIDE, THE FORAMINA STARTING AT A REGION SUFFICIENTLY REMOVED FROM THE BOTTOM WALL TO RETAIN THEREON AT LEAST A THIN LAYER OF THE SAID RESULTING CHLORIDE, THE FORAMINA REMAINING OPEN THROUGHOUT THE OPERATION, FOR PASSAGE OF SAID CHLORIDE, AN UPPER PART OF THE REACTION VESSEL HAVING AN OPENING FOR INGRESS OF TITANIUM CHLORIDE AND SAID REDUCING METAL, CONDUIT MEANS FOR SUPPLYING TITANIUM CHLORIDE AND SAID REDUCING METAL TO SAID OPENING, MOVABLE MEANS PROVIDING A CHAMBER TO RECEIVE THE MOLTEN CHLORIDE FROM THE REACTION VESSEL, MEANS FOR REMOVING THE MOLTEN CHLORIDE FROM THE LATTER CHAMBER, A CONDENSER, COOLING MEANS FOR

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR MAKING TITANIUM SPONGE BY REDUCING TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE WITH A REDUCING METAL, COMPRISING ENCLOSURE STRUCTURE MEANS FOR APPLYING HEAT, REACTOR CASING MEANS AT LEAST PARTLY WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE MEANS, THE CASING MEANS PROVIDING A REACTION CHAMBER, A REACTION VESSEL IN SAID REACTOR CASING MEANS, THE REACTION VESSEL HAVING A BOTTOM WALL SUFFICIENTLY IMPERFORATE TO RETAIN THEREON A GROWING BODY OF THE RESULTING TITANIUM SPONGE AND TO RETAIN THE MOLTEN REDUCING METAL AND THE RESULTING MOLTEN CHLORIDE OF SAID REDUCING METAL, THE REACTION VESSEL HAVING FORAMINOUS SIDE WALL SURFACE, THE FORAMINA THEREOF BEING DISRIBUTED OVER SAID SURFACE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AT A PLURALITY OF LEVELS TO PROVIDE A MULTIPLICITY OF VENTS, THE FORAMINA BEING OF A DIAMETER SUFFICIENTLY SMALL TO RETAIN THE MOLTEN REDUCING METAL BUT LARGE ENOUGH TO PASS SAID RESULTING MOLTEN CHLORIDE, THE FORAMINA STARTING AT A REGION SUFFICIENTLY REMOVED FROM THE BOTTOM WALL TO RETAIN THEREON AT LEAST A THIN LAYER OF THE SAID RESULTING CHLORIDE, THE FORAMINA REMAINING OPEN THROUGHOUT THE OPERATION, FOR PASSAGE OF SAID CHLORIDE, AN UPPER PART OF THE REACTION VESSEL HAVING AN OPENING FOR INGRESS OF TITANIUM CHLORIDE AND SAID REDUCING METAL, CONDUIT MEANS FOR SUPPLYING TITANIUM CHLORIDE AND SAID REDUCING METAL TO SAID OPENING, MOVABLE MEANS PROVIDING A CHAMBER TO RECEIVE THE MOLTEN CHLORIDE FROM THE REACTION VESSEL, MEANS FOR REMOVING THE MOLTEN CHLORIDE FROM THE LATTER CHAMBER, A CONDENSER, COOLING MEANS FOR