Abstract: A combine harvester includes a threshing device 4 configured to perform a threshing process of threshing reaped grain culm in a threshing chamber 23, in which the threshing chamber 23 includes a threshing cylinder 31 configured to rotate around a front-rear axis X, and an arc-shaped receiving net 32 provided extending along an outer circumferential portion of the threshing cylinder 31, and a top plate 30 covering an upper portion of the threshing chamber 23 is supported detachably along the rotation axis direction of the threshing cylinder 31.

Abstract: This invention relates to a coking unit for producing coke articles of good quality from feed material heavy oils with a variety of properties and more specifically relates to a delayed coking unit comprising a heating furnace and coking drums connected in this sequence with piping. This invention is characterized in that an intermediate drum independently equipped with pressure and temperature controlling means is provided, said intermediate drum being small in volume in comparison with that of said coking drum, so that substantially all of the amount of products treated in said intermediate drum is supplied into the coking drum.

Abstract: A heavy oil such as an atmospheric pressure residue, a reduced pressure residue of petroleum, etc. is heated to 400.degree. to 500.degree. C. to carry out polycondensation and provide a pitch containing mesophase microspheres. This pitch is once cooled to 200.degree. to 400.degree. C. and a turbulent flow is imparted thereto to cause agglomeration of the mesophase microspheres. The resulting agglomerates are separated to obtain a crystallizable material enriched with quinoline insolubles. Production of the crystallizable material is preferably conducted in a separation tank accommodating the lower part of a heating polycondensation reactor (6) and having a stirring device (12).

Abstract: Bulk mesophase can be economically produced without coking trouble from a heavy oil in an apparatus comprising: a heat-treatment vessel for heat treating the oil thereby to form pitch containing mesophase microspheres; a cyclone-type separator installed directly below the vessel and operating to cause the mesophase microspheres within the pitch introduced into the separator to coalesce thereby to separate the mesophase microspheres from the matrix pitch; and ascent and descent pipes communicatively connecting the interiors of the vessel and the separator, the ascent pipe returning matrix pitch after removal of the mesophase microspheres into the vessel together with newly supplied oil, which drives the matrix pitch by jet-pump action, the descent pipe introducing the pitch with mesophase microsphere into the top part of the separator in a horizontal tangential direction to produce a cyclone separation action therein.

Abstract: A heavy oil such as an atmospheric pressure residue, a reduced pressure residue of petroleum, etc. is heated to 400.degree. to 500.degree. C. to carry out polycondensation and provide a pitch containing mesophase microspheres. This pitch is once cooled to 200.degree. to 400.degree. C. and a turbulent flow is imparted thereto to cause agglomeration of the mesophase microspheres. The resulting agglomerates are separated to obtain a crystallizable material enriched with quinoline insolubles. Production of the crystallizable material is preferably conducted in a separation tank accommodating the lower part of a heating polycondensation reactor (6) and having a stirring device (12).

Abstract: A coke calcining apparatus comprises a rotary kiln (1), an intermediate cooler (3) installed outside of but rotating unitarily with the kiln at an intermediate part thereof and having inlets (32) and outlets (33) respectively communicating with the upstream and downstream interiors (A,B) of the kiln, and an annular weir (7) fixed to and around the inner wall surface of the kiln at a part thereof between the inlets and outlets of the cooler and functioning to cause the entire quantity of coke (6) which has been subjected to a first-stage calcination at 600.degree. to 1,000.degree. C. in the upstream interior (A) to flow through the cooler (3). The coke thus cooled to 200.degree. C. or lower is subjected to a second-stage calcination at 1,200.degree. to 1,400.degree. C. in the downstream interior (B) for 10 to 30 minutes.

Abstract: Mesocarbon microbeads of narrow particle-size distribution are produced by: subjecting a heavy oil to a primary heat treatment at a temperature T.sub.1 to prepare a pitch containing mesophase microspheres; once cooling this pitch to a temperature lower than its softening point; thereafter subjecting the pitch to a secondary heat treatment at a temperature T.sub.2, which is higher than 350.degree. C. and lower than (T.sub.1 -40.degree. C.); cooling the pitch at a cool rate lower than 200.degree. C./hour; separating from the pitch mesophase microspheres which precipitated in the secondary heat-treatment step; and thereafter obtaining by solvent extraction mesophase microspheres of substantially uniform particle size formed in the residual pitch. The mesocarbon beads of narrow particle-size distribution thus obtained are particularly suitable for use as chromatograph packing material, catalyst support, and other uses.

Abstract: Mesocarbon microbeads are continuously produced by the steps of: (1) mixing a matrix pitch, mesophase microspheres, and a solvent in which the pitch will dissolve but the microspheres will not, thereby to prepare a liquid mixture of a solution and dispersion; (2) processing the mixture in at least two stages of liquid cyclones, thereby to separate it into light and medium-weight liquids and a heavy liquid containing most of the microspheres; and (3) evaporating off the solvent from the heavy liquid thus obtained, thereby to obtain the microspheres as mesocarbon microbeads. The solvent is evaporated off from the light liquid to recover the pitch, and the medium-weight liquid is recycled to step (1) and (2).

Abstract: Process for calcining green coke in at least three heating stages, which comprises preheating the green coke in the first stage, preliminarily calcining the coke in the second stage, cooling the coke; and calcining the coke in the third stage, volatile matter from the second stage being burned during the third stage. The product coke is suitable for preparing graphite electrodes.

Abstract: An effective and regenerable oil adsorbent is obtained from a pitch-like substance formed by heat-treating a heavy hydrocarbon oil to such an extent that the volatile matter content thereof is about 10% by weight to about 60% by weight, preferably about 30 to about 50% by weight. By using this oil adsorbent, oil-removing purification treatment of oil-contaminated water can be effectively achieved with economical advantages.

Abstract: A process for calcining green coke containing water and combustible volatile matter and obtained by a delayed coking process in three or more stages of heating furnaces which are connected in series, and the control of the temperature and the adjustment of the atmosphere in the respective furnaces can be independently carried out, which process comprises carrying out, in respective furnaces in the indicated order, the steps of:(a) evaporating the water contained in the green coke, and drying and pre-heating the coke;(b) distilling off and burning the volatile matter from the dried coke; and(c) heating and calcining the coke from the step (b).Because each furnace can be controlled independently from the other furnaces in the above described process, it is possible to produce high-grade coke without process difficulties such as the loss of the coke by combustion and the formation of coke ring.

Abstract: An effective and regenerable oil adsorbent is obtained from a pitch-like substance formed by heat-treating a heavy hydrocarbon oil to such an extent that the volatile matter content thereof is about 10% by weight to about 60% by weight, preferably about 30 to about 50% by weight. By using this oil adsorbent, oil-removing purification treatment of oil-contaminated water can be effectively achieved with economical advantages.

Abstract: Pitch is produced continuously by heat treating a heavy hydrocarbon oil at a temperature of 350.degree. to 500.degree. C successively in two or more reactors connected in series, outlet to inlet, recirculating, at the same time, one portion of the liquid output substance from at least one reactor into that reactor, and introducing the output substance (molten pitch) of the final reactor into an after-treatment chamber of duct shape with an inactive atmosphere sealed therewithin thereby to cool the output substance.