Carbonization apparatus having louvers on internal duct

Claim 1

A REACTOR COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY UPRIGHT REACTION CHAMBER FORMED WITH AN INLET THROUGH WHICH A CARBONACEOUS FEED MATERIAL IS INTRODUCED AND AN OUTLET THROUGH WHICH A CARBONIZED CHAR IS DISCHARGED, MEANS FOR HEATING SAID CHAMBER AROUND THE EXTERIOR THEREOF AND FOR PROGRESSIVELY HEATING THE MATERIAL THEREIN INWARDLY TOWARD THE CENTER OF SAID CHAMBER TO EFFECT A PROGESSIVE CARBONIZATION THEREOF DURING THE COURSE OF ITS TRAVEL FROM SAID INLET TO SAID OUTLET, VENTING MEANS COMPRISING A FORAMINOUS DUCT COMPRISED OF A PLURALITY OF LOUVERS ANGULARLY DISPOSED IN A DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY EXTENDING DIRECTION THEREBY DEFINING A :LURALITY OF SLOTS COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID CHAMBER AND THE INTERIOR OF SAID DUCT, SAID EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRALLY OF SAID REACTION CHAMBER AND FOR A MAJOR PORTION OF THE LENGTH THEREOF AND SAID SLOTS DISPOSED AT LOCATIONS ALONG THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE MATERIAL FOR WITHDRAWING THE VAPORS AND GASEOUS PRODUCTS IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSVERSELY OF THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE MATERIAL AS THE VAPORS AND GASEOUS PRODUCTS ARE FORMED DURING THE CARBONIZATION OF THE MATERIAL IN THE CHAMBER, PURGING MEANS DISPOSED ADJACENT TO SAID INLET FOR INTRODUCING A NONOXIDIZING GAS INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID REACTION CHAMBER FOR FACILITATING THE PURGING OF ANY ENTRAPPED AIR IN SAID FEED MATERIAL AND FOR SWEEPING SAID VAPORS AND GASEOUS PRODUCTS OUT THOUGH SAID VENTING MEANS, FEED CONTROL MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE QUQNTITY OF FEED MATERIAL ENTERING SAID INLET, OUTLET CONTROL MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE QUANTITY OF CARBONIZED CHAR DISCHARGING FROM SAID OUTLET, AND COOLING MEANS FOR COOLING THE CARBONIZED CHAR PRIOR TO ITS DISCHARGE FROM SAID REACTOR.