Pneumatic drier support structure

Claim 2

In a pneumatic drier comprising a drying conduit having a first and a second end, means to supply a stream of hot and dry gas to the first end of said conduit, means to introduce into said conduit downstream of the first end thereof a particulated material to be dried in order that same be entrained by said gas stream, separator means connected with the second end of said dry-ing conduit to separate said particulated material from said gas stream, and means to support said conduit and said separator means on the floor, the improvement which consists in that said support-ing means comprise at least a portion of said drying conduit; said drying conduit including a first substantially vertical ascending portion starting from said first end, said first portion of the conduit having an upper end; a first substantially vertical chamber having a lower end and an upper end with said first portion of said conduit opening into said lower end; the upper end of said first portion being connected with the lower end of said chamber; saud drying conduit also including a second portion starting from said upper end of said first chamber; said second portion including said chamber; and said supporting means including means to support on the floor said first chamber together with said first portion of said conduit, and a platform supported by said first chamber, said platform in turn supporting said second portion of said conduit together with said separator means.

Claim 3

In a pneumatic drier as claimed in claim 1, said second portion of said drying conduit including a second chamber situated downstream of said first chamber and also supported by said platform.

Claim 4

In a pneumatic drier as claimed in claim 2, sealing means interposed in the second portion of said drying conduit, between said first and second chambers to permit small relative vertical displacements of said second chamber with respect to said first chamber due to thermAl expansion.

Claim 5

In a pneumatic drier comprising a drying conduit having a first end and a second end, means to supply a stream of hot and dry gas to the first end of said conduit, means to introduce into said conduit downstream of the first end thereof a particulated material to be dried in order that same be entrained by said gas stream, separator means connected with the second end of said drying conduit to separate said particulated material from said gas stream, and means to support said conduit and said separator means on the floor, the improvement which consists in that said supporting means comprise at least a portion of said drying conduit; said drying conduit including a number of substantially vertical successive chambers each having an upper end and a lower end; said drying conduit further including a number of substantially semi-circular successive portions to connect with each other alternatively the upper ends and the lower ends of the succeeding chambers in such manner that the gas may alternatively flow upwardly and downwardly through said chambers; and said supporting means including the substantially semi-circular portions of said drying conduit which connect the lower ends of said chambers.

Claim 6

In a pneumatic drier comprising a drying conduit having a first end and a second end, means to supply a stream of hot and dry gas to the first end of said conduit, means to introduce into said conduit downstream of the first end thereof a particulated material to be dried in order that same be entrained by said gas stream, separator means connected with the second end of said drying conduit to separate said particulated material from said gas stream, and means to support said conduit and said separator means on the floor, the improvement which consists in that said supporting means comprise at least a portion of said drying conduit; said drying conduit including a number of substantially vertical successive chambers each having an upper end and a lower end; said drying conduit further including a number of substantially semi-circular successive portions to connect with each other alternatively the upper ends and the lower ends of the succeeding chambers in such manner that the gas may alternatively flow upwardly and downwardly through said chambers; and said supporting means including the substantially semi-circular portions of said drying conduit which connect the lower ends of said chambers.

Claim 7

In a pneumatic drier as claimed in claim 4 : said drying conduit including three sccessive chambers disposed in plan view at the apices of a triangle ; the substantially semi-circular portion of said conduit which connects the lower ends of said second and third chambers resting on the floor to form part of said supporting means ; and said supporting means further comprising means to support on the floor the first one of said chambers and a platform supported by said conduit, said platform in turn supporting said separator means.

Claim 8

In a pneumatic drier as claimed in claim 5, said triangle being substantially equilateral and said separator means being substantially disposed at the center of said triangle.

Claim 9

In a pneumatic drier as claimed in claim 5, said triangle being substantially right-angled, said platform being substantially rectangular with three of its four corners being supported by said drying conduit, and said supporting means further including an auxiliary vertical member to support on the floor the fourth corner of said platform.

Claim 10

In a drier as claimed in claim 7, said first chamber and said portion of said drying conduit which connects the lower ends of said second and third chambers being supported on the floor by wheels to permit free thermal expansion of said conduit.

Claim 11

In a pneumatic drier comprising a drying conduit having a first end and a second end, means to supply a stream of hot and dry gas to the first end of said conduit, means to introduce into said conduit downstream of the first end thereof a particulated material to be dried in order that same be entrained by said gas stream, separator means connected with the second end of said drying conduit to separate said particulated material from said gas stream, and means to support said conduit and said sep-arator means on the floor, the improvement which consists in that said supporting means comprise at least a portion of said drying conduit; said drying conduit including three successive chambers, each having an axis, a lower end and an upper end; said first and second chambers having their axes substantially in the same vertical plane and converging upwardly substantially as the sides of an isosceles triangle, and the axis of said third chamber being substatially vertical; said drying conduit further including a first arcuate portion to connect with each other the upper ends of said first and second chambers, and a second arcuate portion to connect with each other the lower ends of said second and third chamber; said supporting means including wheels to support on the floor said first chamber and wheels to support on the floor said second arcuate portion of said drying conduit; said supporting means also including a platform to support said separator means, said platfOrm being rectangular in plan view with three of its four corners being in turn supported by said drying conduit; and said upporting means further including an auxiliary supporting member secured to the floor to support the fourth corner of said platform.

Claim 12

In a pneumatic drier comprising a drying conduit having a first end and a second end, means to supply a stream of hot and dry gas to the first end of said conduit, means to introduce into said conduit downstream of the first end thereof a particulated material to be dried in order that same be entrained by said gas stream, separator means connected with the second end of said drying conduit to separate said particulated material from said gas stream, and means to support said conduit and said sep-arator means on the floor, the improvement which consists in that said supporting means comprise at least a portion of said drying conduit; said drying conduit including three successive chambers, each having an axis, a lower end and an upper end; said first and second chambers having their axes substantially in the same vertical plane and converging upwardly substantially as the sides of an isosceles triangle, and the axis of said third chamber being substatially vertical; said drying conduit further including a first arcuate portion to connect with each other the upper ends of said first and second chambers, and a second arcuate portion to connect with each other the lower ends of said second and third chamber; said supporting means including wheels to support on the floor said first chamber and wheels to support on the floor said second arcuate portion of said drying conduit; said supporting means also including a platform to support said separator means, said platfOrm being rectangular in plan view with three of its four corners being in turn supported by said drying conduit; and said upporting means further including an auxiliary supporting member secured to the floor to support the fourth corner of said platform.