Tower furnace

Claim 2

In a tower furnace defining an elongated vertical furnace chamber, a supply hopper for particulate material mounted above the furnace chamber, and a particle feeding device positioned between the hopper and the furnace chamber, the improved feeding device comprising: a casing defining a pre-heating chamber; an elongated generally horizontally-disposed serrated drum feeder mounted rotatably within said chamber, said drum adapted to receive particles from the hopper onto the drum surface where they lodge in the serrations of the drum to be dislodged in the form of a generally planar curtain of particles as the drum rotates; said casing fitted with a particle entry port and a particle exit port, said entry port positioned above the drum in communication with the particle supply hopper, said exit port positioned beneath the drum in the path of the curtain of particles emanating therefrom; and a guide chute positioned below the exit port and immediately adjacent thereto, said guide chute being fitted with a plurality of spaced-apart baffles disposed at generally right angles to the planar curtain of particles passing through the chute and said chute adapted to engage and direct the curtain of particles passing from the pre-heat chamber through the furnace chamber.

Claim 3

An improved furnace as in claim 1 wherein the drum feeder is rotatably mounted upon a hollow shaft defining a conduit adapted to transport a supply of cooling fluids into heat exchange relationship with the drum feeder.

Claim 4

An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the distance between the baffles is from about 10 to about 25 times the average major dimension of the individual particles, and the length of channels formed by the baffles is from about 150 to about 250 times the average major dimension of the individual particles.

Claim 5

An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the chute is pivotally mounted.

Claim 6

In a tower furnace defining an elongated vertical furnace chamber, a supply hopper for particulate material mounted above the furnace chamber, and a particle feeding device positioned between the hopper and the furnace chamber, the improved feeding device comprising: a casing defining a pre-heating chamber; an elongated generally horizontally-disposed serrated drum feeder mounted rotatably within said chamber, said drum adapted to receive particles from the hopper onto the drum surface where they lodge in the serrations of the drum to be dislodged in the form of a generally planar curtain of particles as the drum rotates; said casing fitted with a particle entry port and a particle exit port, said entry port positioned above the drum in communication with the particle supply hopper, said exit port positioned beneath the drum in the path of the curtain of particles emanating therefrom; a guide chute positioned below the exit port and immediately adjacent thereto, said chute adapted to engage and direct the curtain of particles passing from the pre-heat chamber through the furnace chamber and downwardly subtending particle deflector means mounted in the lower portion of the furnace chamber remote from the curtain of particles, said deflector means having a planar particle-deflecting surface terminating in a lower edge forming an acute angle with the curtain of particles, and originating in an upper edge positioned adjacent to the wall of the furnace chamber, said deflector means fitted with conduits for conveying cooling fluids through the deflector.

Claim 7

In a tower furnace defining an elongated vertical furnace chamber, a supply hopper for particulate material mounted above the furnace chamber, and a particle feeding device positioned between the hopper and the furnace chamber, the improved feeding device comprising: a casing defining a pre-heating chamber; an elongated generally horizontally-disposed serrated drum feeder mounted rotatably within said chamber, said drum adapted to receive particles from the hopper onto the drum surface where they lodge in the serrations of the drum to be dislodged in the form of a generally planar curtain of particles as the drum rotates; said casing fitted with a particle entry port and a particle exit port, said entry port positioned above the drum in communication with the particle supply hopper, said exit port positioned beneath the drum in the path of the curtain of particles emanating therefrom; a guide chute positioned below the exit port and immediately adjacent thereto, said chute adapted to engage and direct the curtain of particles passing from the pre-heat chamber through the furnace chamber and downwardly subtending particle deflector means mounted in the lower portion of the furnace chamber remote from the curtain of particles, said deflector means having a planar particle-deflecting surface terminating in a lower edge forming an acute angle with the curtain of particles, and originating in an upper edge positioned adjacent to the wall of the furnace chamber, said deflector means fitted with conduits for conveying cooling fluids through the deflector.

Claim 8

An apparatus as in claim 5 wherein the guide chute is fitted with a plurality of spaced-apart baffles disposed at generally right angles to the planar curtain of particles passing through the chute.