Material reducing system having oxygen deficient atmosphere

Claim 2

In apparatus for reducing moisture containing raw material to a final product having, a raw material reducing mill, a separator, means connecting said mill and separator in a closed circuit in which the gaseous medium carries the mill output of material to the separator for separation from the gaseous medium, a source of oxygen deficient hot gaseous medium connected into said closed circuit, and a recirculation circuit connected between a portion of said closed circuit and said hot gas source; the improvement comprising: means in said recirculation circuit to extract moisture from the gaseous medium flowing therethrough to said source of hot gaseous medium, whereby said source of hot gaseous medium returns the dried medium to said closed circuit.

Claim 3

The apparatus improvement of claim 1 including means to regulate the volume of medium subjected to said moisture extracting means.

Claim 4

The apparatus improvement of claim 1 including means in said recirculating circuit to exhaust to atmosphere a portion of the medium in said recirculating circuit, and means supplying primary ambient air to said source of hot gaseous medium in a volume to make up the volume exhausted to atmosphere.

Claim 5

In apparatus for reducing a raw material to a final product having a raw material reducing means, a first conduit system connected in series with said reducing means, a blower for forcing a flow of medium through said reducing means to carry the final product out of said reducing means, a separator device connected into said conduit system at a station to extract the final product from the flowing medium; a furnace connected into said conduit system system to supply oxygen deficient hot medium into said system, and a second conduit system connected between said first conduit system downstream of said blower and said furnace, the improvement comprising: moisture extracting means connected into said second conduit system to remove moisture from the flowing medium in advance of said furnace, a source of primary combustion air connected to said furnace, and means in said second conduit system to exhaust to atmosphere a portion of the medium flowing in said second conduit system.

Claim 6

In apparatus for reducing a raw material to a final product having a raw material reducing means, a first conduit system connected in series with said reducing means, a blower for forcing a flow of medium through said reducing means to carry the final product out of said reducing means, a separator device connected into said conduit system at a station to extract the final product from the flowing medium; a furnace connected into said conduit system system to supply oxygen deficient hot medium into said system, and a second conduit system connected between said first conduit system downstream of said blower and said furnace, the improvement comprising: moisture extracting means connected into said second conduit system to remove moisture from the flowing medium in advance of said furnace, a source of primary combustion air connected to said furnace, and means in said second conduit system to exhaust to atmosphere a portion of the medium flowing in said second conduit system.

Claim 7

In apparatus for reducing raw material to a final product having material size reducing means, a first gaseous medium conduit system connected in series with said reducing means, a blower connected into said first conduit system to force flow of the gaseous medium through said reducing means, a furnace connected into said conduit system in advance of said reducing means to supply hot oxygen deficient gaseous medium into said first conduit system, the improvement comprising: a second conduit system connected between said first conduit system in advance of said reducing means and said furnace to recirculate at least a portion of the gaseous medium in said first conduit system through said furnace, and means in said second conduit system to remove moisture from the recirculated gaseous medium in advance of said furnace.

Claim 8

In apparatus for reducing raw material to a final product having material size reducing means, a first gaseous medium conduit system connected in series with said reducing means, a blower connected into said first conduit system to force flow of the gaseous medium through said reducing means, a furnace connected into said conduit system in advance of said reducing means to supply hot oxygen deficient gaseous medium into said first conduit system, the improvement comprising: a second conduit system connected between said first conduit system in advance of said reducing means and said furnace to recirculate at least a portion of the gaseous medium in said first conduit system through said furnace, and means in said second conduit system to remove moisture from the recirculated gaseous medium in advance of said furnace.

Claim 9

The apparatus improvement of claim 5 wherein said second conduit system includes an outlet between said moisture removing means and said furnace to exhaust at least a portion of the dry oxygen deficient medium.