Dual cylinder rotating solids feeder and method

Claim 2

A solids feeder for introducing particulated solids into a solids upflow vessel having a bottom solids inlet opening, which comprises: a carriage adapted for rotation about a central vertical axis; a solids feed chute communicating with an elevated solids feed reservoir for transporting particulated solids from said solids feed reservoir by gravity flow, said solids feed chute terminating in a bottom outlet opening located in the same horizontal plane as the bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel, said solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel and the bottom outlet opening of said feed chute being equally spaced from the central vertical axis of said rotatable carriage along a horizontal axis intersecting the axis of rotation of said carriage; carriage support means for rotatably supporting said carriage in a horizontal position below said solids upflow vessel and said solids feed chute; first and second vertical solids feed cylinders mounted on said carriage in spaced relationship, said cylinders being equally spaced from the central axis of said rotatable carriage along a diameter thereof, said first solids feed cylinder being axially aligned with and immediately below the bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel and said second cylinder being axially aligned with and immediately below the bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute when said carriage is in a first stationary position, and said first solids feed cylinder being axially aligned with and immediately below the bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute and the second solids feed cylinder being axially aligned with and immediately below the bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel when said carriage is in a second stationary position; carriage drive means for rotating said carriage between said first and second stationary positions; a first free-floating solids feed piston movably mounted in said first solids feed cylinder; a second free-floating solids feed piston movably mounted in said second solids feed cylinder; a first hydraulic ram vertically mounted below said bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel to alternately move said first and second pistons in their respective cylinders upwardly to displace particulated solids from said cylinders upwardly into said solids upflow vessel; a second hydraulic ram vertically mounted below said outlet opening of said feed chute to alternately control the movement of said first and second piston in their respective cylinders to fill said cylinders with particulated solids from said solids feed chute; piston support means for supporting said first and second free-floating pistons at the bottom of a filled solids feed cylinder and at the top of an empty solids feed cylinder; solids sealing means for sealing said bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute and the solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel when said first and second solids feed cylinders are not axially aligned therewith; and control means for synchronizing the rotation of said carriage and the movement of said first and said second solids feed pistons.

Claim 3

The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel, said bottom outlet opening of said feed chute and said rotatable carriage are encased in a fluid-tight housing.

Claim 4

The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said solids sealing means comprises a horizontal planar surface at the top of said carriage which is maintained in close proximity to the bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute and the bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel when said first and second solids feed cylinders are not aligned therewith.

Claim 5

The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said piston support means includes an internally disposed lip at the bottom of each of said first and second solids feed cylinders to support said pistons at the bottom of a filled cylinder, and a plurality of hydraulically extendable dogs located about the periphery of said cylinders near the top thereof to support said pistons at the top of an empty cylinder.

Claim 6

The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said control means includes (1) rate control means for controlling the speed of movement of said carriage and said first and second hydraulic rams; and (2) motion sequence control means to effect the movement of said carriage between first and said second stationary positions while maintaining said first and second hydraulic rams stationary in a retracted position, and to simultaneously extend and retract said first and second hydraulic rams and to extend and retract said hydraulically extendable dogs during a selected portion of the sequence while maintaining said carriage in said first or said second stationary positions.

