Patent ID: 8485815

Claim:
A rotary tube furnace comprising: an insulated heating chamber; said insulated heating chamber having a product discharge outlet and a process tube inlet; a heating element operatively arranged to selectively heat said heating chamber; a generally horizontally extending process tube supported for rotation relative to said heating chamber; said process tube having a first portion generally arranged outside of said heating chamber and a cantilevered second portion extending from said first portion into said heating chamber and terminating in a discharge end within said heating chamber; a feed mechanism configured and arranged to feed product into said process tube; a bearing assembly operating between a support member and said first portion of said process tube and configured and arranged to support said process tube and transmit rotational torque to said process tube; said bearing assembly comprising a drive motor, an inner collar extending around said first portion of said process tube, an outer cylindrical member connected to said collar and said drive motor, and a roller supporting said cylindrical member; wherein said cylindrical member provides counterbalance to said cantilevered second portion of said process tube.