Heating and conveying apparatus
AssigneeAstec Industries, Inc.
InventorJ. Donald Brock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for heating and conveying a granular material is disclosed, and which comprises an elongate trough, and a framework mounting a plurality of transverse blades mounted above the trough. The framework is moved along a closed path of travel so that the blades move through a forward stroke, a lifting stroke, a return stroke, and a downward stroke which returns the blades to their original position. Thus a granular material may be moved along the length of the trough in a series of sequential steps. Also, the blades are internally heated, and the bottom wall of the trough is also heated, to effect heating of the advancing granular material.
Claims13
An apparatus for heating and conveying a granular material, comprising
- an elongate trough,
- an elongate framework mounting a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart and transversely directed, depending blades,
- means mounting said framework so as to be aligned above said trough and for movement along a closed path of travel which includes
- (a) a forward longitudinal stroke wherein said blades are disposed in said trough,
- (b) a lifting stroke wherein said blades are lifted from said trough,
- (c) a return longitudinal stroke wherein said blades are disposed above said trough, and
- (d) a downward stroke wherein said blades are returned into said trough,
- means for heating the interiors of said blades, and
- drive means for repeatedly moving said framework through said closed path of travel, whereby a granular material in said trough is sequentially moved along said trough and is heated by contact with the heated blades during movement of said framework along said forward longitudinal stroke of said path of travel.
An apparatus for heating and conveying a granular material, comprising
- an elongate trough,
- an elongate framework mounting a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart and transversely directed, depending, hollow blades,
- means mounting said framework so as to be aligned above said trough and for movement along a closed path of travel which includes
- (a) a forward longitudinal stroke wherein said blades are disposed in said trough,
- (b) a lifting stroke wherein said blades are lifted from said trough,
- (c) a return longitudinal stroke wherein said blades are disposed above said trough, and
- (d) a downward stroke wherein said blades are returned into said trough,
- means for heating said hollow blades, and including means for circulating a heated fluid in opposite directions through adjacent blades,
- drive means for repeatedly moving said framework through said closed path of travel, whereby a granular material in said trough is sequentially moved along said trough and is heated by contact with the heated blades during movement of said framework along said forward longitudinal stroke of said path of travel, and
- said blades of said framework being longitudinally spaced apart from each other predetermined distances such that different portions of the granular material contact the heated blades during its sequential advance along said trough.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.