Interstage separator

An interstage separator for receiving hot rubber crumb from a first stage pneumatic conveyor in a wet hot first stage air stream and for transferring said hot rubber crumb from said wet hot first stage air stream to a dry cool second stage air stream of a second stage pneumatic conveyor comprising a cyclone separator having an upper end and a cone-shaped lower end, said cyclone separator defining a generally enclosed separating chamber, said separating chamber being subject to positive pressure, a tangential inlet provided in said upper end, said inlet being adapted to direct said hot rubber crumb and said wet hot first stage air from said first stage pneumatic conveyor into said separating chamber, said hot rubber crumb being adapted to be separated from said wet hot first stage air in said separating chamber, a solids discharge at said lower end of said cyclone separator through which said separated hot rubber crumb is adapted to be discharged, exhaust means provided in said upper end of said cyclone separator for exhausting said wet hot first stage air from said cyclone separator, said cyclone separator being generally enclosed by an exterior body member disposed in spaced relation to said cyclone separator so as to define a space between said exterior body member and said cyclone separator, said exterior body member being provided with at least one cooling fluid inlet communicating with said space, said cooling fluid inlet being adapted to introduce cooling fluid into said space, a cone-shaped transition member surrounding said exterior body member at said lower end of said cyclone separator, said transition member being secured to and disposed in spaced relation to said exterior body member so as to define an annular opening between said exterior body member and said transition member, said transition member being adapted to be raised or lowered with respect to said exterior body member so as to vary the size of said annular opening, a second stage air inlet provided in said transition member in communication with said annular opening, said second stage air inlet being adapted to communicate with said dry cool air, said second stage air inlet being adapted to introduce said dry cool second stage air into said annular opening, said annular opening being adapted to evenly distribute said dry cool second stage air within said transition member, said dry cool second stage air stream being adapted to provide constantly moving second stage air within said transition member, said dry cool second stage air stream being adapted to pick up said separated hot rubber crumb which is discharged through said solids discharge, said transition member being adapted to direct said separated rubber crumb in said dry cool second stage air stream to said second stage pneumatic conveyor.