Process of preparing lime and a system including means for providing a hot gas for use in the process

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS OF PREPARING LIME, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE FEEDING LIMESTONE IN A FINELY DIVIDED STATE OF APPROXIMATELY MINUS 200 MESH OR FINER INTO THE LOWER HOUSING OF A VERTICAL REACTOR HAVING A PLURALITY OF EXTERNALLY HEATED ELONGATED TUBES, EACH COMPOSED OF A MATERIAL CAPABLE OF RESISTING A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE SINTERING TEMPERATURE OF LIME AND BEING OF A DIAMETER OF APPROXIMATELY FOUR TO SIX INCHES COMMUNICATING WITH THE LOWER HOUSING AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM AND ENCLOSED IN AN UPPER HOUSING OF THE REACTOR, WITH THE OPEN END OF EACH TUBE COMMUNICATING WITH CONDUIT MEANS LEADING FROM THE UPPER END OF THE REACTOR, AND PASSING A HOT GAS THROUGH THE LIMESTONE PARTICLES IN SAID HOUSING TO FORCE THE LIMESTONE PARTICLES UPWARDLY THROUGH EACH OF SAID TUBES AT SUCH PRESSURE THAT THE BUOYANT FORCE OF THE GAS AND THE AERODYNAMIC DRAG UPON THE LIMESTONE PARTICLES AND THE LIME FORMED THEREFROM ARE JUST SUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME THE FORCE OF GRAVITY THEREON TO HEREBY CAUSE THE LIMESTONE AND THE LIME FORMED THEREON TO PASS FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER SIDE OF EACH OF THE TUBES AS IT ASCENDS THROUGH EACH TUBE AND SAID GAS BEING AT SUCH TEMPERATURE AND SAID TUBES BEING OF SUCH LENGTH THAT THE GAS WILL CONVERT A PREDOMINANT AMOUNT OF THE LIMESTONE INTO LIME AND CARBON DIOXIDE DURING THE PASSAGE OF THE LIMESTONE AND LIME CONVERTED THEREFROM THROUGH THE TUBES BUT AT A TEMPERATURE INSUFFICIENT TO SINTER A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF THE LIME.