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US 4,389,794 AGranted
Vacuum chamber and method of creating a vacuum
OwnerJack G. Bitterlyinventor
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OwnerJack G. Bitterlyinventor
Estimating the term…
The vacuum chamber includes an airtight generally cylindrical wall and a pair of end members. Vacuum pumps in the chamber evacuate the chamber. The chamber is rotated along the longitudinal axis whereby the centrifugal force of the rotating cylindrical wall acts against the force resulting from the pressure differential between the inside of the evaluated chamber and ambient pressure on the outside of the cylindrical wall to prevent the cylindrical wall from collapsing. An inner member is mounted in the chamber, but the chamber rotates with respect to the inner member. In a low temperature embodiment for freeze drying refrigerated air cools the outside of the chamber to reduce the temperature within the chamber. The consensables condense on the inside of the cold cylindrical wall. A lathe adjacent the inside of the cylindrical wall and lathe drive means for moving the lathe along the length of the cylindrical wall as the wall passes thereover upon rotation of the chamber for removing excess ice from the inside of the cylindrical wall. A higher temperature embodiment for hydrocarbon pyrolysis is also disclosed. Shale is fed into bins, is heated, and vapors condense on the chamber wall where they form a liquid from which is pumped through the chamber by centrifugal force of the rotating chamber.
A vacuum chamber including an airtight, generally cylindrical wall and a pair of end members of airtight material attached to the cylindrical wall in airtight relationship to create a chamber and vacuum means for evacuating the chamber, the improvement comprising the provision of:
In a vacuum chamber having an airtight chamber, vacuum means for evacuating the chamber and condenser means for condensing condensables from the product in the chamber, the improvement comprising:
A system for processing products at low temperatures and pressures including a vacuum chamber for provising reduced pressure for the products and means for decreasing the temperature within the chamber, the improvement comprising the provision of:
A method of creating a vacuum within a chamber comprising the steps of:
In a device for translating a moving member comprising a hollow shaft, a moving member mounted for movement along the outside of the hollow shaft, a drive member in the hollow shaft for movement in the hollow shaft, hydraulic means attached to the drive member for pressurizing the hollow shaft whereby changing the pressure moves the drive member, the hollow driving member being magnetically coupled to the moving member whereby the drive member moves the moving member and a heater attached to the hydraulic means for heating the hydraulic fluid to raise the temperature of the hollow shaft to melt any ice that would form on the hollow shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.