Cement kiln having tire injection system

Apparatus forming a rotary kiln having a tire injection system for injecting tires into said kiln, wherein said tires are used as a source of supplemental heat for said kiln, said apparatus comprising:

• a rotary kiln;
• means associated with said rotary kiln for forming an entrance chute positioned tangentially to an outer surface of said rotary kiln, said entrance chute means being in communication with an interior area of said rotary kiln;
• gate means associated with said entrance chute means for closing said entrance chute means during predetermined degrees of rotation of said rotary kiln and for opening said entrance chute means such that a tire may be injected thereinto during a predetermined period of rotational travel of said rotary kiln;
• and
• means for controlling said opening and closing of said gate means such that said gate means is open during a predetermined period of rotational travel to allow said tire to be injected into said entrance chute.

Apparatus forming a rotary kiln having a tire injection system for injecting tires into said rotary kiln, wherein said tires are used as a source of supplemental heat for said kiln, said apparatus comprising:

• a rotary kiln;
• means forming an entrance chute associated with said rotary kiln such that an outer end portion of said entry chute means projects outwardly of an outer surface of said rotary kiln and an inner end portion of said entrance chute means projects into an interior area of said rotary kiln approximately tangentially to said outer surface;
• means forming a dam associated with said inner end portion of said entrance chute means, said dam forming a channel into which a tire may enter when said tire is injected into said entrance chute means;
• gate means associated with said outer end portion of said entrance chute means for controllably opening and closing said entrance chute means;
• and
• means for controllably opening and closing said gate means during a predetermined portion of rotational travel of said rotating kiln such that when said gate means is in said open position a tire may be injected through said entrance chute means into said channel, said means for controlling said gate means further being operable to close said gate means when said rotating kiln has rotated through said predetermined portion of rotational travel.

Apparatus forming a rotary kiln having a tire injection system for injecting tires into said kiln, wherein said tires are used as a source of supplemental heat for said kiln, said apparatus comprising:

• a rotary kiln having an outer wall and an interior area;
• an entrance chute extending through said outer wall into said interior area tangentially to said outer wall;
• a dam formed at an inner end portion of said entrance chute for preventing highly fluidized material within said kiln from flowing into said inner end portion of said entrance chute;
• said entrance chute having a gate assembly at an outer end portion of said entrance chute extending outwardly of said outer wall of said kiln, said gate assembly including a pivotally mounted gate member movable between an open position and a closed position, wherein in said open position said gate member allows tires to be injected through said entrance chute into said interior area of said rotary kiln and when in said closed position prevents tires from entering said interior area, a cam follower assembly having a cam follower roller for urging said gate member into said open position, and pneumatic means for urging said gate member into a normally closed position;
• a cylindrical camming wall disposed concentrically with outer wall of said rotary kiln so as to circumscribe a portion of said kiln, said cylindrical camming wall including a portion for causing said cam follower roller to urge said gate member into said open position when said cam follower roller rides on said portion.

Apparatus for use with a rotary kiln for injecting items forming a source of supplemental fuel into an interior area of the kiln during at least one predetermined portion of rotation of said kiln, said apparatus comprising:

• an entrance chute having an inner end portion disposed within said interior area of said kiln and an outer end portion protruding outwardly of an outer wall of said kiln through an opening in said outer wall, said entrance chute further being orientated generally tangentially to said outer wall;
• gate means associated with said outer end portion of said entrance chute for controllably opening and closing said entrance chute;
• and
• camming means for causing said gate means to be opened at a point during rotational travel of said kiln when an outlet of said entrance chute is positioned within a selected portion of travel of said kiln such that said items forming a supplemental fuel source may be propelled into said kiln through said entrance chute.