Patent ID: 6061924
Filing Date: 2000-05-16
Classification: F26B

Abstract:
A dehydrating apparatus, comprising:a chamber for receiving wet material to be dehydrated;a rotatably-mounted agitator within the chamber, the agitator being adapted to agitate material in the chamber when the agitator rotates in a first direction and convey the material out of the chamber when the agitator rotates in a second direction;with the agitator being adapted and arranged to receive heated thermal fluid from a thermal fluid heater to heat the agitator and thereby heat the wet material in an inner cavity of the chamber by conduction;with the agitator being mounted for rotation about a central axis of the chamber;the agitator including a tubular shaft having a first end and a second end along the central axis adapted to receive heated thermal fluid at the first end of the shaft and return thermal fluid at the second end of the shaft;with a plurality of transverse discs fixed at substantially equally-spaced locations along the shaft; andwith the discs being hollow bodies having internal cavities, a first disc of the transverse discs in closest proximity to the first end of the shaft being adapted to receive heated thermal fluid from the first end of the shaft, and a last disc of the transverse discs in closest proximity to the second end of the shaft being adapted to return heated thermal fluid to the second end of the shaft.