Carbonizing process and apparatus

Claim 2

IN THE PROCESS OF CARBONIZING WASTE CARBONACEOUS VEGETABLE MATTER COMPRISING RELATIVELY READILY VOLATILIZABLE COMBUSTIBLE CONSTITUENTS WHEREBY TO PRODUCE A CHARCOAL PRODUCT, IN WHICH PROCESS THE VEGETABLE MATTER IS HEATED IN AN ELONGATED GENERALLY HORIZONTAL HEATING ZONE TO THE VOLATILIZATION TEMPERATURE OF SAID VOLATILIZABLE CONSTITUENTS AND THE RESULTING VAPORS ARE BURNED, THE IMPROVEMENT BY WHICH THE PROCESS IS MADE FULLY SELF-REGENERATIVE AS TO HEAT REQUIREMENTS BY VOLATILIZING SAID VOLATILIZABLE CONSTITUENTS DIRECTLY INTO AN ATMOSPHERE CONTAINING ENOUGH AND ONLY ENOUGH FREE OXYGEN TO EFFECT COMPLETE COMBUSTION OF SAID VOLATILIZED CONSTITUENTS BY MOVING THE VEGETABLE MATTER THROUGH THE HEATING ZONE IN COUNTERCURRENT DIRECT CONTACT WITH A MOVING CURRENT OF BURNING VOLATILIZED COMPONENTS OF SAID VEGETABLE MATTER IN AN ATMOSPHERE CONTAINING OXYGEN IN A LESSER RATIO THAN DOES ATMOSPHERIC AIR WHEREBY SAID READILY VOLATILIZABLE COMBUSTIBLE CONSTITUENTS ARE VOLATILIZED AND THEREUPON ARE BURNED IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH SAID VEGETABLE MATTER TO PROVIDE ALL OF THE HEAT USED IN CARBONIZING SAID VEGETABLE MATTER AND EXCLUDING AIR FROM THAT PORTION OF THE HEATING ZONE WHEREIN NO FURTHER VOLATILIZATION OF READILY VOLATILIZABLE COMBUSTIBLE CONSTITUENTS OCCURS.

Claim 3

APPARATUS FOR CARBONIZING WASTE VEGETABLE MATTER CONTAINING RELATIVELY READILY VOLATILIZABLE COMBUSTIBLE COMPONENTS, WHICH COMPRISES AN ELONGATED GENERALLY HORIZONTAL ROASTING TUNNEL HAVING SIDE WALLS AND ROOF AND FLOOR OF REFRACTORY MATERIAL, THE FLOOR OF SAID ROASTING TUNNEL HAVING FORMED THEREIN AT LEAST ONE GENERALLY U-SHAPED THROUGH FROM END TO END OF SAID TUNNEL, AND HEAT-RESISTANT INLET AND OUTLET END WALLS; AT LEAST ONE MAIN SCREW CONVEYOR EXTENDING THROUGH SAID TUNNEL AND BEING DISPOSED IN SAID TROUGH, SAID MAIN SCREW CONVEYOR INCLUDING A HOLLOW SHAFT; MEANS FOR FORCING A COOLANT FLUID THROUGH SAID HOLLOW SHAFT; A STACK OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID TUNNEL ADJACENT THE INLET END OF THE LATTER; A FEED HOPPER FOR A SUPPLY OF RAW WASTE VEGETABEL MATTER; A FEED-CONVEYING MEANS FOR CONVEYING A CONTINUOUS STREAM OF SUCH VEGETABLE MATTER FROM SAID FEED HOPPER TO AND THROUGH SAID INLET END WALL AND INTO THE INLET END OF SAID TUNNEL FOR DISCHARGING RAW FEED ONTO THE FLIGHT OF SAID MAIN SCREW CONVEYOR; ADJUSTABLE AIR INLET MEANS SPACED ALONG AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID TUNNEL FOR ADMITTING A CONTROLLED LIMITED AMOUNT OF COMBUSTION AIR INTO SAID TUNNEL; A CONFINED HOPPER MEMBER AT THE OUTLET END OF SAID TUNNEL; A DISCHARGE ORIFICE IN THE OUTLET END WALL OF SAID TUNNEL SAID ORIFICE PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INTERIOR OF SAID TUNNEL AND SAID CONFINED HOPPER MEMBER FOR RECEIVING A CONTINUOUS STREAM OF SOLID CARBONACEOUS RESIDUES FROM SAID TUNNEL; AN ELONGATED GENERALLY TUBULAR DISCHARGE CHANNEL IN COMMUNICATION ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF, WITH SAID CONFINED HOPPER MEMBER, SAID CHANNEL EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID CONFINED HOPPER MEMBER AT A SUFFICIENT INCLINATION WITH RESPECT TO ITS LENGTH THAT THE END THEREOF WHICH IS REMOTE FROM SAID HOPPER MEMBER IS AT A LEVEL ABOVE SAID MAIN SCREW CONVEYOR; A SECONDARY ROTARY SCREW CONVEYER IN AND OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CHANNEL; AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID MAIN AND SAID SECONDARY SCREW CONVEYORS.

