US1447296A - Apparatus for the combined solvent and destructive distillation treatment of shale - Google Patents

Description

Mar. 6, 1923. I 4 1,447,296

D. T. DAY T APPARATUS FOR THE COMBINED SOLVENT ANDIDESTRUOTIVEI DISTILLATION TREATMENT OF SHALE Filed Dec. 7," 1920 2 sheets-sheet 1 WPPIBZ Mar. 6, 1923. f 1,447,296

' D. T. DAY

APPARATUS FOR THE COMBINED SOLVENT AND D'ESTRUCTIVE DISTILLATION TREATMENT OF SHALE Filed Dec 7, 1920 q 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Mar. 6, 1923. v

UNITED STA DAVID '1'. DAY, or: WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or qoLmuBr' ArrAnA'rUs FOR THE COMBINED SOLVENT AND DESTBUCTIVE DIs'rmLAT IoN 'rREA'r- MEN'T or SHALE:

Application filed December 7, 1920. Serial No. 428,913.

1 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I,"DAVID T. DAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washingt-on, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for the Combined Solvent and Destructive Distillation Treatment of Shale, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to an apparatus for effecting the extraction of oil from oil bearf ing shale and provides for extraction with a liquid bath of solvent combined with destructive distillation.- a

The invention provides specifically the apparatus in which a bath or pool of liquidsolvent is provided and into which fresh. shale is passed, the partial extraction of he oil in the shale by the solvent, the remo al of the shale from the bath of oil, and the subsequent distillation of the shale so removed to eflect cracking of the oil therein and the production of oil for the maintenance of the oil bath.

The apparatus has made it possible to obtain a larger total yield of oil than .is ordinarily possible ,by either theusualsolvent extraction or by destructive distilla'- tion. Solvent extraction may remove three times as much oil from shale as is possible by destructive distillation. The present invention combines the solvent features with distillation in a way that uses the products formed during distillationrto serve as mate rial for the solvent bath. Claims directed tothe particular process described in this specification are 'presented in my copending divisional application Se{ rial No. 585,174, filed August30, 1922. c 4

The advantageous results made possible by the invention are due, also in part to the heat exchange wherein-the heatof condensation of the vapors within the solvent extrac tion chamber heats the shale as it moves through the chamber and thus enables the shale to go into the retort at a temperatureequal to-the boiling .point of the solvent.

Another feature provided by the use of very hot oil on the shale is the advantage derived by the increased ease and rapidity with which the oil soaked shale,

is treated in a retort 'to destructivedistillation. The process has been found to operate much more readily than was the casewhere relatively drv shale was subjected to distillation and this probably diie to the factvantages of .that dry shale is an' extremely dpoor conductor of heat and consequently stillation of shale must be not only slow but wasteful because of the time and fuel used for completing the distillation. Contrasted to thetreatment of dry shale, the present process, by treating oil soaked shale, and particularly shale soaked with hot oil, shortens the required period of heating because of the initial rise in temperature due to the presence of hot oil extending into the center of each particle of shale and thefact that oil liquid oil, and the necssarycommunicating pipes providing for the passage of the products oi distillation from the retort to a point .-where these products may. be. conveniently Condensed to: a sufficient' degree .to provide the materialsused as the'liquid bath in the treatment chamber. Details providing for soaked shale is a better conductor of heat I v the eflicient and continuous operation of the V apparatus and process include the use of'av screw, chain type, or any other suitable type of conveyor retort'po's'itiond substantially horizontally in a furnace, an inclined tubular treatment chamber above the retort tube and outside the furnace, and. the -relative position'of the openings for. the 'introduction and removal of shale, the. relative position of the pipes forsthe removal ofliquid oil and aeriformmaterial 'fromithe treatment chamber, the relative length ofvithe pipes connected to the treatmentchamber, andithemountingof a conveyor;-' within thetreatment chamber for the removal of shale.

