Patent ID: 7380670

Claim:
A dedusting apparatus for removing dust particles from particulate product material, comprising: a casing having a back panel, a front panel and an interior panel dividing the casing into a main housing and an air plenum behind the main housing, said air plenum being divided by a separator panel into a clean air plenum and a dusty air plenum; a wash deck apparatus supported in the main housing and including: a pair of first wash decks mounted to be inclined downwardly and outwardly in opposing lateral directions from a central axis; a pair of lower deck members connected respectively to said first wash decks and oriented downwardly and inwardly toward said central axis to form a generally diamond-shaped configuration; a pair of second wash decks oriented generally parallel to said lower deck members and being positioned respectively below said first wash decks to receive a flow of product material discharged from said first wash decks, each of said first and second wash decks having a plurality of holes and slots therein for the passage of air therethrough as product flow on top of the respective wash deck; and a Venturi zone located at the end of each said first wash deck and bounded on each respective outboard side by a deflector plate; a product inlet port connected in flow communication to said main housing at said central axis to introduce an inflow of particulate material to be cleaned to said first wash decks; a product discharge port connected in flow communication to said main housing at said central axis between said second wash decks to receive particulate material from said second wash decks for discharge from said main housing; a clean air inlet port connected in flow communication to said clean air plenum for the introduction of air under pressure into said clean air plenum, said clean air plenum having: a first air inlet opening in said interior panel below said first wash decks and above said lower deck members to introduce a flow of air through said holes and slots in said first wash decks; a pair of second air inlet openings in said interior panel below said second wash decks to introduce a flow of air through said holes and slots in said second wash decks; and a Venturi flow chamber extending from below each said second wash deck and projecting rearwardly through said interior panel and terminating above the respective said second wash deck behind the corresponding said deflector plate to deliver a flow of air behind said deflector plates to enhance air flow in said respective said Venturi zone.