Patent ID: 8096063

Claim:
A batch processing apparatus for thermally de-coating and/or drying coated and/or contaminated materials by batch processing, the apparatus comprising: a support structure; an oven pivotally mounted to the support structure for movement relative to the support structure, said oven comprising: a charging portion comprising a removably attachable charging box for receiving a batch of material to be processed; and changeover portion for receiving material to be treated, said changeover portion having an open end and an interior configured to house a heat treatment chamber through which a stream of hot gases heated by the burner can be passed with said gases being passed for processing said material, wherein said open end is in communication with the charging portion thereby allowing the passage of said batch of material in a first direction from said charging portion to said changeover portion through said heat treatment chamber and in a reverse direction from said changeover portion to said charging portion through said heat treatment chamber, and wherein the apparatus further comprises: a burner for heating recirculating gas; a recirculating fan for passing a stream of hot gas heated by said burner through said treatment chamber; and a recirculating chamber for recirculating said gas, wherein said recirculating chamber is located downstream of said treatment chamber and said recirculating fan is operable to pass said stream of hot gas through said treatment chamber into said recirculating chamber, and wherein, an attached position, the charging box is in communication with the interior of the changeover portion through an open end thereof; and wherein, in use, with the charging box in said attached position, the oven is pivotable about the pivotal mounting means between a first position having the changeover portion higher than said charging portion to allow the batch of material to fall under the influence of gravity from said changeover portion into said charging portion through said heat treatment chamber and a second position in which the material is in the vicinity of the heat treatment chamber and the charging portion is higher than the changeover portion and wherein the oven is rotated between the first and second positions and the material in the oven falls under the influence of gravity, from one portion to the other portion, passing through the stream of hot gases to be heated.