The above and additionalldetailsand addescribedand claimed in the following spe'cificationand claims, andillus'trated in the accompanying' drawings, in whichz- Figure 1 is a side elevation,vpartly broken away, of apparatus including a retort and treatment chamber involving the features of the invention; c Figure 2 isan enlarged view, partly broke the apparatus antj .process are 1 away and inpartial section, illustrating the relation begtween-th'e retort having the screw conveyors, and t e inclined treatment cham" ber positioned a ove the retort; and j apparatus which has been successfully used in conducting the process of the invention,

lrepresents the masonry construction of the furnace, either concrete, stone or brick, but preferably fire-brick, such as Wlll stand severe temperatures. A suitable stack 2 is provided for leading off the furnace fumes, smoke, and gases of combustion; A source of heat is provided by burners 3 located at the lower part of the furnace and fed by I suitable pipes 3 providing liquid or gaseous fuel obtained during the operation of the.

process and apparatus, as will be hereinafter further explained. The furnace may be braced 'by suitable buck stays, not shown, which enclose the outer walls of the furnace and hold the same to a suitable masonry or concrete base. The flame and hot gases from the burner nozzles is projected inwardly and passed upwardly in the furnace over a horizontally extending partition 4 and upward to ultimately escape through the stack 2. During the' upward movement the heat comes into direct contactwith the exterior of a plurality of longitudinally positioned retort tubes, as will be described. The drawing illustrates three crackin tubes or- retort tubes 5, 6 and 7, positione one above the other and substantially horizontally. Within the tubes 5, 6 and 7 are respective screw conveyors 5, 6 and 7 mounted on and adapted to turn with shafts 5 6* and 7", respectively. Suitable j ournal boxes or stufiing boxes are indicated for the respective shafts at 5, 6 and 7. Materials within the tube 5 are passed to the left, referring to Figure 2, and are dropped through the communicating pipe 8 into the end of the tube 6, and similarly these materials are passed in the opposite direction in the-tube 6 and are permitted to drop through the com- .municating pipe 9 to the lowermost tube 7,

in which latter the materials are again moved to the left and are finally dropped into the discharge pipe 10 for spent shale. Discharge pipe 10- has a rotary valve 10 adapted to periodically move to discharge shale in measured quantities, but not to permitthe passage of air or gases into or out of the retort. The valve 10 is mounted on a shaft 10 and operated by the same power means as the shafts of the retort conveyors, as will be described. The direction of travel of the contents of the apparatus is indicated by arrows.

Immediately above the retort and furnace is mounteda treatment chamber 11 adapted to contain a pool or bath of liquid oil. This paratus.

mamas chamber is illustrated as an inclined tubular longitudinally extending member having its lower end adjacent the outlet end of the retort and its upper end positioned above the inlet end of the upper retort tube 5. A pipe 12 is indicated on the up er'side of and leading from an opening in t e chamber 11 adjacent the lower-end thereof and communicates wit-h a reservoir 13 above the same,

i which reservoir is provided with a suitable funnel shaped opening 14. At the opposite and upper end of the chamber 11 and onthe underneath side thereof is adischarge opening having a pipe 15 leading therefrom and extending downwardly as a supply pipe for the receiving endof the retort tube 5.

screw conveyor 11 is mounted within the chamber 11 and positioned substantially on the bottom thereof so as to move. shale and solid material along the inclined floor of the chamber from "the lower end thereof and dump such material into the pipe '15. The screw conveyor 11 is mounted on shaft 11 which in turn isprovided with the necessary stufiing boxes or journal boxes 11 at the ends of the chamber 11. The invention provides that the conveyor 11 should move in such a manner as to carry relatively small amounts comparatively slowly from thelower end of the chamber-11 to the discharge opening at the pipe 15'. The invention also provides that the lower end of the chamber 11 constantly contain a bath or pool of liquid oil which normally covers the lower end of the pipe 12 and rises within that pipe and into the hopper 13 whenever the pressure may so require this movement. Likewise it is necessary that the upper end of-the pipe 15. namely the discharge end of the chamber, be above the fluid level within the chamber so that the screw conveyor 11 may move shale material out of the liquid oil bathbefore-dumping the shale material into the pipe 15. On the upper side of the chamber is a discharge opening having a pipe 16 for the removal of gases and vapors from a region above the pool of oil. An her discharge opening having a pipe 17 provided at a lower point on the chamber 11 for the removal of liquid oil provided and formed during the operation of the process and ap- This pipe 17 is attached to the chamber 11 at a point well removed from the lower side of the 'chamber so that no solid material or shale will be drawn off with the oil, and in thejpfeferrd arrangement this pipe is inclos proximity to the pipe 12 near the upper surface but toward the lower end of the chamber 11. An upwardly extending pipe 17 having its upper end open .materials preferably extends upward as anthe upper end of'the reservoir 13 so that the oil also may rise within this. pipe subject to pressures withinthe chamber 11, as will be described. r

The pipe 16 for the removal of aeriform elongated run-back pipe, and is connected with a stone tower 18, and from this tower gases and lighter vapors are removed through the pipe 19 and passed through the coils of a condenser 20 positioned in the condenser. tank 21. Liquid oil formed within the stone tower is drawn olf through the pipe 22 and emptied into a distillate tank 23. Materials condensed in the coils 20 are removedthrough a pipe 20 and deposited in a gasoline tank 24. Gases. remaining after passage through the condenser are led upward away from the pipe 20 and into a gasscrubber 2'5 bv means of a pipe 20*" connected to the lower end of the scrubber. The'gases issuing from the scrubber at the topthereof are led through the pipe 3 to the burner nozzle 3} in the furnace. The

pipe 1'] for the removalof liquid oil from the oil bathin the chamber 11, extends the distillate tank 23.

length of theapparatus, 'backof the condense; in- Figure 1, and is connected to the pipe 22 which conducts liquid oil into the Driving means for-turning the shafts 5 6", 7 b and 11 is provided by the main drive. shaft 26 mounted'in suitable bearings, not

todrive a chain 5 passing over-a sprocket gear 11 mounted on the conveyor shaft 11". A universal joint in the shaft 11 is indicated at 11.to take care of the angle due to the inclination of the tank 11. Atthe lower side of the apparatus the conveyorshaft 7 is provided with a. second sprocket wheel 7 which drives a chain 7 passing over a sprocket wheel 10 mounted on the valve shaft 10 thus constituting operating means for the valv 10 The arrows in Figure '3 indicate the relative direction of rotation of the conveyor shafts and sprocket wheels. 1

,At theupper end ofthe treatment cham- .ber His a pipe 11 for'the introduction of materials used for washingout'the treat ment chamber, and at the lowerendis' a corresponding drain pipe 1 1 for removing such materials. 4 I

The process and apparatus has'been sat-'- isfactorily operated with apparatus in which the retort tubes 5 .6 and 7 were approximately of six inch bore, and in which a conveyor screw of five and three-quarter inches was operated. The invention preferably uses a tubular treatment chamber 11 which has-a bore of from twenty-four to thirty inches -in'which the conveyor member is approximately eight inches. The operation of the process is not necessarily dependent on the relative size of the chamber and conveyor therein, but under certain conditions may be. operated-. satisfactorily with a conveyor substantially filling the chamber, or by any kind of conveyor capable of moving shale and solid material from the pool of oil, out of the same and into the receiving end of the retort.

In "the normal operation ofthe process,

when first starting the same, liquid oil is poured into the opening 14 and sufficient is introduced to cover the lower end of the pipe '12, thus forming a liquid seal for this pipe. Such oil is preferably a distillate obtained from previous distillation, 'or what is known as tops or distillate, but any other liquid oil from petroleum is sufficiently ef-.

fective as a seal-to serve for the. purpose.

The use of water as a seal for the initial operation has been satisfactorily applied Crushed shale containing the oil to be extracted in reduced form and containing chiefly lumps capable of passing through a a two inch screen is added by dumping the same in small amounts into the opening 14. The shale is introduced thus into the oil bath and is subjected thereby to a combined solvent treatment and oil soaking treatment.

