Screw and apparatus using same for conveying wet solids

An apparatus for conveying solids, comprising:

• a conveyor tube having an inlet and an outlet;
• a screw conveyor disposed in the tube generally from said inlet to said outlet, one portion of said screw conveyor disposed near said inlet having a shaft and another portion of the screw convey being shaftless, said shaftless portion comprising (i) a tension rod extended from the shaft of the shafted portion of the screw to which the shaftless portion is attached through to the other end of the shaftless portion and (ii) a plurality of spokes extending radially from the tension rod and connecting the tension rod to the flight of the shaftless portion;
• and
• means for driving said screw conveyor.

A method for conveying wet solids, comprising:

• providing a conveyor tube having an inlet and an outlet, said outlet being disposed vertically above said inlet;
• providing in said conveyor tube a screw having a shafted portion adjacent said inlet and a shaftless portion adjacent said outlet, said shaftless portion comprising (i) a tension rod extended from the shaft of the shafted portion of the screw to which the shaftless portion is attached through to the other end of the shaftless portion and (ii) a plurality of spokes extending radially from the tension rod and connecting the tension rod to the flight of the shaftless portion;
• providing wet solids to said inlet;
• turning said screw effective to convey said solids from said inlet to said outlet;
• and
• removing solide from said outlet.