Claim 7

A solids feeder for transporting particulated solids from an elevated solids feed reservoir and introducing said solids into a solids upflow vessel having a bottom solids inlet opening, which comprises: a carriage adapted for rotation about a central vertical axis; a solids feed chute communicating with an elevated solids feed reservoir for transporting particulated solids from said solids feed reservoir by gravity flow, said solids feed chute terminating in a bottom outlet opening located in the same horizontal plane as the bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel, said solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel and the bottom outlet opening of said feed chute being of approximately the same diameter and being equally spaced from the central vertical axis of said rotatable carriage along a horizontal axis intersecting the axis of rotation of said carriage; carriage support means for rotatably supporting said carriage in a horizontal position below said solids upflow vessel and said solids feed chute; first and second solids feed cylinders vertically mounted on said rotatable carriage in spaced relationship, said cylinders being of approximately the same diameter as said bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel and said bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute and said cylinders being spaced from the central axis of said rotatable carriage along a diameter thereof a distance equal to the spacing of said bottom inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel and said bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute so that said first solids feed cylinder is axially aligned with and immediately below the bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel and said second solids feed cylinder is axially aligned with and immediately below the bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute when said carriage is in a first stationary position, and said first solids feed cylinder is axially aligned with and immediately below the bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute and said second solids feed cylinder is axially aligned with and immediately below the bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel when said carriage is in a second stationary position; carriage drive means for rotating said carriage between said first and said second stationary positions; a first free-floating solids feed piston movably mounted in said first solids feed cylinder; a second free-floating solids feed piston movably mounted in said second solids feed cylinder; bottom piston support means located at the bottom of each of said first and second solids feed cylinders to support the piston at the bottom of a filled cylinder; upper piston support means located near the top of each of said first and second solids feed cylinders to support the piston at the top of an empty cylinder; a first hydraulic ram vertically mounted below said bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel to alternately move said first or second pistons in their respective cylinders upwardly to displace particulated solids from said cylinders upwardly into said solids upflow vessel; a second hydraulic ram vertically mounted below said outlet opening of said feed chute to alternately control the movement of said first or second piston in its respective cylinder to fill said cylinder with particulated solids from said solids feed chute; solids sealing means for sealing the bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute and the bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel when said first and second solids feed cylinders are not axially aligned therewith; and control means for controlling the speed of movement of said carriage and said first and second hydraulic rams, for effecting the rotation of said carriage between said first and second stationary positions while maintaining said first and second hydraulic rams stationary in a retracted position, and for simultaneously extending and retracting said first and second hydraulic rams and to actuate said upper piston support means during a selected portion of the sequence while maintaining said carriage in said first or second stationary positions.

Claim 8

A solids feeder for transporting particulated solids from an elevated solids feed reservoir and introducing said solids into a solids upflow vessel having a bottom solids inlet opening, which comprises: a carriage adapted for rotation about a central vertical axis; a solids feed chute communicating with an elevated solids feed reservoir for transporting particulated solids from said solids feed reservoir by gravity flow, said solids feed chute terminating in a bottom outlet opening located in the same horizontal plane as the bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel, said solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel and the bottom outlet opening of said feed chute being of approximately the same diameter and being equally spaced from the central vertical axis of said rotatable carriage along a horizontal axis intersecting the axis of rotation of said carriage; carriage support means for rotatably supporting said carriage in a horizontal position below said solids upflow vessel and said solids feed chute; first and second solids feed cylinders vertically mounted on said rotatable carriage in spaced relationship, said cylinders being of approximately the same diameter as said bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel and said bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute and said cylinders being spaced from the central axis of said rotatable carriage along a diameter thereof a distance equal to the spacing of said bottom inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel and said bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute so that said first solids feed cylinder is axially aligned with and immediately below the bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel and said second solids feed cylinder is axially aligned with and immediately below the bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute when said carriage is in a first stationary position, and said first solids feed cylinder is axially aligned with and immediately below the bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute and said second solids feed cylinder is axially aligned with and immediately below the bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel when said carriage is in a second stationary position; carriage drive means for rotating said carriage between said first and said second stationary positions; a first free-floating solids feed piston movably mounted in said first solids feed cylinder; a second free-floating solids feed piston movably mounted in said second solids feed cylinder; bottom piston support means located at the bottom of each of said first and second solids feed cylinders to support the piston at the bottom of a filled cylinder; upper piston support means located near the top of each of said first and second solids feed cylinders to support the piston at the top of an empty cylinder; a first hydraulic ram vertically mounted below said bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel to alternately move said first or second pistons in their respective cylinders upwardly to displace particulated solids from said cylinders upwardly into said solids upflow vessel; a second hydraulic ram vertically mounted below said outlet opening of said feed chute to alternately control the movement of said first or second piston in its respective cylinder to fill said cylinder with particulated solids from said solids feed chute; solids sealing means for sealing the bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute and the bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel when said first and second solids feed cylinders are not axially aligned therewith; and control means for controlling the speed of movement of said carriage and said first and second hydraulic rams, for effecting the rotation of said carriage between said first and second stationary positions while maintaining said first and second hydraulic rams stationary in a retracted position, and for simultaneously extending and retracting said first and second hydraulic rams and to actuate said upper piston support means during a selected portion of the sequence while maintaining said carriage in said first or second stationary positions.

