Elevation of subdivided solids

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTION SUBDIVIDED SOLIDS FROM A LOWER ZONE TO A HIGHER ZONE WHICH COMPRISES: A PLURALITY OF GAS-LIFT UNITS IN SERIES, EACH COMPRISING A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING SOLIDS CONDUIT PROVIDING A SEAL LEG, A GAS-LIFT HOUSING COMMUNICATING WITH THE LOWER END OF SAID SOLIDS CONDUIT, A GAS-SOLIDS CONDUIT COMMUNICATING WITH AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID HOUSING, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING LIFTING GAS INTO SAID HOUSING, SAID HOUSING BEING CLOSED TO THE ATMOSPHERE IN ORDER THAT SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE CAN BE MAINTAINED THEREIN, AND ALL BUT THE LAST OF SAID GAS-LIFT UNITS ALSO COMPRISING A SEAPARTING VESSEL COMMUNICATING WITH THE UPPER END OF THE GASSOLIDS CONDUIT OF THE SAME GAS-LIFT UNIT; EACH SOLIDS CONDUIT HAVING OPEN UPPER AND LOWER ENDS AND BEING OTHERWISE CLOSED, AND HAVING RELATIVELY CONSTRICTED CROSS SECTION THROUGHOUT ITS ENTIRE LENGTH; THE GAS-SOLIDS CONDUIT OF THE LAST OF THE GAS-LIFT UNITS COMMUNICATING AT ITS UPPER END WITH SAID HIGHER ZONE; AND THE UPPER END OF THE SOLIDS CONDUIT OF THE FIRST GAS-LIFT UNIT COMMUNICATING WITH SAID LOWER ZONE; AND THE UPPER END OF THE SOLIDS CONDUIT OF EACH OF THE OTHER GAS-LIFT UNITS COMMUNICATING WITH THE SEPARATING VESSEL OF THE PRECEDING GAS-LIFT UNIT, THEREBY TO FORM A SINGLE CONTINUOUS SOLIDS PATH FROM SAID LOWER ZONE TO SAID HIGHER ZONE.