Apparatus for the production of combustible gases from solid carbonaceous materials

Claim 1

A SYSTEM FOR FORMING AND RECOVERING A GAS RICH IN CARBON MONOXIDE, AND HYDROGEN, AND RESIDUAL SOLIDS FROM A SOLID GRANULAR CARBONACEOUS FUEL WHICH COMPRISES: (A) A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED PALLETS MOUNTED ON AN ELONGATED HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED ENDLESS CONVEYOR; (B) MEANS AT ONE EXTREMITY OF SAID CONVEYOR FOR DISTRIBUTING SAID GRANULAR FUEL TO SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM DEPTH TO FORM A FUEL BURDEN ON SAID PALLETS; (C) MEANS, ABOVE SAID FUEL BURDEN ON SAID PALLETS AND ADJACENT TO SAID MEANS FOR DISTRIBUTING, FOR IGNITING SAID FUEL BURDEN; (D) SEPARATE MEANS INCLUDING A HOOD IN JUXTAPOSED RELATION TO SAID ALIGNED PALLETS ON SAID CONVEYOR AND INCLUDING MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AIR IN COMBINATION WITH STEAM TO SAID IGNITED FUEL BURDEN;