Vibratory kiln

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CALCINING PIECES OF MINERAL MATERIAL COMPRISING A PREHEATER FOR SAID PIECES OF MATERIAL FIXEDLY MOUNTED IN AN ELEVATED POSITION, MEANS FOR DEFINING AN ELONGATED GENERALLY HORIZONTAL CALCINING ZONE DISPOSED AT A LEVER BELOW SAID PREHEATER MEANS IN THE PREHEATER OPERABLE TO REGULATE DISCHARGE OF THE MATERIAL FROM THE PREHEATER, A CONDUIT BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF THE PREHEATER AND ONE END OF THE CALCINING ZONE FOR GRAVITY FLOW OF MATERIAL FROM THE PREHEATER TO SAID ONE END OF SAID CALCINING ZONE TO INTRODUCE AND FORM A PARTICULATE MASS OF THE PIECES OF MATERIAL IN THE CALCINING ZONE, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A COMBUSTILE FUEL MIXTURE INTO AND THROUGH THE PARTICULATE MASS OF MATERIAL IN SAID ZONE, MEANS TO IMPART RECIPROCATING VIBRATORY MOTION INTERMITTENTLY TO THE CALCINING ZONE AND MATERIAL THEREIN IN A DIRECTION GENERALLY NORMAL TO THE AXIS THEREOF AND AT A FREQUENCY OPERABLE TO INTERMIX THE PIECES OF MATERIAL AND CONVEY THE SAME PROGRESSIVELY THROUGH THE CALCINING ZONE, MEANS TO CONDUCT THE COMBUSTION GASES FROM THE CALCINING ZONE, MEANS TO AND THROUGH THE PREHEATER TO THEREBY PREHEAT THE PIECES OF MATERIAL PRIOR TO ENTERING THE CALCINING ZONE, AND MEANS TO REGULATE THE FREQUENCY AND INTERMITTENT PERIODS OF VIBRATORY MOTION IMPARTED TO BE CALCINING ZONE AND MATERIAL OPERABLE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE RATE OF INTRODUCTION OF THE MATERIAL TO SAID ZONE TO CONTROL THE RATE OF TRAVEL OF THE PIECES OF MATERIAL THROUGH THE ZONE.