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US 10,288,349 B2Granted
Asphalt production plant with pre-dryer assist
AssigneeAstec Industries, Inc.
InventorMalcolm L. Swanson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A combination of components for use in making asphalt concrete from a mixture of virgin aggregate material with recycled asphalt products and/or recycled asphalt shingles encompasses a direct dryer for heating virgin aggregate material; a pre-dryer for heating recycled asphalt product and/or recycled asphalt shingles, said pre-dryer using warm exhaust gas from said direct dryer to heat the recycled asphalt product and/or recycled asphalt shingles; and means for conveying warm exhaust gas from said direct dryer to said pre-dryer.
Claims5
A method for making asphalt concrete, said method comprising:
- (a) providing an assembly that includes
- (i) a direct dryer for heating virgin aggregate material, said direct dryer being adapted to generate warm exhaust gas while heating said virgin aggregate material;
- (ii) a pre-dryer for heating recycled asphalt product and/or recycled asphalt shingles, said pre-dryer using the warm exhaust gas from said direct dryer to heat the recycled asphalt product and/or recycled asphalt shingles;
- and
- (iii) means for conveying the warm exhaust gas from said direct dryer to said pre-dryer;
- (b) heating the virgin aggregate material in said direct dryer;
- (c) conveying the warm exhaust gas from said direct dryer to said pre-dryer;
- (d) heating the recycled asphalt products and/or recycled asphalt shingles in said pre-dryer by indirect contact with the warm exhaust gas;
- and
- (e) mixing the heated virgin aggregate material and the heated recycled asphalt products and/or recycled asphalt shingles.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.