Process for obtaining oil, gas and byproducts from pyrobituminous shale or other solid materials impregnated with hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A NON-COMBUSTION PROCESS FOR OBTAINING MINERAL OIL AND OTHER DERIVATIVES FROM PYROBITUMINOUS SHALE OR OTHER SOLID MATERIALS IMPREGNATED WITH HYDROCARBONS, THE SAID PROCESS BEING NON-COMBUSTIVE AND CARRIED OUT IN A VERTICAL DISTILLATION RETORT, WHEREIN THE MINED SHALE OR OTHER SOLID MATERIALS IS CONTINOUSLY FED AT THE TOP OF SAID RETORT THROUGH AN INERT GAS SEALED VALVE, WHEREFROM SAID MINED SHALE OR OTHER SOLID MATERIALS ARE EVENLY DISTRIBUTED TO THE RETORTING ZONE AND THEN DESCENT TO A COOLING ZONE BELOW THE RETORTING ZONE, THE RETORTING BEING CARRIED OUT AT SUPER-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE BY A MIXTURE OF SUBSTANTIALLY OXYGEN-FREE RECYCLING GASES PREVIOUSLY AND INDIRECTLY HEATED OUTSIDE THE RETORT, SAID HEATED RECYCLING GASES BEING INTRODUCED INTO THE BOTTOM OF SAID RETORTING ZONE OF SAID RETORT AT A HIGHER TEMPERATURE THAN THE RETORTING TEMPERATURE, AND OF SUBSTANTIALLY OXYGEN-FREE RECYCLING GASES INTRODUCED COLD AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID RETORT INTO THE COOLING ZONE WHICH IN UPWARDLY FLOW THROUGH THE COOLING ZONE EXCHANGE SENSIBLE HEAT WITH SAID RETORT SHALE OR OTHER SOLID MATERIALS THAT IS CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWN FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID RETORT THROUGH AN INERT GAS SEALED VALVE, THE LIQUID AND GASEOUS, RETORTING PRODUCTS BEING WITHDRAWN FROM TOP OF SAID RETORT.