Rotary drum heat exchanger

Claim 1

A ROTARY DRUM FOR USE IN A ROTARY DRUM HEAT EXCHANGER WHICH COMPRISES A SHELL HAVING AN EXTERNAL HEAT EXCHANGING SURFACE, A ROTARY HUB, A PLURALITY OF DISC HEADERS MOUNTED ON THE HUB AND SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE SHELL FOR SUPPORTING SAID SHELL, A SERIES OF EXPANSION JOINTS ON WHICH THE SHELL IS SUPPORTED FROM SAID DISC HEADERS COMPRISING OPPOSED PAIRS OF PIN AND SLEEVE BEARING CONNECTIONS AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF EACH DISC HEADER ALONG DIAMETERS INTERSECTING THE HUB AXIS AT A SUBSTANTIAL ANGLE TO ONE ANOTHER, THE PINS EXTENDING RADIALLY OF THE DRUM AXIS FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVELY TO SAID SLEEVE BEARINGS ONLY ALONG SAID DIAMETER, EACH OPPOSED PAIR OF PIN AND SLEEVE BEARING CONNECTIONS ON A SAID DIAMETER PROVIDING A FIXED SUPPORT FOR SAID SHELL INCLUDING THE ROTATIONAL AXIS THEREOF AGAINST MOVEMENT IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSELY OF SAID DIAMETER, WHILE PERMITTING EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION OF THE SHELL LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID DIAMETER, WHEREBY THE ROTATIONAL AXIS OF THE SHELL IS RIGIDLY HELD AT THE INTERSECTION OF SAID DIAMETERS CONCENTRIC WITH THE HUB AXIS.