Drying lightweight loose material

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR DRYING LIGHTWEIGHT LOOSE MATERIAL COMPRISING AN ELONGATED DRUM-LIKE HOUSING, HOPPER MEANS AT ONE END OF SAID HOUSING FOR FEEDING MATERIAL TO BE DRIED TO THE SECTION OF SAID HOUSING LYING FIRST IN MATERIAL CONVEYOR DIRECTION, AN ELONGATED ROTATING TUBULAR MEMBER EXTENDING WITHIN SAID HOUSING CENTRALLY AXIALLY THEREOF, THE DIAMETER OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER DIMINISHING PROGRESSIVELY FROM THE MATERIAL FEED END TOWARD THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID HOUSING AND THE WALL OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER BEING PROVIDED SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH WITH HOLES FORMED THEREIN, CONDUIT MEANS AT THE FEED END OF SAID HOUSING FOR SUPPLYING A STREAM OF AIR FOR AXIAL INFLOW INTO SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AT THE WIDE END THEREOF AND OUTFLOW THEREFROM, THROUGH THE HOLES FORMED IN THE WALL THEREOF, INTO THE SURROUNDING SPACE OF SAID HOUSING TO WHICH THE MATERIAL TO BE DRIED IS FED FROM SAID HOPPER MEANS, WHEREBY THE MATERIAL FED INTO SAID HOUSING IS ALONG A HELICAL PATH TRANSPORTED THERETHROUGH TOWARD THE DISCHARGE END, MEANS FOR DIVERTING AN ADJUSTABLE AMOUNT OF THE STREAM OF AIR SUPPLIED TO SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, FOR FLOW INTO SAID FIRST SECTION OF SAID HOUSING, WHEREBY THE MATERIAL TRANSPORT SPEED IS ACCELERATED IN SAID FIRST HOUSING SECTION, MEANS AT THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID HOUSING FOR DISCHARGING COARSE MATERIAL PARTICLES DOWNWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM PORTION THEREOF, AND SUCTION CONTROLLED MEANS ADJACENT THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID HOUSING FOR UPWARDLY REMOVING FROM SAID HOUSING THE REMAINING MATERIAL PARTICLES.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR DRYING LIGHTWEIGHT LOOSE MATERIAL COMPRISING AN ELONGATED DRUM-LIKE HOUSING, HOPPER MEANS AT ONE END OF SAID HOUSING FOR FEEDING MATERIAL TO BE DRIED TO THE SECTION OF SAID HOUSING LYING FIRST IN MATERIAL CONVEYOR DIRECTION, AN ELONGATED ROTATING TUBULAR MEMBER EXTENDING WITHIN SAID HOUSING CENTRALLY AXIALLY THEREOF, THE DIAMETER OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER DIMINISHING PROGRESSIVELY FROM THE MATERIAL FEED END TOWARD THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID HOUSING AND THE WALL OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER BEING PROVIDED SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH WITH HOLES FORMED THEREIN, CONDUIT MEANS AT THE FEED END OF SAID HOUSING FOR SUPPLYING A STREAM OF AIR FOR AXIAL INFLOW INTO SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AT THE WIDE END THEREOF AND OUTFLOW THEREFROM, THROUGH THE HOLES FORMED IN THE WALL THEREOF, INTO THE SURROUNDING SPACE OF SAID HOUSING TO WHICH THE MATERIAL TO BE DRIED IS FED FROM SAID HOPPER MEANS, WHEREBY THE MATERIAL FED INTO SAID HOUSING IS ALONG A HELICAL PATH TRANSPORTED THERETHROUGH TOWARD THE DISCHARGE END, MEANS FOR DIVERTING AN ADJUSTABLE AMOUNT OF THE STREAM OF AIR SUPPLIED TO SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, FOR FLOW INTO SAID FIRST SECTION OF SAID HOUSING, WHEREBY THE MATERIAL TRANSPORT SPEED IS ACCELERATED IN SAID FIRST HOUSING SECTION, MEANS AT THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID HOUSING FOR DISCHARGING COARSE MATERIAL PARTICLES DOWNWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM PORTION THEREOF, AND SUCTION CONTROLLED MEANS ADJACENT THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID HOUSING FOR UPWARDLY REMOVING FROM SAID HOUSING THE REMAINING MATERIAL PARTICLES.