Double drum dryer with removable external heating means

Claim 1

A MECHANISM FOR DRYING FOOD PRODUCTS COMPRISING, A PAIR OF CYLINDRICAL COUNTER-ROTATABLE DRYER DRUMS FORMING AN UPWARDLY FACING PRODUCT RECEIVING NARROW NIP THEREBETWEEN WITH THE DRUM SURFACES MOVABLE DOWNWARDLY INTO THE NIP SO THAT A THIN LAYER OF FOOD PRODUCT FORMS ON THE DRUM SURFACES, MEANS FOR HEATING SAID DRUMS, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A SLURRY OF FOOD PRODUCT TO SAID NIP, A PLURALITY OF DRYER HOODS POSITIONED SUCCESSIVELY ALONG THE PERIPHERY OF THE DRUMS FOLLOWING SAID NIP FOR DEFINING DRYING ZONES, A PLURALITY OF HEATED PRESSURIZED AIR SUPPLY MEANS INDEPENDENTLY CONNECTED TO EACH OF THE HOODS FOR DELIVERING A CONTINUAL FLOW OF AIR HEATED TO A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE FOR EACH OF SAID HOODS WITH SAID TEMPERATURE SELECTED TO HEAT THE PRODUCT ON THE DRUM TO A PREDETERMINED PERMISSIBLE TEMPERATURE FOR THE PRODUCT AT THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF THE PRODUCT AT THE LOCATION OF SAID HOOD, AIR ESCAPE PASSAGE MEANS LEADING AWAY FROM SAID ZONES FOR THE FLOW OF MOISTURE-LADEN AIR AWAY FROM THE PRODUCT, A DOCTOR BLADE MEANS FOR REMOVING THE PRODUCT FROM EACH OF THE DRUM SURFACES FOLLOWING SAID HOODS, AND A VACUUM REMOVAL CONDUIT MEANS POSITIONED ADJACENT THE DOCTOR BLADE MEANS FOR CARRYING AWAY DRIED PRODUCT DOCTORED FROM THE DRUM SURFACES.