Bitumen extraction apparatus including endless perforate conveyor and plural solvent-spray means

Claim 1

APPARATUS TO EFFECT THE EXTRACTION OF BITUMEN FROM BITUMEN-CONTAINING CRUSHED ORE, INCLUDING, IN COMBINATION: A SERIES OF FIXED, MUTUALLY HORIZONTALLY SPACED, SOLVENT SPRAY MEANS FOR SPRAYING CRUSHED ORE WITH BITUMEN SOLVENT; MOVABLY REVOLVABLE ENDLESS CONVEYOR MEANS APPROXIMATELY DISPOSED UNDERNEATH SAID SOLVENT-SPRAY MEANS, HAVING A FEED END AND A DISCHARRGE END, AND INCLUDING AN ENDLESS PERFORATE CONVEYOR BELT FOR TRANSPORTING A LAYER OF CRUSHED ORE OPERATIVELY PAST SAID SOLVENT-SPRAY MEANS, FOR PRODUCING, AS A DOWNFALL THEREFROM, A BITUMEN-SOLVENT SOLUTION; A SERIES OF FIXED, MUTUALLY HORIZONTALLY SPACED, DEPENDING WALLS FORMING RESPECTIVE ZONES INCLUDING SAID SPRAY MEANS, RESPECTIVELY, SAID WALLS DEPENDING TOWARD BUT BEING PROXIMATELY SPACED WITH RESPECT TO SAID ENDLESS CONVEYOR BELT, WHEREBY TO PERMIT A LAYER OF ORE, CARRIED BY SAID ENDLESS CONVEYOR BELT, TO PASS IN PROXIMATELY UNDERNEATH SAID WALLS; MEANS FOR CONTAINING SAID SOLUTION DISPOSED UNDERNEATH SAID CONVEYOR BELT; SAID ENDLESS CONVEYOR BELT INCLUDING UPPER AND LOWER, OPPOSITELY TRAVELING COURSES, SAID CONTAINING MEANS BEING DISPOSED BENEATH BOTH COURSES AND INCLUDING TRANSVERSE MEANS DEFINING CONTIGUOUS, SOLUTIONCOLLECTION CHAMBERS CONSTRUCTED FOR A MAXIMUM FLUID LEVEL WHICH IS PROGRESSIVELY LOWER AS ONE PREGRESSES FROM SAID DISCHARGE END OF SAID ENDLESS CONVEYOR MEANS TO SAID FEED END THEREOF; MEANS DISPOSED ESSENTIALLY ABOVE SAID CONTAINING MEANS FOR RECEIVING AND CONDENSING SOLVENT VAPORS FROM SAID SOLUTION, TO FORM A CONDENSATE; MEANS COUPLED TO SAID RECEIVING MEANS FOR ROUTING SUCH CONDENSED SOLVENT BACK TO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SOLVENT-SPRAY MEANS; ENCLOSURE MEANS SURROUNDING SAID SPRAYING MEAND AND SAID ENDLESS CONVEYOR MEANS FOR PREVENTING ESCAPE OF SOLVENT VAPORS, BENEATH SAID ENCLOSURE MEANS INCLUDING A SPENT-ORE EXIT OPENING DISPOSED BENEATH SAID DISCHARGE END OF SAID ENDLESS CONVEYOR BELT, BLOWER MEANS CONSTRUCTED AND POSITIONED PROXIMATE SAID OPENING TO FORCE SOLVENT VAPORS AWAY FROM SAID OPENING AND WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE MEANS; AND SAID ENCLOSURE MEANS INCLUDING A BLOWER PROVIDED EXHAUST VENT MEANS DISPOSED ABOVE SAID DISCHARGE END OF SAID ENDLESS CONVEYOR BELT FOR EXHAUSTING SOLVENT FUMES BACK TO SAID RECEIVING AND CONDENSING MEANS.