High velocity dryer tube

Claim 1

A FLUID DISTRIBUTING TUBE FOR USE IN APPARATUS FOR TREATING MATERIAL WITH A HEATED GASEOUS FLUID, SAID TUBE HAVING AT LEAST ONE INLET AT AN END THEEREOF FOR CONNECTION TO A SUPPLY OF HEATED FLUID UNDER PRESSURE AND ALSO HAVING AN OUTLET EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE TUBE BETWEEN SAID INLET AND THE OTHER END OF THE TUBE, AND MEANS COMPRISING A BAFFLE INSIDE SAID TUBE HAVING WALLS SPACED FROM THE SIDE WALLS OF THE TUBES SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF THE OUTLET FORMING FLUID SPACES BETWEEN THE BAFFLE WALLS AND THE WALLS OF SAID TUBE AND ALSO FORMING AN INLET PASSAGE FOR FLUID FROM SAID INLET TO SAID OUTLET, SAID BAFFLE WALLS PROVIDING BETWEEN THEM AND THE RELATIVELY COOL OUTER WALLS OF SAID TUBE PATHS ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID BAFFLE WALLS EACH DIRECTLY FROM SAID INLET PASSAGE TO SAID OUTLET, THE LENGTHS OF WHICH PATHS ALONG SAID OUTER WALLS FROM SAID INLET PASSAGE TO SAID OUTLET GRADUALLY DECREASE FROM SAID INLET TO THE POINT IN SAID OUTLET FARTHEST FROM SAID INLET, PROVIDING FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FLUID FROM SAID INLET SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM FROM SAID INLET TO THE POINT IN THE OUTLET FARTHEST FROM THE INLET THROUGHOUT A WIDE RANGE OF TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FLUID SUPPLY AT THE INLET AND THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FLUID OUTSIDE THE TUBE.