Claim 4

APPARATUS FOR CARBONIZING WASTE VEGETABLE MATTER CONTAINING RELATIVELY READILY VOLATILIZABLE COMBUSTIBLE COMPONENTS, WHICH COMPRISES AN ELONGATED GENERALLY HORIZONTAL ROASTING TUNNEL HAVING SIDE WALLS AND ROOF AND FLOOR OF REFRACTORY MATERIAL, THE FLOOR OF SAID ROASTING TUNNEL HAVING FORMED THEREIN AT LEAST ONE GENERALLY U-SHAPED THROUGH FROM END TO END OF SAID TUNNEL, AND HEAT-RESISTANT INLET AND OUTLET END WALLS; AT LEAST ONE MAIN SCREW CONVEYOR EXTENDING THROUGH SAID TUNNEL AND BEING DISPOSED IN SAID TROUGH, SAID MAIN SCREW CONVEYOR INCLUDING A HOLLOW SHAFT; MEANS FOR FORCING A COOLANT FLUID THROUGH SAID HOLLOW SHAFT; A STACK OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID TUNNEL ADJACENT THE INLET END OF THE LATTER; A FEED HOPPER FOR A SUPPLY OF RAW WASTE VEGETABEL MATTER; A FEED-CONVEYING MEANS FOR CONVEYING A CONTINUOUS STREAM OF SUCH VEGETABLE MATTER FROM SAID FEED HOPPER TO AND THROUGH SAID INLET END WALL AND INTO THE INLET END OF SAID TUNNEL FOR DISCHARGING RAW FEED ONTO THE FLIGHT OF SAID MAIN SCREW CONVEYOR; ADJUSTABLE AIR INLET MEANS SPACED ALONG AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID TUNNEL FOR ADMITTING A CONTROLLED LIMITED AMOUNT OF COMBUSTION AIR INTO SAID TUNNEL; A CONFINED HOPPER MEMBER AT THE OUTLET END OF SAID TUNNEL; A DISCHARGE ORIFICE IN THE OUTLET END WALL OF SAID TUNNEL SAID ORIFICE PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INTERIOR OF SAID TUNNEL AND SAID CONFINED HOPPER MEMBER FOR RECEIVING A CONTINUOUS STREAM OF SOLID CARBONACEOUS RESIDUES FROM SAID TUNNEL; AN ELONGATED GENERALLY TUBULAR DISCHARGE CHANNEL IN COMMUNICATION ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF, WITH SAID CONFINED HOPPER MEMBER, SAID CHANNEL EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID CONFINED HOPPER MEMBER AT A SUFFICIENT INCLINATION WITH RESPECT TO ITS LENGTH THAT THE END THEREOF WHICH IS REMOTE FROM SAID HOPPER MEMBER IS AT A LEVEL ABOVE SAID MAIN SCREW CONVEYOR; A SECONDARY ROTARY SCREW CONVEYER IN AND OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CHANNEL; AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID MAIN AND SAID SECONDARY SCREW CONVEYORS.