Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating a dryer used to reduce the moisture content of sheet material such as a jet veneer dryer. A drying chamber is provided and includes a plurality of individual, juxtaposed drying sections. Each drying section circulates air in a path substantially transverse to the path of movement through the dryer. A single point exhaust system extracts the exhaust from the first drying section. A wet seal section located at the input end of the dryer includes an exhaust passage through which a gas sample is drawn by a sampling fan. Gases within the wet seal section are a combination of ambient air drawn through restricted passages at the entry to the wet seal section and exhaust gas that bleeds into the wet seal section from the drying chamber. A controller monitors the temperature of the sampled gases and ambient air and adjusts the rate of exhaust flow from the main exhaust system as a function of the temperature differential.

Abstract: A no-vent dry kiln for drying wood products such as lumber. The kiln has a dehumidification unit to remove excess moisture from the air utilized as the drying media. The dry bulb and wet bulb temperatures of the air within the kiln enclosure are precisely monitored to control the conditions of the atmosphere within the kiln enclosure. The kiln has a dehumidification unit to remove excess moisture from the air and to retain the sensible heat of the air stream passing through the dehumidification unit. The air stream, under a controlled flow rate passes through a first coil which removes the sensible heat from the air stream to lower the temperature of the air stream to at or below its saturation temperature. The heat removed by the first coil is transferred to a third coil down stream. A second coil downstream from the first coil lowers the temperature of the air stream well below the dew point causing the condensing of moisture. The condensed moisture is removed by a condensate removal system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a stream of fluid around fresh produce, which produce is stored in containers provided with openings in the sides. A consecutive row of a multiplicity of such containers is arranged along a wall some distance from the latter, in such a way that an interspace is formed between the wall and the row. At least one bag which extends along at least one edge of the row is inflated in the interspace by feeding a fluid to the bag, in such a way that the bag produces a seal against the wall on one side and against the row on the other. The fluid fed to the bag flows via outflow openings made in the bag into the interspace and builds up an elevated pressure here. The fluid then flows from the interspace, via the openings in the sides of the container, around the fresh produce. The invention can be used in particular in storage rooms in which rows of containers containing fresh produce can be arranged along opposing side walls.

Abstract: A shrinking frame for foil wrap or hoods to be shrink wrapped on a stack of goods has a shaft-like configuration of the path for producing hot air within the limbs of the frame between the inlet opening and an outlet slit. The resistance heating rods are located in at least one and preferably both of the segments of the U-shaped flow passage.

Abstract: An oven employing a group of identical modular oven units, each unit divided into a main cavity with a first upper auxiliary chamber and a second lower auxiliary chamber. A barrier plate separating the upper chamber from the main cavity is gas pervious and serves as a filter to separate micron size particles and larger from entering the main chamber as the particles are carried by heated inert gas or air passing into the main cavity. The barrier plate separating the lower chamber from the main cavity is also gas pervious and serves as a sink to adsorb particles of sizes up to 100 microns. The group of modular ovens is partially surrounded by a heat transfer wall which allows heat to be rejected from the modular ovens and removed by a fluid coolant in contact with the wall.

Abstract: A device for heating an article such as a towel or the like comprises an enclosure and a heating device for providing heated air under positive pressure to the interior of the enclosure. A support in the form of a rack is arranged in the interior of the enclosure, dividing the enclosure into an upper volume and a lower volume. The towel is adapted for placement onto the upper surface of the rack, and cooperates with the lower wall of the enclosure to define a lower passage within which the heated air under positive pressure is received. Vent openings are provided in the upper portion of the enclosure for providing a bottom-to-top flow path for air supplied to the enclosure, with the towel being disposed in the flow path, and thereby heated by air circulating therethrough.

Abstract: A grain drying system includes a fluidized bed for burning grain dust. The hot gases produced by the combustion of the grain dust are directed to a cyclone for cleaning and then to a known grain dryer. The ashes or other particles removed from the hot gases by the cyclone are returned to the fluidized bed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for upgrading low rank coal, wherein the sealing efficiency between the inside and the outside of a system and between the successive stages of apparatus is improved. Such improvement is provided between a drying apparatus for drying low rank coal into dried coal and a carbonizing apparatus for carbonizing the dried coal into carbonized coal and between the carbonizing apparatus and a cooling/adsorbing apparatus for cooling said carbonized coal and the cooled carbonized coal is caused to absorb therein a tar produced from the carbonization of the dried coal to thereby provide improved coal. In this method and apparatus inflow of an outside atmosphere from the outside into the inside of the system and mixing of gases between said successive stages of apparatus is restrained so that low rank coal is able to be favorably and consecutively upgraded regardless of operating pressures of the respective stages of apparatus.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for heating selected portions of an article include transport means for moving the article into a heating compartment. Shroud means, which are disposed within the heating compartment and located adjacent to limited portion of the article, direct a stream of heated gas toward a marginal portion of this article. Supply means deliver a volume rate flow of heated gas to the shroud means, and discharge means remove a volume rate of exhaust gas flow from the heating compartment. The discharge means is constructed and arranged to provide a volume rate of exhaust gas flow from the heating compartment which is greater than the volume rate of heated gas flow supplied into the shroud means.

