Lint burning clothes dryer

A clothes dryer comprising:

• a clothes drum having a front perforated annulus;
• an annular lint screen filter coupled to said drum and extending axially rearwardly therefrom;
• means for axially rotating said drum and said lint screen filter;
• a blower having an inlet and an outlet;
• a duct having one end communicating with said inlet of said blower and an opposite end spaced adjacent to at least a portion of said perforated annulus for drawing air from said drum;
• a dryer exhaust port;
• means for directing air from said blower outlet through said lint screen filter to said exhaust port;
• a stationary burner positioned adjacent to a portion of said lint screen filter wherein lint collected on said screen filter is rotated on said screen filter past said burner for incineration.

The method of drying clothes in a clothes dryer having a clothes drum with a perforated front annulus and a rear air inlet, the dryer further having an annular lint screen filter at the rear of the drum and a stationary burner adjacent to a portion of the lint screen filter, comprising the steps of:

• positioning clothes in the clothes drum;
• activating the burner;
• rotating the clothes dryer and the lint screen filter;
• providing a negative pressure outside the perforations so as to draw air into the drum through the rear air inlet and out through the perforations;
• pressurizing air drawn from the perforations in a blower and directing the air under positive pressure radially inwardly through the lint screen filter;
• and
• exhausting at least a portion of the air that is directed radially inwardly through the lint screen filter.

A clothes dryer comprising:

• a clothes drum having perforations;
• a substantially cylindrical lint screen extending axially from said drum;
• a burner positioned adjacent said lint screen;
• means for rotation said clothes drum and said lint screen;
• and
• means for providing a negative pressure in said drum wherein air is drawn into said rear air inlet past said burner, said providing means comprising a blower having an inlet coupled to said perforations whereby air is drawn from said drum, said blower having a high pressure outlet directing air radially inwardly through said lint screen, wherein lint in said air is collected on the high pressure side of the lint screen, said lint being rotated on said lint screen around to said burner for incineration.