Continuous drying apparatus

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY DRYING INFLAMMABLE SOLVENT-WET SOLIDS UNDER REDUCED PRESSURE AND FOR CONTIUNOUSLY RECOVERING BOTH SAID INFLAMMABLE SOLVENT AND SAID DRIED SOLIDS COMPRISING A DRYING CHAMBER, MEANS CONNECTED THERETO WHICH CONTINUOUSLY FEEDS INFLAMMABLE SOLVENT-WET SOLIDS INTO SAID DRYING CHAMBER, SEALING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID MEANS FOR FEEDING AND WITH SAID DRYING CHAMBER WHICH PREVENTS ALL BUT A MINIMUM AMOUNT OF AIR FROM ENTERING SAID DRYING CHAMBER THROUGH SAID FEEDING MEANS, A DRIED SOLIDS DISCHARGE HOPPER IN A LOWER PORTION OF SAID DRYING CHAMBER, AN INERT GAS ADMISSION PORT ENTERING SAID DRYING CHAMBER, INERT GAS FEED MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID INERT GAS ADMISSION PORT, OXYGEN MEASURING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID DRYING CHAMBER, A PURGE GAS DISCHARGE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID DRYING CHAMBER, PRESSURE-SENSITIVE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID PURGE GAS DISCHARGE MEANS WHICH INCREASES OR DECREASES THE SPEED OF SAID PURGE GAS DISCHARGE MEANS, THUS MAINTAINING THE DESIRE REDUCED PRESSURE IN THE DRYING CHAMBER, A DISCHARGE CONVEYOR IMMEDIATELY BELOW SAID HOPPER, SEALING MEANS IN SAID CONVEYOR WHICH PREVENTS ALL BUT A MINIMUN AMOUNT OF AIR FROM ENTERING SAID DRYING CHAMBER THROUGH SAID CONVEYOR AND SAID HOPPER, A CONDENSER, A SLUDGE SEPARATION SYSTEM CONNECTED TO SAID CONDENSER, AN INERT GAS CIRCULATING BLOWER CONNECTING SAID CONDENSER AND SAID DRYING CHAMBER, A RETURN CONDUIT CONNECTING SAID CONDENSER AND SAID DRYING CHAMBER, SAID CIRCULATING BLOWER CYCLING SAID INERT GAS AND SAID SOLVENT TO SAID CONDENSER AND RE-CYCLING SAID INERT GAS BACK TO SAID DRYING CHAMBER THROUGH SAID RETURN CONDUIT, AND HEATING MEANS IN SAID RETURN CONDUIT WHICH HEATS SAID RECYCLED INERT GAS.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY DRYING INFLAMMABLE SOLVENT-WET SOLIDS UNDER REDUCED PRESSURE AND FOR CONTIUNOUSLY RECOVERING BOTH SAID INFLAMMABLE SOLVENT AND SAID DRIED SOLIDS COMPRISING A DRYING CHAMBER, MEANS CONNECTED THERETO WHICH CONTINUOUSLY FEEDS INFLAMMABLE SOLVENT-WET SOLIDS INTO SAID DRYING CHAMBER, SEALING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID MEANS FOR FEEDING AND WITH SAID DRYING CHAMBER WHICH PREVENTS ALL BUT A MINIMUM AMOUNT OF AIR FROM ENTERING SAID DRYING CHAMBER THROUGH SAID FEEDING MEANS, A DRIED SOLIDS DISCHARGE HOPPER IN A LOWER PORTION OF SAID DRYING CHAMBER, AN INERT GAS ADMISSION PORT ENTERING SAID DRYING CHAMBER, INERT GAS FEED MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID INERT GAS ADMISSION PORT, OXYGEN MEASURING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID DRYING CHAMBER, A PURGE GAS DISCHARGE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID DRYING CHAMBER, PRESSURE-SENSITIVE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID PURGE GAS DISCHARGE MEANS WHICH INCREASES OR DECREASES THE SPEED OF SAID PURGE GAS DISCHARGE MEANS, THUS MAINTAINING THE DESIRE REDUCED PRESSURE IN THE DRYING CHAMBER, A DISCHARGE CONVEYOR IMMEDIATELY BELOW SAID HOPPER, SEALING MEANS IN SAID CONVEYOR WHICH PREVENTS ALL BUT A MINIMUN AMOUNT OF AIR FROM ENTERING SAID DRYING CHAMBER THROUGH SAID CONVEYOR AND SAID HOPPER, A CONDENSER, A SLUDGE SEPARATION SYSTEM CONNECTED TO SAID CONDENSER, AN INERT GAS CIRCULATING BLOWER CONNECTING SAID CONDENSER AND SAID DRYING CHAMBER, A RETURN CONDUIT CONNECTING SAID CONDENSER AND SAID DRYING CHAMBER, SAID CIRCULATING BLOWER CYCLING SAID INERT GAS AND SAID SOLVENT TO SAID CONDENSER AND RE-CYCLING SAID INERT GAS BACK TO SAID DRYING CHAMBER THROUGH SAID RETURN CONDUIT, AND HEATING MEANS IN SAID RETURN CONDUIT WHICH HEATS SAID RECYCLED INERT GAS.