Abstract: A modular conveyor includes a frame made up of a number of series-oriented guidetrack segments and a conveyor belt is mounted on the frame including an upper article-carrying run on the top of the frame and a lower return run located within the frame. The outer surfaces of the frame sidewalls are flat, imperforate and smooth to facilitate cleaning.

Abstract: Oil is preferably recovered from oil shale through the use of a process involving two separate heating steps. During the first of these steps the shale is heated by contact with a hot gas stream while it is agitated for a period and at a temperature which together are such that any significant further heating will cause the vaporization of pyrolysis products of the kerogen within the shale. During the second heating step the shale is further heated by contact with a hot gas stream while being agitated for a period and to a temperature which together are sufficient to produce and volatilize substantially all of the volatiles which can be obtained from or derived from the shale. After the second heating step the vaporized products and the remaining inorganic mineral matrix are separated, and the volatiles are recovered as oil.

Abstract: Metal scrap such as aluminum scrap can be economically processed so as to recover the metal in the scrap by concurrently passing the scrap through a rotary kiln together with a recycled stream of hot gas. The heated scrap is separated from the gas stream at the discharge end of the kiln and is fed to a melter used to recover the metal. The separated gas stream is burned in an appropriate burner or incinerator used to provide the recycled gas stream.

Abstract: A scrap metal feed system is described employing an endless conveyor having a surface for supporting materials thereon. The conveyor is equipped with lifters extending outwardly from the surface at periodic intervals. A first hopper feeds this conveyor and a second hopper at the inlet end of a rotary kiln receives the scrap from the conveyor. The conveyor extends horizontally beneath the bottom of the first hopper and then upwardly at an angle to the horizon less than eighty degrees and greater than fifty degrees and then terminates over the top of the second hopper. The conveyor is exposed to the interior of the first hopper as it extends upwardly at an angle to the horizontal so that material can move back along the conveyor to the first hopper as the conveyor is operated; as the material moves back to the first hopper a shearing action results which tends to break up large pieces of material and/or separate pieces of material which are adhering to each other.