Automatically operable tiltable retort

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS PARTICULARLY ADAPTED TO THE BATCH PROCESSING OF VARIOUS PRODUCTS OR ARTICLES COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A. A TANK (1) HAVING AN UPPER OPEN END (2) AND A LID, (3) SAID TANK BEING PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR ROTATION; B. A PLURALITY OF SUPPORTS ROTATABLY POSITIONING SAID TANK UPON A PLANAR SURFACE, SAID SUPPORTS COMPRISING, IN TURN: (1) A PLURALITY OF LEGS (A) FIXEDLY CONNECTED WITH RESPECT TO ONE AN OTHER (B) DEFINING A RECESS THEREBETWEEN AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SUPPORTS; C. MEANS POSITIONED UPON ONE OF SAID SUPPORTS FOR REVERSELY ROTATING SAID TANK; D. A HOUSING FIXEDLY POSITIONED UPON AND WITH RESPECT TO SAID SUPPORTS, SAID HOUSING COMPRISING, IN TURN: (1) A PLURALITY OF GENERALLY VERTICALLY EXTENDING LEGS, (A) SAID VERTICALLY EXTENDING LEGS BEING POSITIONED WITHIN AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE RECESS IN EACH OF SAID SUPPORTS AND BEING FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID LEGS, (2) AND A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING LEG POSITIONED AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID VERTICALLY EXTENDING LEGS; E. FLUIDICALLY OPERABLE MEANS FOR VERTICALLY MOVING SAID LID WITH RESPECT TO THE UPPER OPEN END OF SAID TANK AND BETWEEN POSITIONS HERMETICALLY SEALING SAID TANK AND EXPOSING THE INTERIOR THEREOF TO THE ATMOSPHERE; F. MEANS FOR GUIDING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID LID VERTICALLY LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID HOUSING AND VERTICALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE UPPER OPEN END OF SAID TANK; G. FLUIDICALLY OPERABLE MEANS FOR ROTATABLY MOVING SAID LID BETWEEN A POSITION IN WHICH THE SAME IS HERMETICALLY SEALED WITH RESPECT TO THE UPPER OPEN END OF SAID TANK AND A POSITION IN WHICH SAID LID IS VERTICALLY MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID UPPER OPEN END; H. MEANS SELECTIVELY CONTROLLING AND PROVIDING THE INGRESS OF HOT AND COLD FLUID TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID TANK WHEN THE LID IS HERMETICALLY SEALED WITH RESPECT TO THE UPPER OPEN END THEREOF; I. MEANS CONTROLLING AND PROVIDING THE INGRESS OF A TREATING FLUID TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID TANK WHEN THE LID IS HERMITCALLY SEALED WITH RESPECT TO THE UPPER OPEN END THEREOF; J. MEANS FOR CONVEYING A TREATED PRODUCT OR ARTICLE TO A POINT OF DISCHARGE SUBSEQUENT TO THE DISCHARGE THEREOF FROM SAID TANK, (1) SAID LAST-NAMED MEANS BEING SO CONSTITUTED AND ARRANGED AS TO PROVIDE FOR COOLING OF SAID DISCHARGED PRODUCTS OR ARTICLES AND TO PROVIDE A CUSHION THEREFOR AS THEY ARE DISCHARGED FROM SAID TANK; K. AND MEANS PROVIDING A FLUID SUPPLY TO THE FLUIDICALLY OPERABLE MEANS FOR VERTICALLY MOVING SAID LID AND FOR ROTATABLY MOVING SAID LID WITH RESPECT TO THE UPPER OPEN END OF SAID TANK.