All You Ever Wanted to Know about Tweety (But Were Afraid to Ask)

In a continuous drum mix asphalt plant, dust is exhausted from an intermediate zone of the drum mixer between its drying and mixing zones. The dust is exhausted radially through openings into a collection housing, which communicates with a dust collector and exhaust blower. An end housing at the discharge end of the drum communicates with the same dust collector and blower. Dampers are provided to control the relative proportion of air exhausted from the drum through the respective housings. Aggregate deflectors on the interior wall of the drum at the intermediate zone allow air and dust to flow while inhibiting the flow of aggregate. The collection housing surrounding the intermediate zone is of a size such as to produce a reduction in the velocity of the air as it passes out of the drum. Consequently, it serves as a knock-out box for the collection of larger particles which are carried out of the drum, but which settle out of the air stream as a result of the velocity decrease. These collected particles are reintroduced into the drum by scoops on the exterior of the drum. These scoops are also used for the introduction of recycled asphaltic concrete.