Drying apparatus and method

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF DRYING GRAIN COMPRISING THE STEPS OF FORMING A BED OF GRAIN TO BE DRIED, SAID BED HAVING OPPOSITE END PORTIONS, PASSING IN ONE DIRECTION GRAIN TO BE DRIED THROUGH SAID BED FROM ONE END PORTION TO THE OTHER, THE GRAIN AT SAID ONE END PORTION BEING UNDRIED, UNHEATED AND WET, SAID BED BEING DIVIDED INTO ONLY TWO SEQUENTIALLY ARRANGED AIR-FLOW ZONES, ONE ZONE EXTENDING FROM ONE END PORTION OF SAID BED TOWARD THE OTHER END PORTION, THE OTHER ZONE EXTENDING FROM THE OTHER END PORTION OF SAID BED TOWARD SAID ONE END PORTION, PROVIDING A FLOW OF HEATED AIR THROUGH SAID ONE ZONE ONLY IN SAID ONE DIRECTION, PROVIDING A FLOW OF COOLER AIR IN SAID OTHER ZONE ONLY IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SAID OTHER ZONE BEING THE NEXT SUCCEEDING AIR-FLOW ZONE FOLLOWING SAID ONE ZONE WHEN PROGRESSING IN SAID ONE DIRECTION, EXHAUSTING SAID AIR FROM A LOCATION BETWEEN SAID ZONES, WHEREBY AN AIR TEMPERATURE GRADIENT IN SAID BED IS PRODUCED WHICH DECREASES FROM SAID ONE END PORTION TOWARD SAID EXHAUSTING LOCATION AND FURTHERMORE INCREASES FROM SAID OTHER END PORTION TOWARD SAID EXHAUSTING LOCATION.