Abstract: Apparatus for cooling hops comprises a cooling chamber, charging means for hops to be cooled at one end of the chamber, discharging means for cooled hops at the other end of the chamber, a gas-permeable surface within the chamber for supporting a bed of hops, means for conveying hops deposited on said surface by said charging means towards said discharging means, means for maintaining a bed of hops of predetermined depth on said surface and means for passing cold gas through the bed of hops on said surface. In order to reduce adverse effects on the cooling conditions, both the charging and discharging means are constructed as air locks. The gas-permeable surface and the means for maintaining the bed of hops at a predetermined depth are preferably both endless mesh screen conveyor belts. Means for cooling and recycling gas may be associated with the cooling chamber and the whole apparatus may be integrated in a continuous lupulin recovery process.

Abstract: A feeding apparatus has a vessel with a floor on which is provided a support lining defining with the floor a generally closed space and constituted as a gas-impervious foil formed with a multiplicity of throughgoing holes and a gas-pervious textile sheet bonded to the foil over the holes. A blower serves to inject gas into the space and suck it therefrom and means is provided for withdrawing fluent particulate material from the vessel adjacent the lining. The gas injected under the lining serves partially to fluidize the bed and also to flex the lining so that the bed of particulate material thereon is loosened and can be withdrawn from the vessel.

Abstract: An apparatus for drying the ink on freshly printed material comprises a convey path arranged for movement in a horizontal plane. Spaced vertically above the horizontal plane of movement of said conveyor path is a plurality of hot-air nozzles, the exit orifices of which lie on a common plane and are directed onto said conveyor path. The conveyor path is supported for rectilinear movement on rollers carried by a frame structure and means are provided with which this frame structure can be raised and lowered so as to increase or decrease the distance between the said two planes. This affords the advantage whereby the apparatus is able to dry sheets of printed material of varying thickness with maximum efficiency.

Abstract: A material collecting device such as a hopper, shredder, or enclosed conveyor having an entrance opening for deposit of material into the device, an exit opening for removal of material, and a hood on the device connected with duct means for exhaust of dust particles from the material, the hood being provided with a circumferential passage through which air is drawn into the device for entraining such dust particles, and with coils or rings for removing moisture from the air, the coils being connected with a source of hot fluid or refrigerant for drying the material and/or the air within the device, and being Coanda-shaped if desired for extraction of water from a moving air stream.

Abstract: An appartus and process for drying grain in which the grain is first heated to drive off a portion of the moisture as it passes along a conveyor, and the heated and partially dried grain is then discharged into a holding or steeping bin where the moisture in the center of the kernels migrates to near the surface and the temperature becomes substantially uniform throughout. The grain is then discharged onto a second belt where the grain is first heated to drive off a substantial part of the moisture remaining in the grain and then is cooled before it is discharged from the apparatus. Air is used to cool the grain before it is discharged and this partially heated air is utilized in both grain heating operations. The apparatus includes upper and lowersections with porous conveyor belts for moving the grain between a receiving hopper to the bin and from the bin into a discharge recepacle.

Abstract: The invention relates to a chain of modules constructed to sequentially dry plastic particles each module comprises a mixing chamber having a trough formed therein, the trough having side walls inclined to the horizontal and a slot extending along the bottom thereof. The slot is covered by a grating to permit passage of air into the mixing chamber but to prevent particulate material from falling out of the trough through the slot. A pressure chamber is constructed immediately below the trough in the body portion of the module and means, are provided for delivering air to the pressure chamber thereby causing a stream of air to be forced upward into the mixing chamber through the slot in the trough. Each module is tilted to provide a flow of plastic particles through the trough.

Abstract: A tobacco handling and curing system is provided for in-the-field loading of tobacco leaves into a rectangular curing box and for securing the tobacco leaves within the box by means of a plurality of spikes. The curing box is transferred to a tobacco barn where it is lifted and rotated 90.degree. by a hoist and loaded into the tobacco barn by means of a roller and track arrangement. The tobacco barn is provided with a downward air flow system having uniform temperature and flow rates.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel process for drying articles with low dimensional stability such as animal skins and hides and to apparatus for carrying it out.The drier designed to carry out the above-mentioned process comprises in combination:At least one support on which the articles to be dried are placed;At least one chamber provided with irradiation means;At least one chamber of known type comprising means for circulating air, the said chamber having means in its lower portion for extracting damp air; andMeans for conveying the support through the above-mentioned chambers.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for curing concrete products. The apparatus comprises an endless tunnel of a circular nature through which a plurality of interconnected spaced rack sections are moved in a step-by-step manner, each pair of adjacent rack sections forming an enclosure for receiving the products to be cured; and wherein seal means formed on the rack sections and the interior of the tunnel coact to form spaced separate stations about the tunnel into separate stations of which a superheated steam is inserted, a steam is inserted, and cooling air is inserted simultaneously as enclosures are moved into and out of said stations by an enclosure indexing apparatus.

Abstract: This dryer unit includes a housing having an inclined belt conveyor assembly mounted therein for transporting a previously washed printing plate through a drying system. The continuous belt is formed from an open mesh material to facilitate the circulation of drying air through the belt and over and above the plate.