Heat exchanger using special pellets of sheet metal

Claim 1

IN A HEAT EXCHANGER WHEREIN A MULTITUDE OF PELLETS FALL IN COUNTERFLOW TO A RISING FLUID STREAM AT A TEMPERATURE DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF THE PELLETS, INCLUDING A CLOSED UPRIGHT CHAMBER HAVING A FIRST OPENING NEAR ITS BOTTOM FOR RECEIVING A STREAM OF SAID FLUID, A SECOND OPENING NEAR ITS TOP AND FOR DISCHARGING SAID FLUID, A THIRD OPENING NEAR ITS TOP FOR RECEIVING A STREAM OF PELLETS, A FOURTH OPENING AT ITS BOTTOM FOR DISCHARGING SAID STREAM OF PELLETS, FIRST CONDUIT MEANS FOR LEADING SAID FLUID INTO THE SAID FIRST OPENING, SECOND CONDUIT MEANS FOR DISCHARGING THE FLUID STREAM FROM SAID SECOND OPENING AFTER IT HAS PASSED THROUGH SAID CHAMBER IN UPWARD DIRECTION, FIRST PELLET PIPE MEANS FOR LEADING A STREAM OF PELLETS FROM A SOURCE INTO THE SAID THIRD OPENING, SECOND PELLET PIPE MEANS FOR LEADING THE SAID STREAM OF PELLETS AFTER IT HAS PASSED UNDER GRAVITY AT LEAST PARTLY IN FREE FALL THROUGH THE SAID CHAMBER, THE IMPROVEMENT OF EMPLOYING PELLETS OF SHEET METAL AND OF HOLLOW SHAPES SYMMETRICAL ABOUT ONE AXIS, WITH ONE END LARGER THAN THE OTHER AND WITH TWO OPENINGS OF DIFFERENT SIZES AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID AXIS, THE LARGER OPENING BEING AT THE LARGER END AND WITH ANY SECTION INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS NOT EXCEEDING THE DIMENSION OF THE LARGER END, THE MAXIMUM DIMENSION OF THE PELLETS IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID AXIS BEING NOT LESS THAN TWENTY PERCENT OF THE LARGEST DIAMETER OF THE PELLETS PLUS THE THICKNESS OF THE SHEET MATERIAL USED, SO THAT THE PELLETS, AS THEY DROP FREELY THROUGH THE RISING FLUID, WILL ORIENT THEMSELVES AUTOMATICALLY WITH THE SMALLER ENDS FACING THE RISING FLUID STREAM.