Freeze drying apparatus

Claim 1

A FREEZE DRYING APPARATUS COMPRISING; (A) AN ELONGATED EVACUABLE DRYING CHAMBER HAVING INLET, OUTLET AND INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS, CONVEYOR MEANS ADAPTED TO TRANSPORT A MATERIAL TO BE DRIED THROUGH SAID DRYING CHAMBER, HEATING MEANS POSITIONED WITHIN SAID DRYING CHAMBER, BER AND ADAPTED TO HEAT THE MATERIAL TO BE DRIED; (B) AN AVACUABLE INLET LOCK CHAMBER CONNECTED TO SAID DRYING CHAMBER INLET PORTION, INLET LOCK VALVE MEANS FOR ISOLATING SAID INLET LOCK CHAMBER FROM SAID DRYING CHAMBER, AN INLET DOOR MEANS ADAPTED TO PROVIDE ACCESS INTO SAID INLET LOCK CHAMBER, INLET LOCK EVACUATION MEANS ADAPTED TO PROVIDE EVACATION OF SAID INLET LOCK CHAMBER; (C) AN EVACUABLE OUTLET LOCK CHAMBER CONNECTED TO SAID DRYING MACHINE OUTLET PORTION, OUTLET LOCK VALVE MEANS FOR ISOLATING SAID OUTLET LOCK CHAMBER FROM SAID DRYING CHAMBER, AN OUTLET DOOR MEANS ADAPTED TO PROVIDE ACCESS INTO SAID OUTLET LOCK CHAMBER, OUTLET LOCK EVACUATION MEANS ADAPTED TO PROVIDE EVACUATION OF SAID OUTLET LOCK CHAMBER; AND (D) DRYING CHAMBER EVACUATION MEANS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO AND ADAPTED TO PROVIDE EVACUATION OF THE ENTIRE SAID DRYING CHAMBER, SAID DRYING CHAMBER EVACUATION MEANS BEING CONNECTED TO THE OUTLET END OF SAID DRYING CHAMBER THEREBY PROVIDING A GAS EVACUATION PATH ALONG THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID DRYING CHAMBER AND WHEREIN NO ADDITIONAL EVACUATION DEVICES ARE DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO EITHER SAID DRYING CHAMBER INLET OF INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS.