Materials distributor of a blast furnace

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING MATERIALS TO A BLAST FURNACE HAVING A GIVEN AXIS, SAID BLAST FURNACE INCLUDING A BELL AND A FIRST BELL HOPPER HAVING A COMMON AXIS COINCIDING WITH SAID FURNACE AXIS AND SAID FIRST HOPPER BEING CLOSED OFF FROM THE OUTER ATMOSPHERE AND AN OUTER STATIONARY HOPPER OFFSET WITH RESPECT TO AND SITUATED TO ONE SIDE OF SAID FURNACE AXIS OUTWARDLY BEYOND SAID FIRST HOPPER, A ROTATABLE CHUTE HOUSED WITHIN SAID FIRST HOPPER, A ROTARY SHAFT HAVING AN AXIS COINCIDING WITH SAID FURNACE AXIS AND FIXED TO SAID CHUTE FOR TRANSMITTING ROTARY MOVEMENT THERETO, SUCH SHAFT EXTENDING FLUID-TIGHTLY ALONG SAID FURNACE AXIS THROUGH SAID FIRST HOPPER OUTWARDLY TO THE EXTERIOR THEREOF, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID SHAFT AT THE EXTERIOR OF SAID FIRST HOPPER FOR ROTATING SAID SHAFT FOR THUS ALSO ROTATING SAID CHUTE, A CHARGING INLET INSTALLED ABOVE SAID FIRST HOPPER AT THE SAME SIDE OF SAID FURNACE AXIS AS SAID OUTER STATIONARY HOPPER, AND SAID CHARGING INLET COMMUNICATING FLUID-TIGHTLY WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID FIRST HOPPER AND SITUATED BENEATH AND BEING CONNECTED TO SAID STATIONARY HOPPER, AND SEALING MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID STATIONARY HOPPER FROM SAID FOR SEALING OFF SAID OUTER STATIONARY HOPPER AND SAID INLET CHARGING INLET, AND MEANS MOUNTING SAID SEALING MEANS FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A SEALING POSITION SEALING OFF SAID OUTER HOPPER FROM SAID INLET AND AN OPEN POSITION PROVIDING FREE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID OUTER HOPPER AND SAID INLET SO THAT CHARGING MATERIAL CAN FLOW FROM SAID OUTER HOPPER THROUGH SAID INLET INTO SAID FIRST HOPPER, SAID SEALING MEANS BEING SUPPORTED BY SAID MOUNTING MEANS FOR MOVEMENT TO A LOCATION SITUATED OUT OF THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF MATERIAL FROM SAID OUTER HOPPER TO SAID CHARGING INLET WHEN SAID SEALING MEANS IS IN SAID OPEN POSITION THEREOF.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING MATERIALS TO A BLAST FURNACE HAVING A GIVEN AXIS, SAID BLAST FURNACE INCLUDING A BELL AND A FIRST BELL HOPPER HAVING A COMMON AXIS COINCIDING WITH SAID FURNACE AXIS AND SAID FIRST HOPPER BEING CLOSED OFF FROM THE OUTER ATMOSPHERE AND AN OUTER STATIONARY HOPPER OFFSET WITH RESPECT TO AND SITUATED TO ONE SIDE OF SAID FURNACE AXIS OUTWARDLY BEYOND SAID FIRST HOPPER, A ROTATABLE CHUTE HOUSED WITHIN SAID FIRST HOPPER, A ROTARY SHAFT HAVING AN AXIS COINCIDING WITH SAID FURNACE AXIS AND FIXED TO SAID CHUTE FOR TRANSMITTING ROTARY MOVEMENT THERETO, SUCH SHAFT EXTENDING FLUID-TIGHTLY ALONG SAID FURNACE AXIS THROUGH SAID FIRST HOPPER OUTWARDLY TO THE EXTERIOR THEREOF, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID SHAFT AT THE EXTERIOR OF SAID FIRST HOPPER FOR ROTATING SAID SHAFT FOR THUS ALSO ROTATING SAID CHUTE, A CHARGING INLET INSTALLED ABOVE SAID FIRST HOPPER AT THE SAME SIDE OF SAID FURNACE AXIS AS SAID OUTER STATIONARY HOPPER, AND SAID CHARGING INLET COMMUNICATING FLUID-TIGHTLY WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID FIRST HOPPER AND SITUATED BENEATH AND BEING CONNECTED TO SAID STATIONARY HOPPER, AND SEALING MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID STATIONARY HOPPER FROM SAID FOR SEALING OFF SAID OUTER STATIONARY HOPPER AND SAID INLET CHARGING INLET, AND MEANS MOUNTING SAID SEALING MEANS FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A SEALING POSITION SEALING OFF SAID OUTER HOPPER FROM SAID INLET AND AN OPEN POSITION PROVIDING FREE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID OUTER HOPPER AND SAID INLET SO THAT CHARGING MATERIAL CAN FLOW FROM SAID OUTER HOPPER THROUGH SAID INLET INTO SAID FIRST HOPPER, SAID SEALING MEANS BEING SUPPORTED BY SAID MOUNTING MEANS FOR MOVEMENT TO A LOCATION SITUATED OUT OF THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF MATERIAL FROM SAID OUTER HOPPER TO SAID CHARGING INLET WHEN SAID SEALING MEANS IS IN SAID OPEN POSITION THEREOF.