Abstract: A portable unit for heating packages containing pre-cooked cold food, the unit acting to rapidly heat up the food to a service temperature level and to thereafter maintain this level. The unit includes a case having a rack therein divided by shelves into a series of compartments, each adapted to receive a food package. Standing vertically behind the rack is an air modulator including a stationary outer tube having a series of longitudinally-aligned ports communicating with the respective compartments. Rotating within the outer tube is an inner tube having a series of angularly-displaced holes which successively register with the ports in the course of a rotary cycle. Air drawn from the free region in the front of the rack is conveyed through a heater station and from there blown into the inner tube to create a pressure differential between the free region and the inner tube.

Abstract: A heat exchanger for exchanging heat between solid particles and a gas where the particles fall vertically through a column under gravitational forces and the gas flows upwardly in the column. The heat exchanger has at least one stage in the column including a stack of packing elements supported by a support having openings through which gas may flow at a velocity sufficient to form a loose fluidized bed of particles. A grill is positioned in the lower part of the column through which gas may flow to support a dense fluidized bed of particles.

Abstract: A drier cabinet for drying fire-hoses of other similar hoses comprises an elongated horizontal receptacle (10), in which a plurality of hoses (19) may be placed side by side in extended positions to undergo drying in said receptacle. In order to permit a continuous operation of the drier cabinet, the receptacle (10) is divided into two parallel drying chambers (11), extending in side by side relationship along the length of the receptacle. At their upper ends, the drying chambers (11) have longitudinally extending openings which are individually closable by means of appurtenant covers (13). The two covers (13) are rigidly mounted on a common rotatable shaft (14), located between them and connected to a single driving motor (16). Additionally, the two covers (13) act as counterweights for each other to reduce the required driving power.

Abstract: An energy efficient crop-drying and curing system particularly suited for tobacco curing comprises a plurality of conventional oil or gas burner equipped barns illustrated as bulk-curing tobacco barns and an auxiliary wood furnace arranged so that the wood-provided heat can be selectively furnished to any of the barns as a sole or supplemental source of heat.

Abstract: A grain drier comprising a plurality of horizontal conveyor belts arranged one above another in staggered relationship so that grain delivered to one end of the upper conveyor belt will drop onto the lower conveyor belt when it gets to the other end of the upper conveyor belt and will then travel along the lower conveyor belt in opposite direction before being discharged. Hot air is supplied by a hot air generator through conduits to a position below and along each of the conveyor belts, passes upwardly through the conveyor belts which are formed of wire mesh and through the grain thereon and is extracted through discharge conduits from above the conveyor belts. The flow rate and temperature of the hot air may be varied. Heat from the extracted air may be recovered and recycled into the hot air generator. Also heat from the dried grain may be recovered and reconducted by means of a blower fan through a conduit onto the incoming fresh grain.

Abstract: A seed corn dryer apparatus comprising an exterior shell secured to a foundation. The exterior shell includes a pair of side walls, a front wall, a rear wall, and a roof. A pair of interior walls are secured to the foundation within the exterior shell in a generally parallel and spaced-apart fashion from the side walls. A plenum, divided into upper and lower plenums, is contained between the interior walls. A storage area is contained between the interior walls and side walls. Air can circulate between the upper and lower plenums only through the storage area.

Abstract: An apparatus for circulating high temperature air at approximately 20,000 cubic feet per minute through an enclosed room in which fruit are stacked in sweat boxes on pallets. A fan draws the heated air from a heat source into a plurality of inlet ports at the bottom of the housing. A damper position at each of the inlet ports deflects the hot air entering the drying room upwardly between the stacks of containers in the drying room and the corresponding side wall of the housing towards said top, the hot air passing between the top of the stacks of containers in the room and the top of the housing, and down between the stacks of containers in the room and the opposite side wall of the housing. A recirculating port in the first-named side wall through which the fan draws the air from the opposite side wall between the individual containers in the stacks and across the fruit within the containers and back to the inlet of said source.