Terminal grain dryer

Claim 1

A NON-RECIRCULATING DIRECTLY-FIRED TERMINAL GRAIN DRYER COMPRISING: (A) AN UPRIGHT SHAFT HAVING PERFORATED INNER WALL STRUCTURE RECTANGULAR IN HORIZONTAL SECTION AND DEFINING AN OPEN INTERIOR AND HAVING PERFORATED OUTER WALL STRUCTURE SPACED OUTWARDLY FROM SAID INNER WALL STRUCTURE AND ALSO RECTANGULAR IN HORIZONTAL SECTION AND COOPERATIVELY DEFINING WITH SAID INNER WALL STRUCTURE A FOUR SIDED GRAIN DRYING COLUMN THEREBETWEEN, SAID GRAIN DRYING COLUMN DISCHARGING AT THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID WALL STRUCTURES, (B) MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY FILLING SAID COLUMN WITH GRAIN TO BE DRIED AS IT DESCENDS BETWEEN SAID WALL STRUCTURES, (C) SEPARATOR MEANS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY ACROSS THE OEPN INTERIOR OF SAID INNER WALL STRUCTURE TO PREVENT THE FREE PASSAGE OF AIR THEREBY AND SEPARATING THE SAME INTO AN UPPER HOT AIR CHAMBER AND A LOWER COOL AIR CHAMBER, SAID UPPER HOT AIR CHAMBER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED OFF AT ITS UPPER END TO PREVENT FREE ESCAPE OF AIR THERETHROUGH, (D) MEANS DISPOSED ENTIRELY WITHIN THE VERTICAL CONFINES OF SAID INNER WALL STRUCTURE FOR HEATING AIR AND INTRODUCING THE SAME UNDER PRESSURE INTO SAID UPPER HOT AIR CHAMBER AND FORCING ALL OF THE SAME OUTWARDLY THROUGH SAID INNER AND OUTER WALL STRUCTURES AND ADAPTED TO PASS SUCH AIR THROUGH A COLUMN OF GRAIN TO THE EXTERIOR OF SAID SHAFT, (E) SAID AIR HEATING MEANS HAVING AN AIR INLET MEANS CONNECTED IN DIRECT AIR-FLOW COMMUNICATION WITH THE FREE ATMOSPHERE SO AS TO RECEIVE AIR THEREFROM WITHOUT BEING DRAWN THROUGH THE SAID PERFORATED INNER AND OUTER WALLS, (F) SAID LOWER COOL AIR CHAMBER HAVING MEANS FOR SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSING OFF ITS LOWER END TO PREVENT THE FREE ESCAPE OF AIR THERETHROUGH, (G) MEANS DISPOSED ENTIRELY WITHIN THE VERTICAL CONFINES OF SAID INNER WALL STRUCTURE FOR CREATING PRESSURE UPON COOL AIR AND INTRODUCING THE SAME INTO SAID LOWER COOL AIR CHAMBER AND FORCING THE SAME OUTWARDLY THROUGH SAID INNER AND OUTER WALL STRUCTURES AND ADAPTED TO PASS SUCH AIR THROUGH A COLUMN OF GRAIN THEREBETWEN TO THE EXTERIOR OF SAID SHAFT, (H) SAID SHAFT HAVING AN OPEN BOTTOM AND SAID AIR HEATING MEANS BEING COMPRISED OF A BURNER EXTENDING UPWARDLY WITHIN SAID SHAFT WITH ITS AIR INLET MEANS CONNECTED INDIRECT AIR-FLOW COMMUNICATING RELATION WITH THE FREE ATMOSPHERE THROUGH SAID OPEN BOTTOM.