# US 6,718,652 B2 · Rotary particle-drying drum > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,718,652 B2 - Document ID: US6718652B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/093,075 - Filed: 2002-03-07 - Published: 2002-09-12 - Granted: 2004-04-13 - Earliest claimed: 2001-03-10 - Assignees: Buttner Gesellschaft fur Trocknungs-und Umwelttechnik mbH - Inventors: Andreas Klug; Wolfgang Schröder - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6718652B2 ## CPC - F26B 11/0477: {for mixing, stirring or conveying the materials to be dried, e.g. mounted to the wall, rotating with the drum} - F26B 2210/16: Wood, e.g. lumber, timber - F26B: DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM (drying devices for combines A01D41/133; racks for drying fruit or vegetables A01F25/12; drying foodstuffs A23; drying hair A45D20/00; body-drying implements A47K10/00; drying household articles A47L; drying gases or vapours B01D; chemical or physical processes for dewatering or like separating liquids from solids B01D43/00; centrifugal apparatus B04; drying ceramics C04B33/30; drying yarns or fabrics in association with some other form of treatment D06C; drying frames for laundry without heating or positive air circulation, domestic laundry-or spin-driers, wringing or hot pressing laundry D06F; furnaces, kilns, ovens F27) ## Abstract A rotary particle dryer has a shaft extending along an axis and a hollow drum coaxially and spacedly surrounding the shaft and rotatable about the axis in a direction. A set of axially extending inner baffles fixed to the shaft extend radially outward therefrom and each form at least one angularly open inner pocket. A set of axially extending outer baffles fixed to the drum extend radially inward therefrom and each form at least two angularly open outer pockets. Structure mechanically connects the inner baffles directly with the outer baffles. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A rotary particle dryer comprising: a shaft extending along an axis; a hollow drum coaxially and spacedly surrounding the shaft, rotatable about the axis in a direction, and having one end forming around the shaft an axially open inlet and an opposite end forming around the shaft an axially open outlet; a set of axially extending inner baffles fixed to the shaft, extending radially outward therefrom, having radially outer ends, and forming radially outwardly and axially open inner pockets radially inwardly closed by the shaft; a set of axially extending outer baffles fixed to the drum, extending radially inward therefrom, having radially inner ends, and forming radially inwardly and axially open outer pockets radially outwardly closed by the drum, the inner-baffle outer ends being spaced radially inward of the outer baffle inner ends; and structure connecting the inner baffles directly with the outer baffles such that particles can flow freely radially between the inner and outer pockets. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The rotary particle dryer defined in claim 1 wherein the baffles are cascaded. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The rotary particle dryer defined in claim 1 wherein the structure includes: an inner ring fixed to the inner baffles; an outer ring fixed to the outer baffles; and a plurality of struts extending radially between and fixed to the rings. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The rotary particle dryer defined in claim 3 wherein both of the rings are centered on the axis and the struts extend generally radially. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The rotary particle dryer defined in claim 3 wherein the struts and rings are made of sheet metal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The rotary particle dryer defined in claim 1 wherein at least some of the outer baffles have rear faces directed backward in the direction and provided with stiffening reinforcement. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The rotary particle dryer defined in claim 6 wherein the reinforcement is respective radially and angularly extending bars fixed to the rear faces. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The rotary particle dryer defined in claim 1 wherein the drum has a predetermined inner radius from the axis, the inner baffles having a radial dimension equal to between 20% and 40% of the radius. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The rotary particle dryer defined in claim 1 wherein the drum has a predetermined inner radius from the axis, the inner-baffle outer ends being spaced from the outer-baffle inner ends by a radial distance equal to between 5% and 15% of the radius. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The rotary particle dryer defined in claim 1 where there is an even number of the outer baffles and there are half as many inner baffles as outer baffles. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The rotary particle dryer defined in claim 10 wherein the outer baffles include long outer baffles and short outer baffles alternating with the long outer baffles, the inner baffles being radially generally aligned with the short outer baffles. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The rotary particle dryer defined in claim 1 wherein the pockets of the outer baffles are open forwardly in the direction and the pockets of the inner baffles are open rearwardly in the direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The rotary particle dryer defined in claim 1 wherein the baffles are generally zig-zag shaped and limitedly elastically deformable radially of the axis.