claims of mesh belt dryer's inventor

Seed cotton on a wire mesh belt dryer is dryed and cleaned by a downflow of heated air. The natural separation and falling of trash from the belt is increased by shaking the mass of seed cotton upon the wire mesh belt. The belt is flexed to shake the seed cotton upon it. The belt is flexed by running the belt over "V" shaped intermittent supports. The belt is also shaken by being bumped by gussets on rollers beneath the belt. The air is exhausted from beneath the belt by ducts extending across the chamber. The tops of the ducts are inclined planes so that the trash slides from the top of the duct and does not accumulate on the top. claim as my invention:

1. The process of conditioning fibrous material by
a) loading the fibrous material on a moving, air permeable belt, and

b) drawing treated air downward through the material and belt;

wherein the improved method comprises the following steps:

c) cleaning the material by

d) shaking the fibrous material by

e) flexing the belt.

2. The process as defined in claim 1 wherein the flexing of the belt is accomplished by delivering a bump to the belt from below.

3. The process as defined in claim 1 wherein the flexing of the belt is accomplished by running the belt over an intermittent support.

4. A mesh belt dryer for drying fibrous material having
a) an elongated drying chamber, having a fibrous material inlet end and a fibrous material outlet end,

b) treatment air inlets in the top of the chamber,

c) an air permeable belt in the chamber below the air inlets trained over a drive wheel at the outlet end and over an adjustable wheel at the inlet end,

d) the belt having a top run and a bottom run, and

e) spent air outlets in the chamber below the belt;

wherein the improved structure of said spent air outlets comprises in combination with the above,

f) exhaust ducts below the top run of the belt extending across the chamber,

g) each duct having a longitudinal air slot in the bottom of the duct, and

h) each duct having a sloping top with sufficient pitch to prevent trash from accumulating thereon.

5. The mesh belt dryer as defined in claim 4 further comprising:
i) "V" shaped supports extending across the chamber at least partially supporting the top run of the belt,

j) the "V" pointing toward the outlet end,

k) the "V" shaped supports spaced apart from each other so that the belt is supported intermittently.

6. The belt dryer as defined in claim 4 wherein
i) said belt is a wire mesh.

7. The belt dryer as defined in claim 4 further comprising:
i) idler rollers below the top run of the belt, each roller having an axis, and each roller rotated about its axis by the top run,

j) each of said idler rollers having a gusset projecting from said roller which deliver a bump to the top run of the belt when rotated by the belt, thereby shaking material on the top belt.

8. The belt dryer as defined in claim 7 further comprising:
k) said belt is a wire mesh, and

l) a sprocket on each idler roller, each sprocket engaging the belt therefore rotating its idler roller.

9. The belt dryer as defined in claim 4 further comprising:
i) longitudinal edges of the top run of the belt are at least partially supported by a support flange on a side of the chamber and is confined by hold down flanges on the side of the chamber.

10. The belt dryer as defined in claim 4 further comprising:
i) a flexible flap extending across the chamber above the bottom run of the belt,

j) said flexible flap

i. near the adjustable wheel,

ii. angled away from the adjustable wheel, and

iii. contacting a top surface of the bottom run, and

k) an auger conveyor extending across the chamber above the bottom run and partially above the flexible flap.

11. The belt dryer as defined in claim 4 further comprising:
i) the bottom run of the belt is supported by a bottom of the chamber, and

j) a trash conveyor extends across the bottom of the conveyor at the inlet end.

12. A belt dryer for drying fibrous material having
a) an elongated drying chamber, having a fibrous material inlet end and a fibrous material outlet end,

b) treatment air inlets in the top of the chamber,

c) an air permeable belt in the chamber below the air inlets trained over a drive wheel at the outlet end and over an adjustable wheel at the inlet end,

d) the belt having a top run and a bottom run, and

e) spent air outlets in the chamber below the belt;

wherein the improved structure comprises:

f) "V" shaped supports extending across the chamber at least partially supporting the top run of the belt,

g) the "V" pointing toward the outlet end,

h) the "V" shaped supports spaced apart from each other so that the belt is supported intermittently.

13. The belt dryer as defined in claim 12 further comprising:
i) idler rollers below the top run of the belt, each roller having an axis, and each roller rotated about its axis by the top run,

j) each of said idler rollers having a gusset projecting from said roller which deliver a bump to the top run of the belt when rotated by the belt, thereby shaking material on the top belt.

14. A belt dryer as defined in claim 13 further comprising:
k) said "V" shaped supports spaced along the chamber about 20 inches on center, and

l) said idler rollers placed between adjacent "V" shaped supports.

15. The belt dryer as defined in claim 13 wherein
k) said belt is a wire mesh.

16. The belt dryer as defined in claim 15 further comprising:
l) a sprocket on each idler roller, each sprocket engaging the belt therefore rotating its idler roller.

17. The belt dryer as defined in claim 12 further comprising:
i) longitudinal edges of the top run of the belt at least partially supported by a support flange on a side of the chamber and is confined by hold down flanges on the side of the chamber.

18. The belt dryer as defined in claim 12 further comprising:
i) a bottom run of the belt supported by a bottom of the chamber, and

j) a trash conveyor extends across the bottom of the chamber at the inlet end.

19. The belt dryer as defined in claim 12 further comprising
j) a flexible flap extending across the chamber above the bottom run of the belt,

k) said flexible flap

i. near the adjustable wheel,

ii. angled away from the adjustable wheel, and

iii. contacting a top surface of the bottom run, and

l) an auger conveyor extending across the chamber above the bottom run and partially above the flexible flap.

20. The belt dryer as defined in claim 12 further comprising:
j) idler rollers below the top run of the belt, each roller having an axis, and each roller rotated about its axis by the top run,

k) each of said idler rollers having a cross sectional configuration with diametrical projections which bump the top run of the belt when rotated by the belt, thereby shaking material on the belt,

l) said "V" shaped supports spaced along the chamber about 20 inches on center, and

m) idler rollers placed between the "V" shaped supports,

n) said belt is a wire mesh,

o) a sprocket on each idler roller, each sprocket engaging the belt therefore rotating its idler roller,

p) longitudinal edges of the top run of the belt at least partially supported by a support flange on a side of the chamber and is confined by hold down flanges on the side of the chamber,

q) a bottom run of the belt supported by a bottom of the chamber,

r) a trash conveyor extends across the bottom of the chamber at the inlet end,

s) a flexible flap extending across the chamber above the bottom run of the belt,

t) said flexible flap

i. near the adjustable wheel,

ii. angled away from the adjustable wheel, and

iii. contacting a top surface of the bottom run, and

u) an auger conveyor extending across the chamber above the bottom run and partially above the flexible flap,

v) exhaust ducts below the top run of the belt extending across the chamber,

w) each duct having a longitudinal air slot in the bottom of the duct, and

x) each duct having a sloping top with sufficient pitch to prevent trash from accumulating thereon, and

y) said duct having two inclined planes forming the sloping top with a uppermost ridge centered over the exhaust duct.

About the Author

Seed cotton on a wire mesh belt dryer is dryed and cleaned by a downflow of heated air. The natural separation and falling of trash from the belt is increased by shaking the mass of seed cotton upon the wire mesh belt. The belt is flexed to shake the seed cotton upon it.

« Previous12345...399400Next »