Patent ID: 9138710
Filing Date: 2015-09-22
Classification: B01J,B65G

Abstract:
1. A method for unloading particles from a plurality of vertical chemical reactor tubes, comprising the steps of: releasably fixing a frame adjacent to the bottom of a first vertical reactor tube; providing a fish tape mounted on said frame for substantially linear, upward and downward motion relative to said frame, said fish tape having first and second ends; aligning the first end of the fish tape with the bottom of the first vertical reactor tube; using an automated controller to control a reversible drive repeatedly to advance the fish tape upwardly into the first vertical reactor tube until sensing when a first end of the fish tape has contacted the particles and to retract the fish tape downwardly in response to sensing when the fish tape has contacted the particles to allow the particles to fall out of the bottom of the first vertical reactor tube.