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US 4,371,032 AGranted
Heat transfer system
OwnerHorace J. Buttnerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved heat transfer system of the helical screw type, including endless loop guided volute passage driven scraping means for continuously cleaning the helical screw heat transfer member to prevent the build-up of workable material on an outer surface of the helical screw, while at the same time minimizing the power necessary for rotating the helical screw.
Claims25
Heat transfer apparatus with endless loop guided volute passage scraping means, comprising:
- a housing including an inlet for introducing workable material into said housing and further including an outlet for discharge of said workable material from said housing;
- at least first and second endless loop members positioned in spaced planes extending in said housing;
- loop support means connected with said housing and including at least two oppositely and outwardly curved surfaces for supporting each of said first and second endless loop members in its respective plane;
- at least one bridging member extending between and attached to corresponding portions of said first and second endless loops for causing said bridging member to move in a loop path defined by motion of said endless loop members;
- a mixing member mounted for rotation in said housing adjacent at least a portion of the loop path traversed by said bridging member, said mixing member including at least one flute at its outer surface defining at least one volute passageway;
- means mounted in said housing for transferring heat to or from said workable material;
- scraper means having an outline corresponding to at least a portion of the cross-section of said volute passageway and connected with said first and second endless loop members through said bridging member for scrapingly contacting and cleaning the walls of said volute passageway during rotation of said mixing member;
- whereby said first and second endless loop members repetitively introduce said scraper means into contact with an upstream portion of said volute passageway and, after movement of said scraper means to a downstream portion of said passageway while in contact with and during rotation of said rotatable member, convey said scraper means from said downstream portion to said upstream portion.
5 more elements
Heat transfer apparatus with endless loop guided volute passage driven scraping means, comprising:
- a housing including an inlet for introducing workable material into said housing and further including an outlet for discharge of said workable material from said housing;
- at least one endless loop member positioned in said housing for motion along a loop path;
- loop support means connected with said housing and including at least two oppositely and outwardly curved surfaces for supporting said endless loop member;
- a mixing member mounted for rotation in said housing adjacent at least a portion of said path and having at least one flute at its outer surface defining at least one volute passageway;
- means mounted in said housing for transferring heat to or from said workable material;
- and
- scraper means having an outline corresponding to at least a portion of the cross-section of said volute passageway, said scraper means being connected with said endless loop member;
- whereby said endless loop member repetitively introduces said scraper means into contact with an upstream portion of said volute passageway and, after movement of said scraper means to a downstream portion of said passageway while in contact with and during rotation of said rotatable member, conveys said scraper means from said downstream portion to said upstream portion.
5 more elements
A self-cleaning heat transfer apparatus for drying workable materials, said apparatus comprising:
- a housing including an inlet for introducing workable material into said housing and further including an outlet positioned downstream of said inlet for removing said workable material from said housing;
- at least one helical screw rotatably mounted within said housing, said helical screw having at least one flute defining at least one volute passageway;
- means for heating said workable material present in said housing;
- first and second separate pairs of pulley members rotatably attached to said housing and disposed on opposite sides of said at least one helical screw from one another;
- a first endless cable assembly stretched between and partially encircling said first pair of pulleys and a second endless cable assembly stretched between and partially encircling said second pair of pulleys to facilitate reciprocal transport along said helical screw of a plurality of separate bridging members extending between and rotatably attached to aligned portions of said first and second endless cables, respectively;
- and,
- at least one disk-shaped scraper mounted on each bridging member, each scraper disk having a radially outer edge surface in continuous contact with said volute passageway of said helical screw as said attached bridging shaft moves in said downstream toward said outlet, thereby preventing and removing deposits from forming on said at least one helical screw.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.