Aggregate dryer and soil incinerator

An apparatus for continuously heating and drying stone aggregate useful in the continuous production of asphalt paving composition or the like, and which is characterized by the ability to incinerate a second material such as contaminated soil, and comprising

• an elongate hollow drum defining a central axis,
• means mounting said drum for rotation about said central axis and with said central axis being inclined with respect to the horizontal so as to define an upper end and a lower end of said drum,
• aggregate inlet means positioned adjacent said upper end of said drum for introducing aggregate into the interior of said drum while it is rotating about said central axis,
• aggregate outlet means positioned adjacent said lower end of said drum for withdrawing the aggregate from the interior of said drum while it is rotating about said central axis,
• means for rotating said drum about said central axis so as to cause the aggregate which is introduced at said inlet means to cascade through the interior of said drum and move to said outlet means,
• drum heating means positioned adjacent one of the ends of said drum for introducing heated gas into the interior of said drum,
• drum exhaust duct means positioned adjacent the other of said ends of said drum for exhausting the heated gas therefrom and so that the heated gas flows through said drum and through the cascading aggregate.
• a rotary incinerator which is mounted for rotation about a rotational axis,
• means for rotating said incinerator about said rotational axis,
• incinerator inlet means for introducing a second material into the interior of said incinerator,
• incinerator heating means for introducing heated gas into the interior of said incinerator said gas being of a sufficiently high temperature to incinerate said second material,
• incinerator outlet means for withdrawing the second material from said incinerator, and
• incinerator exhaust duct means for conveying the gaseous products of combustion from the interior of said incinerator into said drum at a location adjacent said drum heating means.