Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
147 words
A drying drum coupled with a heat source and means for rotating the drum about its longitudinal axis, said drum being adapted for drying a material which is subject to being comminuted, said drum comprising: an elongated hollow body disposed with its longitudinal axis disposed in a generally horizontal plane and characterized by an inner surface of generally circular vertical cross section and having a material inlet and material outlet; a plurality of material distributing vanes coupled with the body and spaced circumferentially around and longitudinally along said surface; a plurality of circumferentially spaced interference structures coupled with said drum at a location spaced radially inward from said material dustributing vanes and spaced longitudinally along the length of the drum; said interference structure including means for presenting a plurality of sharp intersecting cutting edges which comminute the material gravitating onto said interference structure and against said edges.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
147 words
A drying drum coupled with a heat source and means for rotating the drum about its longitudinal axis, said drum being adapted for drying a material which is subject to being comminuted, said drum comprising: an elongated hollow body disposed with its longitudinal axis disposed in a generally horizontal plane and characterized by an inner surface of generally circular vertical cross section and having a material inlet and material outlet; a plurality of material distributing vanes coupled with the body and spaced circumferentially around and longitudinally along said surface; a plurality of circumferentially spaced interference structures coupled with said drum at a location spaced radially inward from said material dustributing vanes and spaced longitudinally along the length of the drum; said interference structure including means for presenting a plurality of sharp intersecting cutting edges which comminute the material gravitating onto said interference structure and against said edges.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
96 words
A method of dying a product which is subject to being comminuted in an elongated horizontally disposed drying drum, said method comprising: passing said product through the drum; rotating the drum about its longitudinal axis as the product passes through; and dropping the product onto a plurality of intersecting cutting edges as the product moves from the periphery of the drum toward said axis under gravitational forces during rotation of the drum, said cutting edges being in a plane disposed at a nonperpendicular angle relative to a plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the drum.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
96 words
A method of dying a product which is subject to being comminuted in an elongated horizontally disposed drying drum, said method comprising: passing said product through the drum; rotating the drum about its longitudinal axis as the product passes through; and dropping the product onto a plurality of intersecting cutting edges as the product moves from the periphery of the drum toward said axis under gravitational forces during rotation of the drum, said cutting edges being in a plane disposed at a nonperpendicular angle relative to a plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the drum.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
51 words
A method as set forth in claim 2, wherein said passing step comprises pneumatically conveying the product and wherein is included the steps of picking up said product, carrying said product partially around the perimeter of the drum and allowing said product to gravitate from the perimeter onto said cutting edges.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
122 words
A drying drum coupled with a heat source and means for rotating the drum about its longitudinal axis, said drum comprising: an elongated hollow body characterized by an inner surface of generally circular vertical cross section and having a material inlet and a material outlet; a plurality of material distributing vanes coupled with the body and spaced circumferentially around and longitudinally along said surface, at least some of said vanes including means for presenting a plurality of sharp intersection cutting edges which comminute the material gravitating onto said cutting edges, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced interference structures coupled with said drum at a location spaced radially inward from said material distributing vanes and spaced longitudinally along the length of the drum.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
122 words
A drying drum coupled with a heat source and means for rotating the drum about its longitudinal axis, said drum comprising: an elongated hollow body characterized by an inner surface of generally circular vertical cross section and having a material inlet and a material outlet; a plurality of material distributing vanes coupled with the body and spaced circumferentially around and longitudinally along said surface, at least some of said vanes including means for presenting a plurality of sharp intersection cutting edges which comminute the material gravitating onto said cutting edges, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced interference structures coupled with said drum at a location spaced radially inward from said material distributing vanes and spaced longitudinally along the length of the drum.