Apparatus for the adsorptive recovery of solvents

Claim 1

SOLVENT RECOVERING APPARATUS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A HOLLOW CASING PROVIDED AT A GIVEN ELEVATION WITH AN OUTLET MEANS CAPABLE OF BEING OPENED AND CLOSED; INLET MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID CASING AT A SECOND ELEVATION SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN SAID GIVEN ELEVATION; A FIRST PAIR OF MEANS BOTH COMMUNICATING WITH SAID INLET MEANS AND ALTERNATING OPERABLE FOR ALTERNATELY INTRODUCING SOLVENT-CARRYING AIR AND PURE AIR, RESPECTIVELY, INTO SAID CASING THROUGH SAID INLET MEANS; A BODY OF ACTIVATED CHARCOAL SITUATD IN THE INTERIOR OF SAID CASING AT AN ELEVATION LOWER THAN SAID GIVEN ELEVATION BUT HIGHER THAN SAID SECOND ELEVATION AND DEFINING A FLOW PATH THROUGH WHICH AIR MUST PASS BEFORE REACHING SAID OUTLET MEANS; HEAT EXCHANGER MEANS SITUATED IN SAID CASING BENEATH SAID BODY OF CHARCOAL BUT AT AN ELEVATION HIGHER THAN SAID SECOND ELEVATION; A SECOND PAIR OF MEANS COMMUNICATION WITH SAID HEAT EXCHANGER MEANS FOR ALTERNATELY CIRCULATING THERETHROUGH A COOLING FLUID AND A HEATING FLUID, RESPECTIVELY; STEAM CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID CASING AT AN ELEVATION HIGHER THAN SAID BODY OF CHARCOAL FOR DIRECTING STEAM DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE LATTER; VALVE MEANS IN SAID STEAM CONDUIT MEANS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING THE LATTER; AND SEPARATING MEANS SITUATED IN SAID CASING AT AN ELEVATION LOWER THAN SAID SECOND ELEVATION FOR COLLECTING CONDENSATE FROM SAID HEAT EXCHANGER MEANS AND SEPARATING THE CONDENSATE INTO DIFFERENT LIQUID COMPONENTS THEREOF, WHEREBY DURING A FIRST STAGE OF AN OPERATING CYCLE WITH SAID OUTLET MEANS OPEN THAT ONE OF SAID FIRST PAIR OF MEANS FOR INTRODUCING SOLVENT-CARRYING AIR THROUGH SAID INLET MEANS INTO SAID CASING AND THAT ONE OF SAID SECOND PAIR OF MEANS FOR CIRCULATING COOLING FLUID THROUGH SAID HEAT EXCHANGER MEANS CAN BE RENDERED OPERATIVE SO THAT THE SOLVENTCARRYING AIR WILL HAVE SOLVENT CONDENSED THEREFROM BY SAID HEAT EXCHANGER MEANS BEFORE PASSING THROUGH SAID BODY OF CHARCOAL TO HAVE FURTHER SOLVENT REMOVED THEREFROM BEFORE THE AIR FLOWS OUT THROUGH SAID OUTLET MEANS, DURING A SECOND STAGE OF SAID OPERATING CYCLE WITH SAID OUTLET MEANS CLOSED BOTH OF SAID FIRST PAIR OF MEANS CAN BE RENDERED INOPERATIVE WHILE SAID ONE OF SAID SECOND PAIR OF MEANS IS STILL MAINTAINED OPERATIVE AND STEAM IS DIRECT THROUGH SAID BODY OF CHARCOAL FROM SAID STEAM CONDUIT MEANS TO REMOVE FROM SAID CHARCOAL SOLVENT TO BE CONDENSED WITH STEAM BY SAID HEAT EXCHANGER MEANS AND RECEIVED IN SAID SEPARATOR MEANS, AND DURING A FINAL STAGE OF SAID OPERATING CYCLE WITH SAID OUTLET MEANS OPEN THE OTHER OF SAID FIRST PAIR OF MEANS CAN BE RENDERED OPERTIVE FOR INTRODUCING PURE AIR THROUGH SAID INLET MEANS INTO SAID CASING WHILE THE OTHER OF SAID SECOND PAIR OF MEANS CAN BE SIMULTANEOUSLY RENDERED OPERATIVE FOR CIRCULATING HEATING FLUID THROUGH SAID HEAT EXCHANGER MEANS TO HEAT SAID PURE AIR BEFORE IT REACHES SAID BODY OF CHARCOAL TO DRY THE LATTER BEFORE IT REACHING SAID OUTLET MEANS.