Apparatus and method for processing recyclable asphalt materials

Apparatus for processing recyclable asphalt material received from the field in relatively large pieces for delivery in a heated mass containing desired smaller aggregate-sized pieces for reuse, the apparatus comprising:

• an elongate drum having a drum wall extending along a longitudinal axis between a first end and a second end, the drum wall having an inner surface following a polygonal lateral cross-sectional configuration establishing an inner chamber bounded by a plurality of wall sides extending between included angles;
• a mounting arrangement mounting the drum for rotation in a given direction of rotation about the longitudinal axis, with the longitudinal axis tilted at an acute angle so as to elevate one of the first and second ends relative to the other of the first and second ends;
• a heating chamber adjacent the first end of the drum, the heating chamber having an interior;
• a plurality of tubular breaker members extending along the drum between the first and second ends of the drum, the breaker members being placed in an array substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, located between the longitudinal axis and the wall of the drum, each breaker member being spaced outwardly from the longitudinal axis and spaced inwardly from a corresponding wall side of the drum along a line extending in a lateral direction outwardly from the longitudinal axis and intersecting the corresponding side intermediate corresponding included angles;
• a heat conduit extending along the drum between the first and second ends of the drum, the heat conduit being located within the array of breaker members, spaced laterally inwardly from the array;
• a heater for supplying heat to heat gases in the interior of the heating chamber;
• the interior of the heating chamber, the heat conduit and the breaker members being connected serially such that heated gases from the interior of the heating chamber are conducted from adjacent the first end of the drum to adjacent the second end of the drum and are returned to adjacent the first end of the drum serially through the heat conduit and then through the breaker members;
• a feeder for feeding the large pieces of recyclable asphalt material received from the field into the array of breaker members within the drum, adjacent the elevated one of the first and second ends of the drum;
• and
• a drive arrangement for rotating the drum, and the array of breaker members about the longitudinal axis so as to tumble the large pieces of recyclable asphalt material within the drum, spaced laterally outwardly from the heat conduit and cascaded over the breaker members to be passed between adjacent breaker members and between the breaker members and the corresponding wall sides of the drum wall, thereby simultaneously reducing the size of the relatively large pieces to the desired aggregate-sized pieces and heating the mass containing the desired aggregate-sized pieces, which heated mass proceeds toward the other of the first and second ends of the drum for delivery from the drum.