The conveyors are set in motion and the retort heated. It is the practice to introduce shale into the reservoir 13 as fast as it is removed by the screw conveyor-11 thus giving a mechanical advantage ofpreventing an accumulation'of the shale, which because part of it is finely divided when stirred up with the oil, becomes a .mud which is' objectionable when passedinto pipes. The column of shale movedalong the floor of the chamber 11 is relatively small compared" to the capacity of'the chamber, usually not more than 10 per cent as much shale being present as compared to the volume of the oil bath, and frequently the ainount of shale is in much lower proportion. This continuous movement of the shale in small quantities is s'uch'that the shale is constantly in agitation "and being stirred and is in cons't'a nt contact with new portions of a relatively large bath of solvent oil. As the shale is moved from the chamberv and through the retorts in the'retort furnace it is subjected to'increased tem eratures during its 1 progress through t e apparatus.

This heat tr'eatment in the retorts drives off all oil material present-in the" shale andadhering thereto, and allthat has not been re-' moved by the solvent action of the bath of -oil in the chamber 11. pors generated within the retort tubes 5, 6

The gases and vaand 7 are passed upward through the pipe 15 and into the treatment chamber 11. In this region they come into contact with the relatively cooler walls of the chamber, the bath of oil with the fresh shale therein, and a substantial portion of'the material is condensed and flows to the lower end of the chamber to supplement the volume of liquid oil. The nature and the amount of the materials so condensed depends on the temperaturein the retort, in part, but chiefly on the relative size and coolness of the walls of the treatment chamber 11 and the length of the run-back pipe 16.v The chamber 11 may be covered with insulating material to maintain heat conditions constant, or it may be artificially cooled. Likewise, the length of the pipe 16 may be varied and, it also may be insulated or artificially cooled, such changes depending on the relative nature of the condensed materials to be used as the solvent bath.

The blast of flame from' the burners 3*.

provides a temperature in the lower retort hotter than the temperature in the 'upper retort. The temperature around the retort tubes should be from 900 F. to 1l00 F.

- depending on the arrangement of flues and the disposition of the retort tubes within the furnace 1. The temperature within the retort tubes should be-at least 550 F., and for the practical rapid operation about 700 F.

I is desired. However, the temperature within the tube does not have to be as high as ordinarily used for destructive distillation in small retorts, because in the present invention the heat is transmitted with com- .fparative rapidity from the outside to the inside of each piece ofshale, this being due, as hereinbefore explained, to the prellmi- 'naryheating by the addition of the hot soltemperature of 300 F., and sometimesabove, and sometimes below, depending on the position of the chamber 11 relative to the outside air, the distance from the fur- I nace, and the constant cooling effected by such conditions.

The process is capable of operation at ordinary atmospheric pressure, under partial vacuum, and also under increased pressure.

the higher temperature at which the solvent remains liquid lnstead of vaporizing. Pressures may be built up by partially closing the valves in the pipes 16 and 17, and the operation of an accumulation of pressure causes the liquid within the-chamber 11 to back up through the pipe 12 and into the hopper or reservoir 13 until the hydrostatic pressure of this column' of liquid is sufficient to balance the pressure within the apparatus. When the oil is thus backed-up in the pipe 12 and thereservoir 13, it also rises in the air vent pipe 17*, which latter should be high enough to permit this rise in liquid level.

The liquid oil taken off through the pipe 17 from the liquid extraction bath in 'the lower end of chamber 11- differs frbm the liquid obtained from the vapors which pass off through the pipe 16, because the former contains more or less of dissolved material extracted from the shale. The liquid in the chamber 11 also contains a more readily con; densed vapor passed from the retort, and therefore has a higher specific gravity and higher boiling point than the vapors and the liquids condensed therefrom which are driven off through the pipe 16.

