Patent ID: 7314131

Claim:
An elongate elevating conveyor for flowable materials, said conveyor comprising: an inlet and an outlet; a helical elevating member supported, in use, with a longitudinal axis in a substantially upright position, said elevating member being secured at at least one end to a support structure, said elevating member being secured against rotation about said longitudinal axis; a tubular barrel surrounding said elevating member and rotatable coaxially therewith said tubular barrel being rotatably journalled in bearing members spaced intermediate opposite ends of said barrel, said bearing members being secured to said support structure; and, a drive mechanism to rotatably drive said tubular barrel, said conveyor characterized in that a predefined working clearance between a cylindrical volume occupied by said helical elevating member and an inner surface of said tubular barrel is such that, in use, a stable layer of flowable material is formed against said inner surface of said tubular barrel, said stable layer urging a mass of flowable material within said barrel along an upward helical path by frictional engagement between said stable layer and said mass of flowable material.