Method and apparatus for continuously treating a gas stream

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY TREATING A CIRCULATING ATMOSPHERE, AN ABSORPTION CHAMBER INTO WHICH THE ATMOSPHERE IS INTRODUCED, A BED OF DESSICANT MATERIAL MOVING CONTINUOUSLY BY GRAVITY THROUGH SAID ABSORPTION CHAMBER FOR MOVING MOISTURE AND IMPURITIES THEREFROM, A REACTIVATION CHAMBER LOCATED BELOW SAID ABSORPTION CHAMBER AND COMMUNICATING THEREWITH FOR RECEIVING THE DESICCANT MATERIAL AFTER IT HAS REMOVED THE MOISTURE AND IMPURITIES FROM SAID ATMOSPHERE, MEANS FOR HEATING THE SATURATED AND IMPURE DESSICANT MATERIAL IN SAID REACTIVATION CHAMBER FOR SEPARATING THE MOISTURE AND IMPURITIES THEREFROM, MEANS LOCATED DOWNSTREAM OF SAID REACTIVATION CHAMBER FOR VENTING THE SEPARATED MOISTURE AND IMPURITIES THEREFROM, MEANS FOR ELEVATING THE HEATED DESSICANT MATERIAL TO THE UPSTREAM END OF SAID ABSORPTION CHAMBER FOR REINTRODUCTION THEREIN, THE UPPER END OF SAID ELEVATING MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID ADSORPTION CHAMBER FOR DIRECTING THE REACTIVATED AND COOLED DESSICANT MATERIAL THERETO, MEANS FOR DIRECTION A PORTION OF THE TREATED AND DRIED ATMOSPHERE INTO THE UPPER END OF SAID ELEVATING MEANS FOR CIRCULATING THEREIN IN COUNTER-CURRENT FLOW TO THE DESSICANT MATERIAL BEING ELEVATED TO THE ADSORPTION CHAMBER, WHEREIN THE DRIED ATMOSPHERE FURTHER CONDITIONS AND DRIES THE REACTIVATED DESICCANT MATERIAL AS IT MOVES UPWARDLY IN SAID ELEVATING MEANS, CONDUCTING MEANS COM-