Slurry drying device

Claim 1

A SLURRY DRYER COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A HOUSING, A ROTATING PLATE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL CIRCULAR FLAT PLATS MOUNTED ON A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL SHAFT IN SPACED RELATION WITH EACH OTHER AND PERPENDICULAR TO THE SHAFT, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ASSEMBLY ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID SHAFT, MEANS FOR DIRECTING A STREAM OF HOT GAS OVER SAID ASSEMBLY INCLUDING THE UPPER AND LOWER REGION THEREOF ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AXIS, A SYSTEM FOR FEEDING SLURRY TO SAID ASSEMBLY ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTHS OF THE PLATE RADII AT GENERALLY THE AXIAL HORIZONTAL LOCATION ON THE UPPERLY MOVING SIDES OF THE ASSEMBLY RELATIVE TO THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION AND INCLUDING MEANS FOR MAINTAINING A POOL OF THE SLURRY INTERMEDIATE AND IN CONTACT WITH THE SPACED PLATES AT THIS LOCATION AND EXTENDING FROM THE PERIPHERY TO THE GENERALLY INNER-MOST REGION OF THE PLATE WHEREBY THE SURFACES OF THE PLATES AS THEY MOVE UPWARDLY PAST THIS LOCATION RECEIVED A THIN COATING OF THE SLURRY, AND GENERALLY RADIALLY EXTENDING MEANS ANGULARLY SPACED FROM THIS FEEDING SYSTEM, IN THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION OF THE ASSEMBLY OPERATIVE TO SCARPE THIS DRIED COATING FROM THESE PLATES AND REMOVE THE SAME FROM INTERMEDIATE SAID PLATES.