GB834610A - Conveying drying apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:0834610/III/1> <PICT:0834610/III/2> <PICT:0834610/III/3> <PICT:0834610/III/4> An evaporating and drying or cooling apparatus comprises a housing in which is horizontally mounted a flexible endless conveyer having attached thereto material moving elements adapted to move material along an adjacent table which is heated or cooled by an adjacent heat exchanger, movably mounted conveyer guide members and resilient elements urging said guide members, the conveyer and the material-moving elements into yielding engagement with the table. Material is introduced by conduit 24 (Fig. 1) if wet-solid or 25 if liquid and is led by the curved section 62 on to the beginning of the table 55 which is heated by elements 91 which may be of any suitable type such as electrical, oil or gas-fired, steam, hot water or infra-red operated. The material is moved along the table by the elements 60 which stretch across the width of the housing. They comprise scrapers 44 (Fig. 4) of resilient material such as spring steel having vapour outlets 68 and which are mounted on channels 41 which are carried each side by endless chains 39 running over sprockets and driven from one end. An alternative form comprises a rigid or resilient strip 241 of sheet metal attached to the channel (Fig. 11). Corner scrapers 50 (Fig. 6) are also fitted. The ends of the channels 41 run under guide means which are angle-plates 59 having upturned ends 61, being pivoted at one end at 67 and spring-loaded along their lengths by springs 66 urging the scrapers against the table. The material reaching the end of the table falls into the trough 96, from where it is continuously removed by a flight conveyer 102 having an endless belt with circular flights 113 attached thereto moving through a tube and discharging at its upper end into a conduit 109. Pressure sealing members 110 may be used when the apparatus is used under increased or reduced pressure. In a modification having a completely sealed housing the initial material is introduced by a similar flight conveyer. In a further modification (Fig. 7, not shown) the apparatus is tiltable to raise the discharge end so that liquid accumulates at the inlet end and can be retained there in greater quantities. The apparatus can be used for drying food or chemical products.