Abstract: A quick disconnect supply riser for the nozzles of a can washing apparatus includes a bayonet connector and a riser support which provide inherent nozzle alignment when the risers are locked in connected position. Operator access to the capped opposite ends of the risers allows easy disconnection and reconnection via convenient openings in one side wall of the housing. The demountable connectors are attached to riser supply manifolds adjacent the opposite side wall thereby eliminating a large amount of excess piping.

Abstract: An oven for drying the sealing compound on beverage and food can ends utilizes a prior art serpentine track along which a line of abutting can ends is conveyed through a drying chamber in which heated drying air is directed against the edges of the can ends through a plurality of linear nozzles. The improved apparatus of the present invention utilizes a drying chamber which substantially surrounds the track and includes a plurality of nozzles which direct a substantially uniform flow of drying air against all sides of the line of can ends. The improved apparatus is particularly effective in drying lining compounds on steel food can ends, but is suitable as well for the treatment of aluminum beverage can ends.

Abstract: A precooling system for an evaporative cooler for a closed loop cooling fluid system includes a supplemental heat exchanging coil connected in the cooling fluid loop upstream of the main evaporative cooler coils and positioned in the outlet air flow through the evaporative cooler, but above or outside the path of the spray water. The supplemental heat exchanging coil provides enough additional cooling capacity to allow the spray water system to be completely shut off and the spray water sump drained during low outside ambient temperature operation. Freeze up of the sump and other parts of the spray water system are completely eliminated and a substantial saving in spray water consumption and energy for freeze prevention systems is realized.

Abstract: A system for drying municipal sludge to reduce its moisture content and harmful pathogens to a level suitable for direct land application includes a cellular conveyor belt defining pockets which are filled with moist sludge and which is carried through multiple runs in a drying chamber over heat conducting supporting pans in a manner causing inversion of the sludge filled belt for at least one of the runs. Heated drying air is supplied directly to the sludge from above along each run and indirectly by conduction to the sludge from the supporting pans below along each run to provide uniform and rapid drying with maximum efficiency.

Abstract: A high speed pin oven for drying the exterior coatings on open ended cans includes a U-shaped duct through which the cans mounted on a conventional pin chain are conveyed with the side and end walls of the duct provided with orifice patterns to direct high velocity heated air against the can bottoms and side walls to provide rapid heat up and drying. The uniform high velocity air flows also help stabilize the cans against movement, thereby preventing damage and dislodgement from the carrier pins. The generally vertical serpentine chain path through the oven includes substantially larger diameter turn sections which are defined by a series of circumferentially spaced small diameter sprockets to significantly reduce the affects of centrifugal force on the cans traveling through the turns. The combination of rapid drying and high chain speed provides a much smaller pin oven with greater can capacity.

Abstract: Initially moist metal hydroxide sludge is formed into a suitable mass, such as sludge cakes (2) which are fed downwardly in a hopper (1) and pressed into the cells (7) of a multi-cellular moving metal belt (5) in a two-stage process. The first stage deposits the sludge roughly into the cells, while the second stage compresses and compacts the deposited sludge tightly into the cells so that the sludge is in intimate contact with the cell walls throughout each cell. The sludge-filled belt is passed through a dryer (3) whereby the belt is subject to indirect, rather than direct, heating. More particularly, the belt passes through an enclosed muffle (21) and is caused to be in direct heat-exchanging contact with the bottom muffle wall (23). The latter wall is heated from beneath and outside the muffle chamber, as by heated air jets.