Abstract: An improved fluidized bed discharge bin comprising a removable closure covering an opening in the bottom of the bin. The closure is of an inverted pyramidal shape having a square base and an offset nadir. A discharge opening is positioned adjacent to the nadir on the side wall toward which the nadir is offset. An air-permeable member overlies the interior of the closure and is retentively secured between the bin opening and the closure. Positioned at the approximate midsection of each wall is a spacer which prevents the air-permeable member from being compressed in complete surface-to-surface contact with the interior surfaces of the closure. Aeration is introduced into the enclosure through an air inlet correspondingly positioned adjacent to the spacer on one wall of the enclosure.

Abstract: A rectangular bin body having a top wall, front and back walls, side walls and bottom wall with an inlet opening in the top wall and a discharge opening in the front wall at the juncture of the front wall with the bottom wall and one of the side walls. The discharge opening is aligned with an internal corner of the bin at the juncture of the back and bottom walls with the one side wall so that when the bin is tipped upwardly about a generally horizontal axis located to one side of the bin and inclined with respect to the back the one side wall, the internal corner is located at an elevation below the remainder of the interior of the bin. In this position of the bin, the side walls, the back wall and the bottom wall function as a hopper to direct the bin contents to the internal corner so that the entire contents of the bin can be emptied by directing a suction tube inwardly of the bin straight through the discharge opening and into the internal corner.

Abstract: A screw conveyor (10) is disclosed for use in environments having a large range of temperature. The screw conveyor (10) includes a hollow shaft (12) having a number of aligned circular holes (18a, 18b) therein, with adjacent sets of holes being at right angles to each other. A stake (16) is slidably inserted in each set of holes (18a, 18b) for securing a helical flight (14a-e) to the shaft (12). Four stakes (16) are welded to the back (26) of each of the helical flights (14) along a helical line corresponding to the helical path defined by the flights (14). The slidable interaction of the stakes (16) with respect to the shaft (12) permits each flight (14) to move relative to the shaft (12) during expansion or contraction of the screw conveyor (10). The back peripheral edge (20) and front peripheral edge (22) of adjacent helical flights (14) are overlapping and movable with respect to each other to further accommodate the expansion and contraction of the screw conveyor (10).