The process and apparatus has been successfully worked in the treatment of Mon-' terey shale mined in California. Also, it has been successfull used in treating shales mined near Elko, tain large amounts. of oil and wax which can be extracted by solvents. I The invention has also been. successfully used with shale taken from the Uintah Basin of Colorado and Utah, and also has successfully been used with oil soaked sand.

The process and apparatus has produced remarkable results by using the steps of op eration and the details hereinbefore specified. These features include the use of-materials extracted by distillation as the material of a solvent bath for treating shale. Other arrangements capable of performing the steps specified for the process may be ered as within the scope of the process of this invention. For instance, the treatment chamber could extend downward from the right of the furnace so as to lower the chamber and in this case the upper end of the treatmentchamber would have the same relevada, which latter conpossible, but such arrangements are considbe nearer the ground and consequently the the lower end of the treatment chamber to-- reservoir 13 would be more readily reached. Th1s arrangement might serve also to extend ward the source of shale supply thereby'reducing the amount of conveyor apparatuswhich resin is removed from the shale by the -the-aer if0r1' nT-.material produced, and an opening ior f-the. discharge of extractedcil ..material, mean's. for removing shale from necessary. The apparatus arrangement illustrated with the treatment chamber above the retort serves to economize floor space'although the upper end of the reservoir 13 maynot be as easily reached as if the treatment chamber was inclined downwardly toward theground and positioned at one side of the furnace.

The term hydrocarbon .oil material is un-- derstood' to include all material removable from the shale by the process described and claimed. It is known that dertain shale, such as the shale at Casmalia, California, contains considerable amounts of resin,

process of this invention, along with the. oil technically known as petroleum oil. The

oil and resin may be separated by known refining steps. It is also known to me that the oil found near beds of shale, which beds containsuch resin, also contains 'in solution, amounts of resin and allied oxidized bodies such as tar and wax, and that this material may be recovered and separated byetreating the oil as it is obtained fromthe ground. The presence of such materials in solution in oil-in nature indicates the correctness of the theory of the present invention, which provides for the solvent extraction of the shale by the solvent obtained from the shale.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for extracting hydrocarbon oil material from oil bearing shales which apparatus comprises retort means for distilling shale, a treatment chamber capable of holding a bath of oil and having an opening for the introduction of'fre sh: shale, a shale discharge opening for the discharge of treated shale, a discharge opening for said chamberandpassing it to said shale discharge opening, and a pipe directly con-- necting said chamber and said retortfor vconductin directly into said chamber material distilled from shale in s'aidretort. 1 2. Apparatus for extracting hydrocarbon oil material from oilbear-ing shales whicli' apparatus" comprises retort means for dis.-

jam

. gtsh lle,a m ment hamber c pa v ath *OfJ'O" {shaving an 0P? ..:t 1tr d fi i a hsh e' a shaledischarge*opening forftlie' 'dischar e. of treatedfshale-to the said .retort; ].a "d1scharge opening for the aeriiorm. material produced, and an opening .for the discharge of extracted oil materiahmeans for removingshale from said chamber and passingv and a it to said shale discharge opening connecting said chamber and pipe .directl said retort or conducting directly into said outer surface in contact with the atmosphere and capable. of holding a bath of oil and having an opening 'for the' introduction of fresh shale, a shale dischargec-opening for .the discharge of treated shale to the said retort, a discharge opening for the aeriform material produced, andan-opening for the discharge of extracted oil material, means .86

for removing shale from said chamber and passing it to said shaleidischarge opening, and a pipe directly connecting said chamber and said retort for conducting directly into said chamber material distilled from' shale in said retort.

