Apparatus for drying

Claim 1

A drying unit for crops like corn, wheat, rice, and the like comprising a substantially L-shaped boxlike compartment constructed and defined with a drying chamber and a plenum chamber, a plurality of perforated walls arranged in a spaced-apart relationship for defining an elongated drying chamber arranged within one arm of the L-shaped box and spaced inwardly of the outer walls of the compartment, one end of the chamber communicating with the atmosphere, means constructed and defined with the walls for the drying chamber and angularly oriented towards the one end of the chamber for diverting air passed through the chamber to the atmosphere, perforated walls defining the material entry end of the drying chamber and arranged in an inclined relationship to receive and temporarily store material to be dried, the other arm of the boxlike compartment constructed and defined as a hopper for storing and delivering crops to be dried, the discharge end of the hopper being of a reduced opening and communicating with the material entry end of the drying chamber to provide gravity flow of the crops, a discharge valve mounted adjacent to the end of the drying chamber communicating with the atmosphere, heating means mounted in said compartment adjacent the plenum chamber for heating air delivered thereto and passing the heated air to the plenum chamber, and fan means mounted adjacent the heating means and supplying air to the heating means, the heated air passed through the latter mentioned perforated walls functioning to preheat the crops temporarily stored in the enclosed section of the drying chamber, the heated air passing through the elongated section of the drying chamber functioning to fluidize and suspend the crops to subject them completely to the drying air and convey them in a wavelike fashion towards the discharge valve.