Claim 9

The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein said bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel, said bottom outlet opening of said feed chute and said rotatable carriage are encased in a fluid-tight housing.

Claim 10

The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein said solids sealing means comprises a horizontal planar surface at the top of said carriage which is maintained in close proximity to the bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute and the bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel when said first and second solids feed cylinders are not aligned therewith.

Claim 11

The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein said bottom piston support means comprises an internally disposed lip at the bottom of each of said first and second solids feed cylinders to support said pistons at the bottom of a filled cylinder.

Claim 12

The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein said upper piston support means comprises a plurality of hydraulically extendable dogs located about the periphery of said cylinders near the top thereof to support said pistons at the top of an empty cylinder.

Claim 13

A solids feeder for transporting particulated solids from an elevated solids feed reservoir and introducing said solids into a solids upflow retort vessel having a bottom solids inlet opening, which comprises: a carriage adapted for rotation about a central vertical axis; a solids feed chute communicating with an elevated solids feed reservoir for transporting particulated solids from said solids feed reservoir by gravity flow, said solids feed chute terminating in a bottom outlet opening located in the same horizontal plane as the bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow retort vessel, said solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel and the bottom outlet opening of said feed chute being of approximately the same diameter and being equally spaced from the central vertical axis of said rotatable carriage along a horizontal axis intersecting the axis of rotation of said carriage; a fluid-tight housing encasing the bottom of said retort vessel, the bottom of said solids feed chute, and said carriage; carriage support means for rotatably supporting said carriage in a horizontal position within said fluid-tight housing below said solids upflow retort vessel and said solids feed chute; first and second solids feed cylinders vertically mounted on said rotatable carriage in spaced relationship, said cylinders being of approximately the same diameter as said bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow retort vessel and said bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute and said cylinders being spaced from the central axis of said rotatable carriage along a diameter thereof a distance equal to the spacing of said bottom inlet opening of said solids upflow retort vessel and said bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute so that said first solids feed cylinder is axially aligned with and immediately below the bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow retort vessel and said second solids feed cylinder is axially aligned with and immediately below the bottom outlet opening of said feed chute when said carriage is in a first stationary position, and said first solids feed cylinder is axially aligned with and immediately below the bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute and said second solids feed cylinder is axially aligned with and immediately below the bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow retort vessel when said carriage is in a second stationary position displaced 180 degrees from said first position; carriage drive means for rotating said carriage 180 degrees between said first and second stationary positions; a first free-floating solids feed piston movably mounted in said first solids feed cylinder; a second free-floating solids feed piston movably mounted in said second solids feed cylinder; an internally disposed lip at the bottom of each of said first and second solids feed cylinders to support said pistons at the bottom of a filled cylinder; a plurality of hydraulically extendable dogs located about the periphery of said cylinders near the top thereof to support said pistons at the top of an empty cylinder; a second hydraulic ram vertically mounted below said outlet opening of said feed chute and extending into said housing to alternately control the movement of said first or second piston in its respective cylinder to fill said cylinder with particulated solids from said solids feed chute; a horizontal planar surface at the top of said carriage which is maintained in close proximity to the bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute and the bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow retort vessel when said first and second solids feed cylinders are not aligned therewith; and control means for controlling the speed of movement of said carriage and said first and second hydraulic rams, for effecting the rotation of said carriage between said first and said second stationary positions while maintaining said first and second hydraulic rams stationary in a retracted position out of contacting with said carriage, and for simultaneously extending and retracting said first and second hydraulic rams and to extend and retract said hydraulically extendable dogs during a selected portion of the sequence while maintaining said carriage in said first or second stationary positions.

