Explosive shattering method and apparatus

Claim 1

THE METHOD FOR CONTINUOUSLY COMMINUTING FRIABLE MATERIAL COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) FILLING A FIRST VESSEL WITH A FIRST QUANTITY OF FRIABLE MATERIAL; (B) DISCHARGING SAID FIRST QUANTITY OF MATERIAL INTO A SECOND VESSEL; (C) PRESSURIZING WITH A GAS SAID SECOND VESSEL AND SIMULTANEOUSLY COMMENCE REFILLING SAID FIRST VESSEL WITH A SECOND QUANTITY OF SAID MATERIAL; (D) DISCHARGING THE PRESSURIZED FIRST QUANTITY OF MATERIAL FROM SAID SECOND VESSEL INTO A THIRD VESSEL WHEREBY, THE PRESSURES IN SAID SECOND AND THIRD VESSELS BECOME SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL; (E) TERMINATING THE FLOW OF SAID FIRST QUANTITY OF MATERIAL INTO SAID THIRD VESSEL AND SIMULTANEOUSLY TERMINATING THE FLOW OF SAID SECOND QUANTITY OF MATERIAL INTO SAID FIRST VESSEL AND SIMULTANEOUSLY COMMENCE DISCHARGING SAID SECOND QUANTITY OF MATERIAL FROM SAID FIRST VESSEL INTO SAID SECOND VESSEL AND SIMULTANEOUSLY COMMENCE DISCHARGING THE FIRST QUANTITY OF MATERIAL AT A SELECTED RATE FROM SAID THIRD VESSEL INTO A CONDUIT WHEREIN FLOWS PRESSURIZED GASEOUS FLUID, SAID MATERIAL BEING CONVEYED IN SAID CONDUIT TOWARD A FOURTH VESSEL; (F) PASSING SAID FLOWING MATERIAL FLOWING THROUGH A VELOCITY INCREASING SECTION IN SAID CONDUIT AND THEREAFTER DISCHARGING INTO SAID FOURTH VESSEL WHEREIN THE PRESSURE IS LOWER THAN THE PRESSURE IN SAID CONDUIT AHEAD OF SAID SECTION, SAID MATERIAL BEING SUBJECTED TO THE EFFECT OF EXPLOSIVE SHATTERING FORCES AND DISINTEGRATING THE DISCRETE PARTICLES OF SAID MATERIAL;

Claim 2

THE METHOD FOR CONTINUOUSLY COMMINUTING FRIABLE MATERIAL COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) FILLING A FIRST VESSEL WITH A FIRST QUANTITY OF FRIABLE MATERIAL; (B) DISCHARGING SAID FIRST QUANTITY OF MATERIAL INTO A SECOND VESSEL; (C) PRESSURIZING WITH A GAS SAID SECOND VESSEL AND SIMULTANEOUSLY COMMENCE REFILLING SAID FIRST VESSEL WITH A SECOND QUANTITY OF SAID MATERIAL; (D) DISCHARGING THE PRESSURIZED FIRST QUANTITY OF MATERIAL FROM SAID SECOND VESSEL INTO A THIRD VESSEL WHEREBY, THE PRESSURES IN SAID SECOND AND THIRD VESSELS BECOME SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL; (E) TERMINATING THE FLOW OF SAID FIRST QUANTITY OF MATERIAL INTO SAID THIRD VESSEL AND SIMULTANEOUSLY TERMINATING THE FLOW OF SAID SECOND QUANTITY OF MATERIAL INTO SAID FIRST VESSEL AND SIMULTANEOUSLY COMMENCE DISCHARGING SAID SECOND QUANTITY OF MATERIAL FROM SAID FIRST VESSEL INTO SAID SECOND VESSEL AND SIMULTANEOUSLY COMMENCE DISCHARGING THE FIRST QUANTITY OF MATERIAL AT A SELECTED RATE FROM SAID THIRD VESSEL INTO A CONDUIT WHEREIN FLOWS PRESSURIZED GASEOUS FLUID, SAID MATERIAL BEING CONVEYED IN SAID CONDUIT TOWARD A FOURTH VESSEL; (F) PASSING SAID FLOWING MATERIAL FLOWING THROUGH A VELOCITY INCREASING SECTION IN SAID CONDUIT AND THEREAFTER DISCHARGING INTO SAID FOURTH VESSEL WHEREIN THE PRESSURE IS LOWER THAN THE PRESSURE IN SAID CONDUIT AHEAD OF SAID SECTION, SAID MATERIAL BEING SUBJECTED TO THE EFFECT OF EXPLOSIVE SHATTERING FORCES AND DISINTEGRATING THE DISCRETE PARTICLES OF SAID MATERIAL;