Spider and lifter assembly for centrifugal pellet dryer
AssigneeGala Industries, Inc.
InventorsDavid E. Bryan, Robert K. Crowder, Samuel F. Hannah
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Improvements in centrifugal pellet dryers and more particularly to improvements in the rotor structure which includes a shaft, pellet lifter assemblies and supporting spiders which support the pellet lifter assemblies from the shaft. Each spider is made of a one-piece plate laser cut for strength, balance and simplicity. Mounting of the pellet lifter assemblies on the spider, and the spider on the shaft, are configured for easy assembly and maintenance.
Claims14
In a centrifugal pellet dryer having a generally cylindrical screen with a pellet inlet at the bottom and a pellet outlet at the top, a vertical shaft rotatable in the center of the screen, a plurality of circumferentially spaced pellet lifter assemblies oriented within the screen and a plurality of vertically spaced spiders supporting the pellet lifter assemblies from the shaft, each of said spiders comprising a spider plate of rigid construction and a hub generally at the center of and rigid with the plate and receiving the shaft, each of said spider plates including a peripheral edge and a plurality of circumferentially spaced flanges integral with said peripheral edge and extending substantially perpendicular thereto, each of said pellet lifter assemblies including a substantially vertically extending mounting plate, said flanges including anchoring structure removably mounting said pellet lifter assemblies to said spider plates, and a plurality of vertically spaced pellet lifting blades mounted rigidly on an outer surface of each vertically extending mounting plate, each lifting blade being inclined upwardly from a leading edge to a trailing edge for lifting particulate material upwardly in said cylindrical screen, said spider plate and flanges being of unitary construction.
A spider for supporting particulate lifter assemblies from a rotatably driven shaft in a centrifugal pellet dryer, said spider comprising a one-piece plate of rigid metal construction and a hub rigidly mounted at the center of the plate receiving the shaft, said plate including a peripheral edge, a plurality of flanges on said peripheral edge and extending substantially perpendicular thereto, each of said flanges including anchoring structure for anchoring a lifter assembly thereto, said plate and flanges being of unitary construction.
A particulate lifter assembly for a centrifugal pellet dryer and supported from a rotatably driven shaft by a plurality of supporting spiders, said lifter assembly including a vertically extending mounting plate, a plurality of vertically spaced lifting blades mounted rigidly on an outer surface of the mounting plate, each lifting blade being flat and inclined upwardly from a leading edge to a trailing edge for lifting particulate material upwardly in a foraminous dryer drum.
A centrifugal pellet dryer having a generally cylindrical screen with a pellet inlet at the bottom and a pellet outlet at the top, a vertical shaft rotatable generally in the center of the screen, a plurality of circumferentially spaced vertical pellet lifter assemblies oriented within the screen, and a plurality of vertically spaced spiders supporting the pellet lifter assemblies from the shaft, each of said spiders comprising a one-piece spider plate of rigid metal construction and a metal hub rigidly mounted generally at the center of the plate and receiving the shaft therethrough, each of said spider plates including a plurality of anchoring structures generally equally spaced circumferentially around the outer edge of said spider plates with open space therebetween, said anchoring structures removably mounting said vertical pellet lifter assemblies to said spider plates, said central hub having at least two radial threaded bores therein each receiving a set screw, said bores in the hub being aligned with at least two said open spaces between said circumferentially spaced anchoring structure to enable ready access to the set screws.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.