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Asphalt kettle and closure therefor

  • US 3,995,616 A
  • Filed: 03/17/1975
  • Issued: 12/07/1976
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1975
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An asphalt kettle comprising, in combination:

  • a kettle chamber having heating means therein to melt asphalt contained within the chamber, said chamber having an open top portion;

    a closure disposed over the chamber, said closure having opposed spaced vertically extensive side walls, each of which side walls has at least one opening therein of sufficient size to permit bulk chunks of asphalt to be loaded therethrough into the chamber, end walls spanning the space between the side walls and a top extending between said side and end walls;

    a chute portion fixed relative to each opening and extending inwardly therefrom, each such chute portion being peripherally sealed around the opening from which it extends and having inner edges defining an inwardly and downwardly sloping plane;

    a door hingedly secured above each of said chute portions, said doors being dimensioned for abutting engagement with the edges of the chute portions whereby the doors seal against said edges in the event the pressure to the interior of the closure exceeds that to the exterior thereof;

    means securing the closure to the kettle for movement between a first position wherein the closure effectively seals the kettle chamber around the open top portion thereof and a second position at least partially elevated relative to the chamber wherein gas may escape therearound, said means permitting movement of the closure to the second position responsive to pressure within the chamber in the event of an explosion therein;

    a skirt fixed to the closure and extending downwardly around the kettle chamber, said skirt being of a length sufficient to extend around the chamber when the closure is in the second position; and

    ,stop means to limit the extent to which the closure can open in the event of an explosion within the chamber to an extent such that when the closure opens to the second position in response to an explosion within the chamber all gas and debris exiting around the closure is deflected downwardly by the skirt.

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