Apparatus for drying particulate material

Claim 1

DRYING APPARATUS FOR REMOVING MOISTURE FROM PARTICULATE MATERIAL COMPRISING IN COMBINATION (A) PARTICULATE MATERIAL FEED MEANS, (B) ELONGATED, OPEN-ENDED DRYING TUBE MEANS SURROUNDED BY A HEATING JACKET, HAVING (1) AN EFFECTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA A, (2) AN INPUT END, AND (3) A DELIVERY END, (C) A RESIDENCE CHAMBER SURROUNDED BY A HEATING JACKET, HAVING (1) AN ENTRANCE PORT CENTRALLY POSITIONED IN THE LOWER PORTION THEREOF AND CONNECTED TO THE TUBE DELIVERY END, AND (2) AN EXIT PORTAL, (D) A BLOWER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO DRAW GAS THROUGH THE HEATED TUBE MEANS AND THE RESIDENCE CHAMBER, (E) AND A SEPARATOR OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SEPARATE PARTICULATE MATERIAL FROM THE GAS DRAWN THROUGH THE TUBE MEANS AND THE RESIDENCE CHAMBER BY THE BLOWER, (F) WITH THE RESIDENCE CHAMBER HAVING AN EFFECTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN A, PRODUCING ABRUPT DECELERATION OF THE GAS DELIVERED THERETO THROUGH THE ENTRANCE PORT AND TURBULENT FLUIDIZING AGITATION OF THE PARTICULATE MATERIAL THROUGHOUT ITS RESIDENCE IN THE RESIDENCE CHAMBER BY THE GAS DRAWN THERETHROUGH BY THE BLOWER, (G) WITH THE FEED MEANS INCLUDING A FEED DISTRIBUTOR INCORPORATING (1) A VERITICAL-ELONGATED HOUSING (2) A SPACED PLURALITY OF PERFORATED, HORIZONTAL TRANSVERSE SCREENS SPANNING THE HOUSING, ALL HAVING ALIGNED CENTRAL APERTURES, AND ALL ARRAYED FROM NEAR THE TOP TO NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE HOUSING, WITH SUCCESSIVELY DIMINISHING MESH SIZES, (3) A ROTATABLE POWER-DRIVEN DRIVE SHAFT EXTENDING VERTICALLY THROUGH THE ALIGNED CENTRAL APERTURES IN THE SCREENS, AND (4) AT LEAST ONE TRANSVERSE SIFTER BLADE ANCHORED TO THE SHAFT ABOVE EACH SCREEN TO AGITATE MATERIAL ENTRAPPED THEREON.