4. Apparatus forextracting hydrocarbon oil material from oil. bearing shales which apparatus comprises retortmeansfor dis-' tilling shale, a treatment chamber. capable of holding a bath of oil and having an open-' ing for the introduction of fresh shale, a shale dischar e opening for the discharge of treated shad directly above areceiving opening in said retort, a discharge opening for the aeriform material produced, and an opening for the discharge of extracted il material, means for removing shale from said 'chamber'and passing it to said I shale discharge opening,

and a pipe directly connecting said chamber e to the said retort positioned and said retort for conducting directly into in said retort and in aeriform condition.

said chamber material distilled from shale 5. Apparatus for extractinghydrocarbon oil materialfrom oil bearing shale which apparatus comprises a furnace, a treatment chamber on the outside of said furnace ca-' pable of holding a bath of oil and having an opening for the introduction of :fresh shale, an opening for the dischar e' of; treated-shale, an opening for the disc arge of aeriform material, .and an opening for the discharge of, extracted oil material .located higher than said opening for the introduction of fresh shale, means for removwithin said furnace for distilling shale, and communicating means for directly conducting. into said treatment chamber material distilled from shale in said retort. 6..Apparatus for extracting h drocarbon oi1 material from oil bearing s ale, which" ing shale .from said chamber, retort means i shale, an opening for the discharge of treated shale, an opening for the discharge of aeriform material, and an opening for the discharge of extracted oil material,

' means for removing shale from said chamber, retort means for distilling shale, and communicating means for conducting into said treatment chamber material extracted from shale in said retort and in aeriform condition, said chamber having a condensing surface in the interior thereof for condensing and returning to'said bath aeri form material so introduced into said chamber.

7. Apparatus for extracting hydrocarbon oil material from oil bearing shale which apparatus comprises, a treatment chamber capable of holding a bath of oil and having an opening for the introduction of fresh shale, an opening for (the discharge of treated shale, an opening for the discharge of aeriform material, and an opening for the discharge of extracted oil material, 0011 veyor means within said chamber and co-operatrng with the lower ,inner surface thereof for removing shale and solid material from said chamber, retort means for distilling such shale and solid material, and communicat ng means for conducting directly into said treatment chamber material distilled from shalein said retort.

8. Apparatus for extracting hydrocarbon oil material from oil bearing shale which apparatus comprises a treatment chamber capable of holding a bath of oil and having an opening for the introduction of fresh shale, an opening for the discharge of treated shale, and an opening for the discharge of extracted oil material. screw conveyor means adjacent the floor of said cham her and extending at least from a point adjacent the opening for the introduction of shale to said opening for the discharge of treated shale for removing shale from said chamber, retort means for distilling shale, and communicating means for conducting directly into said treatment chamber material distilled from shale in Said retort.

, 10. Apparatus for extracting hydrocarbon oil material from oil bearing shale which apparatus comprises a treatment chamber capable of holding a bath of oil and having an opening adjacent one end thereof and spaced from the bottom for the introduction of fresh shale, an opening for the discharge of treated shale located at the opposite end'of said chamber and substantially at the floor thereof, and an opening for the discharge of extracted oil material, screw conveyor means adjacent the floor of said chamber and extending at least from a point adjacent the opening for the introduction of shale to said opening for the discharge of treated shale for removing shale from said chamber, a screw conveyor retort for distilling shale in communication with said chamber, and a connecting pipeextendingdirectly between said retort and said opening in said chamber for the discharge of shale,said connecting pipe constituting means for conducting volatile products from said retort directly into said treatment chamber.

11. Apparatus for extracting hydrocarbon oil material from oil bearing shale which apparatus comprises a retort, a treatment chamber capable of holding a bath of oil positioned above said retort, said chamher having an opening for the introduction of. fresh shale, an opening for the discharge of extracted material, a discharge passageway for treated shale extending from a point in said chamber relatively higher than said opening for the discharge of extracted material. downwardly to said retort, said passageway constituting means for conducting volatile products from said retort directly into said treatment chamber.

12. Apparatus for extracting hydrocarbon oil material from oil bearing shale which apparatus comprises a screw conveyor retort, a. treatment chamber capable of holding a bath of oil positioned above said retort and having the floor thereof tilted, said chamber having an, opening in the upper side thereof for the introduction of shale. a comn' unicating passageway between said chamber and said retort extending from an opening in the upper end of said tilted chamber fioor downwardly into the top of said retort, and conveyor means within 'said chamber for moving shale and solid material from the lower side of said tilted floor and discharging the same into said passageway and into said retort, said passagewayconstituting means for conducting volatile products from said retort directly into said treatment chamber.

