Coal drying apparatus

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING A BURDEN OF COAL PIECES IN AN ELONGATED ROTATABLE KILN HAVING OPPOSED INLET AND OUTLET END PORTIONS, A MIXING CHAMBER UNIT HAVING OPPOSED INLET AND OUTLET PORTIONS AND HAVING ITS INLET PORTION CONNECTED TO THE INLET END PORTION OF THE KILN FOR DELIVERING A TEMPERED MIXTURE OF AIR AND HOT COMBUSTION GAS THERETO, A DELIVERY CHUTE EXTENDING INTO SAID MIXING CHAMBER UNIT AND TOWARDS THE INLET PORTION OF THE KILN FOR FEEDING THE COAL BURDEN TO THE KILN, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING ATMOSPHERIC AIR TO SAID MIXING CHAMBER UNIT FOR MIXING WITH AND TEMPERING HOT COMBUSTION GAS THEREIN, AN ELONGATED COMBUSTION CHAMBER UNIT HAVING OPPOSED INLET AND OUTLET END PORTIONS AND HAVING ITS OUTLET END PORTION CONNECTED TO THE INLET END PORTION OF SAID MIXING CHAMBER UNIT TO SUPPLY HOT COMBUSTION GAS THERETO, A PILOT MIXING CHAMBER HAVING OPPOSED INLET AND OUTLET END PORTIONS AND HAVING ITS OUTLET END PORTION CONNECTED TO THE INLET END PORTION OF SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER UNIT, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AIR AND A FUEL VAPOR TO SAID PILOT MIXING CHAMBER UNIT FOR SUPPORTING A PILOT FLAME WITHIN THE INLET PORTION OF SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER UNIT, A DISCHARGE CHAMBER UNIT CONNECTED TO THE OUTLET END PORTION OF THE KILN AND HAVING A PORTION FOR DELIVERING THE DRIED COAL BURDEN FROM THE KILN, A CONVEYOR CONSTRUCTED TO RECEIVE THE DRIED COAL BURDEN FROM SAID DISCHARGE CHAMBER UNIT, A SUCTION DUCT UNIT CONNECTED TO AN UPPER OUTLET END PORTION OF SAID DISCHARGE CHAMBER UNIT FOR DRAWING HOT GAS AND DRIED COAL DUST THEREALONG, A CYCLONE SEPARATOR COLLECTOR UNIT CONNECTED TO AN OUTLET END PORTION OF SAID SUCTION DUCT UNIT FOR RECEIVING THE HOT GAS AND DRIED COAL DUST AND SEPARATING OUT AND COLLECTING THE DRIED COAL DUST, A DELIVERY CHUTE CONNECTED TO SAID CYCLONE UNIT FOR DELIVERING THE DRIED COAL DUST THEREFROM TO SAID CONVEYOR, A SECOND CYCLONE UNIT CONNECTED BY A SUCTION LINE TO SAID DELIVERY CHUTE FOR DRAWING-OFF A PORTION OF THE DRIED COAL DUST THEREFROM, A FUEL SUPPLY DUCT CONNECTED TO A DISCHARGE END PORTION OF SAID SECOND CYCLONE UNIT, MOTORDRIVING MEANS FOR POSITIVELY FEEDING THE DRIED COAL DUST FROM SAID SECOND UNIT INTO SAID FUEL SUPPLY DUCT, MEANS PROPORTIONING THE FEED OF SAID MOTOR-DRIVING MEANS TO THE TEMPERATURE OF THE HOT GAS BEING DRAWN ALONG SAID SUCTION DUCT UNIT, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FUEL SUPPLY DUCT FOR APPLYING A POSITIVE FLOW OF AIR TO MIX WITH THE DRIED COAL DUST BEING SUPPLIED THERETO AND FEED THE MIXTURE POSITIVELY FORWARDLY ALONG SAID FUEL SUPPLY DUCT, SAID FUEL SUPPLY DUCT BEING CONNECTED TO THE INLET END PORTION OF SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER UNIT FOR FEEDING THE MIXTURE OF AIR AND DRIED COAL DUST THERETO FOR IGNITION BY THE PILOT FLAME AND COMBUSTION THEREIN TO EVOLVE HOT COMBUSTION GAS, AN IGNITER PROJECTING INTO SAID PILOT MIXING CHAMBER UNIT ADJACENT THE INLET END PORTION OF SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER UNIT FOR IGNITING THE PILOT GAS MIXTURE AND INITIATING THE PILOT FLAME, AND CONTROL MEANS FOR STOPPING AND STARTING THE SUPPLY OF FUEL VAPOR TO SAID PILOT MIXING CHAMBER UNIT AND FOR STOPPING AND STARTING THE FEED OF THE MIXTURE OF AIR AND DRIED COAL DUST TO SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER UNIT.