Process and apparatus for pneumatic conveyance of solids

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING PNEUMATIC CONVEYANCE OF PARTICULATE SOLID MATERIALS COMPRISING: (A) A CONTAINER, THE LOWER PART OF WHICH COMPRISES AT LEAST ONE INVERTED CONICAL SECTION HAVING MOUNTED CENTRALLY THEREWITHIN A DOUBLE CONE BAFFLE COMPOSED OF TWO CONSIDERABLY SMALLER CONES JOINED BASE TO BASE AND ARRANGED SO THAT THE WALLS OF THE LOWER CONE OF SAID DOUBLE CONE BAFFLE ARE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE WALLS OF SAID INVERTED CONICAL SECTION, (B) A SOLIDS CHARGING INLET NEAR THE TOP OF SAID CONTAINER, (C) MEANS FOR LATERALLY INTRODUCING AND DISTRIBUTING A GAS INTO THE ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN SAID LOWER CONE AND SAID INVERTED CONICAL SECTION, (D) A MIXING CHAMBER UNDER SAID CONTAINER WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PASSAGEWAY CONNECTING THE BOTTOM OF THE INVERTED CONICAL SECTION OF SAID CONTAINER WITH THE TOP OF SAID MIXING CHAMBER, (E) A DOWNWARDLY CONVERGING TAPERED ORIFICE HAVING A DOWNSIDE DISCHARGE OPENING SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER THAN THE CROSS-SECTION OF SAID VERTICAL PASSAGEWAY BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF THE INVERTED CONICAL SECTION OF SAID CONTAINER AND SAID MIXING CHAMBER, (F) MEANS FOR SUPPLYING GAS UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID MEANS DESCRIBED IN (C) AND TO ONE SIDE OF SAID MIXING CHAMBER, AND (G) MEANS TO CONDUCT MATERIAL PNEUMATICALLY OUT OF THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID MIXING CHAMBER.