Apparatus for whitening clay

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR BLEACHING CLAY, COMPRISING MEANS FOR HEATING CLAY, MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING CLAY TO SAID HEATING MEANS, MEANS FOR INJECTING FUEL AND AIR INTO SAID HEATING MEANS WHEREBY SAID CLAY IS HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 600* AND 1200*C., MEANS FOR RECEIVING SAID CLAY FROM SAID HEATING MEANS AND CONTINUOUSLY EXPOSING SAID CLAY TO THE OPEN ATMOSPHERE WHEREBY THE COMBUSTION GASES USED TO HEAT THE CLAY ARE SUBSTANTIALLY ELIMINATED, AN INCLINED ROTARY REACTOR BELOW SAID HEATING MEANS OPEN TO THE ATMOSPHERE AT BOTH ENDS AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE HOT CLAY DISCHARGED INTO THE OPEN ATMOSPHERE FROM SAID HEATING MEANS, THE INTERIOR OF SAID REACTOR FROM END TO END BEING OF MATERIAL RESISTANT TO HOT CHLORINE-CONTAINING GASEOUS COMPOUNDS, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A STREAM OF CHLORINE-CONTAINING GASEOUS COMPOUND INTO THE LOWER END OF SAID REACTOR, A DUCT PARTLY SURROUNDING THE UPPER END OF SAID REACTOR AND LEADING AWAY THEREFROM AND MEANS FOR BLOWING A STREAM OF AIR INTO SAID DUCT IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID REACTOR WHEREBY TO ASPIRATE GASES FROM THE UPPER END OF SAID REACTOR AND THEREBY MAINTAIN A COUNTERCURRENT FLOW OF HOT CLAY AND HOT CHLORINECONTAINING GASEOUS COMPOUNDS THEREIN.