Claim 14

A solids feeder for transporting particulated solids from an elevated solids feed reservoir and introducing said solids into a solids upflow retort vessel having a bottom solids inlet opening, which comprises: a carriage adapted for rotation about a central vertical axis; a solids feed chute communicating with an elevated solids feed reservoir for transporting particulated solids from said solids feed reservoir by gravity flow, said solids feed chute terminating in a bottom outlet opening located in the same horizontal plane as the bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow retort vessel, said solids inlet opening of said solids upflow vessel and the bottom outlet opening of said feed chute being of approximately the same diameter and being equally spaced from the central vertical axis of said rotatable carriage along a horizontal axis intersecting the axis of rotation of said carriage; a fluid-tight housing encasing the bottom of said retort vessel, the bottom of said solids feed chute, and said carriage; carriage support means for rotatably supporting said carriage in a horizontal position within said fluid-tight housing below said solids upflow retort vessel and said solids feed chute; first and second solids feed cylinders vertically mounted on said rotatable carriage in spaced relationship, said cylinders being of approximately the same diameter as said bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow retort vessel and said bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute and said cylinders being spaced from the central axis of said rotatable carriage along a diameter thereof a distance equal to the spacing of said bottom inlet opening of said solids upflow retort vessel and said bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute so that said first solids feed cylinder is axially aligned with and immediately below the bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow retort vessel and said second solids feed cylinder is axially aligned with and immediately below the bottom outlet opening of said feed chute when said carriage is in a first stationary position, and said first solids feed cylinder is axially aligned with and immediately below the bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute and said second solids feed cylinder is axially aligned with and immediately below the bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow retort vessel when said carriage is in a second stationary position displaced 180 degrees from said first position; carriage drive means for rotating said carriage 180 degrees between said first and second stationary positions; a first free-floating solids feed piston movably mounted in said first solids feed cylinder; a second free-floating solids feed piston movably mounted in said second solids feed cylinder; an internally disposed lip at the bottom of each of said first and second solids feed cylinders to support said pistons at the bottom of a filled cylinder; a plurality of hydraulically extendable dogs located about the periphery of said cylinders near the top thereof to support said pistons at the top of an empty cylinder; a second hydraulic ram vertically mounted below said outlet opening of said feed chute and extending into said housing to alternately control the movement of said first or second piston in its respective cylinder to fill said cylinder with particulated solids from said solids feed chute; a horizontal planar surface at the top of said carriage which is maintained in close proximity to the bottom outlet opening of said solids feed chute and the bottom solids inlet opening of said solids upflow retort vessel when said first and second solids feed cylinders are not aligned therewith; and control means for controlling the speed of movement of said carriage and said first and second hydraulic rams, for effecting the rotation of said carriage between said first and said second stationary positions while maintaining said first and second hydraulic rams stationary in a retracted position out of contacting with said carriage, and for simultaneously extending and retracting said first and second hydraulic rams and to extend and retract said hydraulically extendable dogs during a selected portion of the sequence while maintaining said carriage in said first or second stationary positions.

Claim 17

The method defined in claim 12 wherein said steps are repeated for a plurality of cycles.

Claim 18

The method defined in claim 12 wherein said cylinders are moved along said arcuate paths in the same directions.

Claim 19

The method defined in claim 12 wherein said cylinders are moved along said acuate paths in the opposite directions in each successive step of moving said cylinders.