13. Apparatus for extracting hydrocarbon oil material from oil bearing shale which apparatus comprises a horizontally ositioned screw conveyor retort, an inclined tubular treatment chamber positioned above said retort and capable of holding a bath of oil in the lower end thereof, an upwardly extending supply pipe mounted on the upper side 'of saidchamber adjacent the lower end thereof, a communicating pipe extending from the fioor of said chamber ad acent the upper end-thereof and communicating.

means for conducting volatile products a from said retort directly into said treatment chamber.

14.' Apparatus for extracting hydrocarbon oil material from oil bearing shale which apparatus comprises a horizontally positioned screw conveyor retort, a furnace enclosing said retort, an inclined tubular treatmentchamberpositioned above said furnace and said retort and capable'of holding a bath of oil in the lower end thereof, an upwardly extending supply pipe mounted on the upper side of said chamber adjacent the lower end thereof, a communicating pipe extending from the floor'of said chamber adj acent-the upper end thereof and communicating with one end of saidretort, and screw conveyor means within said chamber extending substantially the length thereof and adjacent the floor thereof .for moving shale from the lower end of said chamber to said communicating pipe, the uppermost end of said communicating pipe at the floor of said chamber being higher than the lower. end of the said supply pipe.

15. Apparatus for; extracting, hydrocarbon o.il material from oil. bearing shale which apparatus comprises a horizontally positioned screw conveyor retort, an inclined tubular treatment chamber positioned above said retort and capable of holding a bath of oil in the lower end thereof, an upwardly extending supply pipe mounted on the upper side of said chamber adjacent the lower end thereof, a communicating pipe extending from the floornf said chamber adjacent the upper end thereof and communicating with one end o-f'said retort, a pipe extending from said chamber for the. removal of aerifdrm material, and screw conveyor means within said chamber extending substantially the length thereof and adjacent the floorthereof for moving shale from the lower. end of said chamber tosaid communicating pipe, the uppermost end ofsaid communicating'pip'e at the floor of said-chamber being higher than the lower end of the said supply pipe, said'communicating pipe constituting means for conducting. volatile products from said retort directly into said treatment chamber.

16. Apparatus for extracting hydrocarbon oilmaterial from oil bearing shale which from the floor of said chamber adjacent the upper end thereof and communicating with one end of saidretort, a pipe for the removal of liquid oil connected with saidv chamber,and screw conveyor means within said chamber extending substantially the length thereof and adjacent the floor thereof for moving shale from the lower end of said chamber to said communicating pipe, the uppermost end of said communicating pipe at the floor of said chamber being higher than the lower end of said supply pipe, said communicating'pipe constituting means forconducting volatile products from said retort directly into said treatment chamber.

17. Apparatus for extraotinghydrocarbon oil material. from oil bearing shale which apparatus comprises a horizontally positioned screw conveyor retort, -an in-v clined tubular treatment chamber positioned above said retort and capable of holding a bath of oil in thelower end thereof, an up. wardlyextending supply pipe mounted on the upper side of said chamber adjacent the lower end thereof, a communicating pipe extending from thefioor of said chamber adjacent the upper end thereof and communi cating with one end of said retort, a pipe eX- tending from said chamber for the removal of aeriform material and projecting upwardly and constituting-a run-back pipe, a

pipe for the removal of liquid oil connected with said chamber, and screw conveyor.

means within said chamber extending substantially the length. thereof andv adjacent the floor thereof for moving shale from the lower end of said chamber to said communicating pipe,.the uppermost end of said comm'unicating'pipe at the floor of said chamber being higher than the lowerend of said supply pipe, said communicating pipe constituting means for conducting volatile products from said retort directl .into' said treatment chamber.

In testimony whereof .I aflix-my signature.

, DAVID .T. DA'Y..."

-' 'Witne'sses': 1

.LILY. S. GERRY,

f ANNE B. CovUs; V

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