The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 13, 1981
Filed:
May. 09, 1980
Arthur J Evans, Northville, MI (US);
Whitlock, Inc., Farmington, MI (US);
Abstract
A plenum drying hopper for granular material includes a housing enclosing a plenum chamber, an upper material inlet for introducing a flow of granular material into the plenum chamber, and a perforate diffuser cone, located in the lower portion of the plenum chamber, that directs the granular material from the plenum chamber into a material outlet. The perforations in the diffuser cone are large enough to permit ready passage of gas therethrough but small enough to preclude passage of all but the finest particles of the granular material. A gas inlet extends into the lower portion of the housing for introducing a drying gas (air) into the plenum chamber; a gas outlet discharges the gas from the upper part of the housing. Heaters are provided for heating the gas prior to its entry into the plenum chamber. The improvement comprises a deflection shield structure mounted in the housing below the plenum chamber between the heaters and the diffuser cone, that directs heated air along a labyrinthine path from the heaters through the diffuser cone and into the plenum chamber. It also shields the diffuser cone from the heaters to prevent radiant heat from reaching the diffuser cone, and deflects fine particles of the granular material that pass through the diffuser cone directly into the material outlet.