Flow control meters for gravity flow particle dryers

摘要

An improved metering discharge device for particulate material, particularly grain, is described. The device comprises a plurality of tubes extending downwardly from a lower region of a vessel, particularly in uniformly spaced relationship across the bottom of a gravity flow grain drying chamber. Each tube has an upper end flow connected to the drying chamber and a closed lower end and also has a pair of opposed openings in the side walls. A rotatable auger extends laterally through the tube via the side wall openings. The tubes preferably arranged in straight rows with a single auger extending through each row. This combination of tubes and augers provides a simpler design as well as a more precise flow metering than prior metering rolls. Also included are a plurality of laterally spaced, inverted channel members with open bottoms extending across the drying tower immediately above the discharge floor structure, these channel members being adapted to distribute cooling air into the grain in the tower.