Apparatus for conditioning particulate material

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING PARTICULATE MATERIAL SUCH AS FOUNDRY SAND AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING AN ENCLOSED MIXING CHAMBER FOR CONTAINING A BATCH OF SAID MATERIAL, SAID CHAMBER INCLUDING A BOTTOM WALL, AN UPSTANDING PERIPHERAL SIDEWALL, AND A TOP WALL, A MIXING HEAD IN SAID CHAMBER MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS UPSTANDING FROM SAID BOTTOM WALL FOR MOVING SAID MATERIAL IN A CIRCULAR ORBIT AROUND SAID CHAMBER TO MIX AND AGITATE THE SAME, AN ELONGATED GASEOUS FLUID SUPPLY MANIFOLD SECURED TO THE EXTERIOR OF SAID SIDEWALL, SAID MANIFOLD EXTENDING GENERALLY PARALLEL OF SAID BOTTOM WALL AND HAVING AN INTERIOR PERIPHERAL EDGE CONFORMING TO AND ADAPTED TO SEAL AGAINST THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID SIDEWALL, FAN MEANS CONNECTED TO ONE END OF SAID MANIFOLD FOR DELIVERING GASEOUS FLUID UNDER PRESSURE TO THE INTERIOR THEREOF, A PLURALITY OF INLET OPENING DEFINING MEANS IN SAID SIDEWALL AT CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED LOCATIONS THEREIN IN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INTERIOR OF SAID CHAMBER AND THE INTERIOR OF SAID MANIFOLD, A PLURALITY OF FLUID DELIVERY CONDUITS CONNECTED TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID MANIFOLD, EACH HAVING AN EXIT END IN COMMUNICATION WITH ONE OF SAID INLET OPENING DEFINING MEANS IN SAID SIDEWALL AND AN OPEN INLET END IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID MANIFOLD FOR DELIVERING A HIGH VELOCITY FLOW OF GASEOUS FLUID DIRECTLY INTO THE MATERIAL IN SAID MIXING CHAMBER, AND EXHAUST FAN MEANS IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID MIXING CHAMBER ABOVE SAID INLET OPENING DEFINING MEANS IN SAID SIDEWALL FOR EXHAUSING GASEOUS FLUID FROM SAID CHAMBER AT VELOCITIES SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE VELOCITY OF SAID FLUID FLOWING INTO SAID MATERIAL THROUGH SAID INLET OPENING DEFINING MEANS IN SAID SIDEWALL.