Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
399 words
An apparatus for enlarging the sizes of granules, comprising: an upright container having a sidewall, a top wall and a bottom wall, said container having a horizontal, perforate, first wall extending thereacross and dividing the interior of said container into an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper portion being adapted to contain a bed of the granules, said container having a horizontal, imperforate, second wall extending across said lower portion of said container, said imperforate second wall being spaced downwardly from said perforate first wall and spaced upwardly from said bottom wall, the space between said first wall and said second wall defining a first, air stream supply chamber, the space between said second wall and said bottom wall defining a second, air stream supply chamber; a plurality of parallel, upright, spaced apart, imperforate funnels extending downwardly from said first wall to said second wall, each funnel comprising an upper section in the form of a vacant, inverted truncated cone whose wide upper end opens into said upper portion of said container and whose narrow lower end is located close to said second wall, and a cylindrical pipe coaxial with and extending downwardly from the lower end of said cone and penetrating through said second wall and opening into said second air stream supply chamber, said inverted truncated cone being adapted to be substantially filled with granules; nozzle means disposed in each of said cylindrical pipes for spraying droplets of liquid into said cylindrical pipes; first air supply means connected to said first air stream supply chamber for supplying pressurized air thereto which air flows upwardly through the perforations in said first wall to form a fluidized bed of granules above said first wall; second air supply means connected to said second air stream supply chamber for supplying pressurized air thereto which latter air flows upwardly in the form of jet streams through said pipes to entrain said droplets therein and thence through said funnels so that the granules in said funnels are coated by the liquid and are circulated in toroidal flow above said funnels; feed means for supplying feed granules into said upper portion of said container; discharge means attached to the sidewall of said container above and close to said first wall for discharging granules of enlarged size; and means for exhausting gas from the upper end of the upper portion of said container.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
399 words
An apparatus for enlarging the sizes of granules, comprising: an upright container having a sidewall, a top wall and a bottom wall, said container having a horizontal, perforate, first wall extending thereacross and dividing the interior of said container into an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper portion being adapted to contain a bed of the granules, said container having a horizontal, imperforate, second wall extending across said lower portion of said container, said imperforate second wall being spaced downwardly from said perforate first wall and spaced upwardly from said bottom wall, the space between said first wall and said second wall defining a first, air stream supply chamber, the space between said second wall and said bottom wall defining a second, air stream supply chamber; a plurality of parallel, upright, spaced apart, imperforate funnels extending downwardly from said first wall to said second wall, each funnel comprising an upper section in the form of a vacant, inverted truncated cone whose wide upper end opens into said upper portion of said container and whose narrow lower end is located close to said second wall, and a cylindrical pipe coaxial with and extending downwardly from the lower end of said cone and penetrating through said second wall and opening into said second air stream supply chamber, said inverted truncated cone being adapted to be substantially filled with granules; nozzle means disposed in each of said cylindrical pipes for spraying droplets of liquid into said cylindrical pipes; first air supply means connected to said first air stream supply chamber for supplying pressurized air thereto which air flows upwardly through the perforations in said first wall to form a fluidized bed of granules above said first wall; second air supply means connected to said second air stream supply chamber for supplying pressurized air thereto which latter air flows upwardly in the form of jet streams through said pipes to entrain said droplets therein and thence through said funnels so that the granules in said funnels are coated by the liquid and are circulated in toroidal flow above said funnels; feed means for supplying feed granules into said upper portion of said container; discharge means attached to the sidewall of said container above and close to said first wall for discharging granules of enlarged size; and means for exhausting gas from the upper end of the upper portion of said container.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said funnels are arranged in parallel rows.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an arrestor connected to said exhausting means and adapted to filter out and recapture for recycling granules carried out of said container through said exhausting means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper edges of said funnels are flush with said perforate wall.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
A granulator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said granule feed means and said granule discharge means are positioned on opposite sides of said container.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
308 words
An apparatus for enlarging the sizes of granules, comprising: an upright container having a sidewall, a top wall and a bottom wall, said container having a horizontal, perforate, wall extending thereacross and dividing the interior of said container into an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper portion being adapted to contain a bed of the granules; means defining a gas stream supply chamber below said perforate wall; a plurality of parallel, upright, spaced apart, imperforate funnels extending downwardly from said perforate wall, each funnel comprising an upper section in the form of a vacant, inverted truncated cone whose wide upper end opens into said upper portion of said container, and a cylindrical pipe coaxial with and extending downwardly from the lower end of said cone, said inverted truncated cone being adapted to be substantially filled with granules; nozzle means disposed in each of said cylindrical pipes for spraying droplets of liquid into said cylindrical pipes; first gas supply means connected to said gas stream supply chamber for supplying pressurized gas thereto which gas flows upwardly through the perforations in said perforate wall to form a fluidized bed of granules above said perforate wall; second gas supply means connected to the lower ends of said pipes for supplying pressurized gas thereto which latter gas flows upwardly in the form of jet streams through said pipes to entrain said droplets therein and thence through said funnels so that the granules in said funnels are coated by the liquid and are circulated in toroidal flow above said funnels; feed means for supplying feed granules into said upper portion of said container; discharge means attached to the sidewall of said container above and close to said first wall for discharging granules of enlarged size; and means for exhausting gas from the upper end of the upper portion of said container.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
308 words
An apparatus for enlarging the sizes of granules, comprising: an upright container having a sidewall, a top wall and a bottom wall, said container having a horizontal, perforate, wall extending thereacross and dividing the interior of said container into an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper portion being adapted to contain a bed of the granules; means defining a gas stream supply chamber below said perforate wall; a plurality of parallel, upright, spaced apart, imperforate funnels extending downwardly from said perforate wall, each funnel comprising an upper section in the form of a vacant, inverted truncated cone whose wide upper end opens into said upper portion of said container, and a cylindrical pipe coaxial with and extending downwardly from the lower end of said cone, said inverted truncated cone being adapted to be substantially filled with granules; nozzle means disposed in each of said cylindrical pipes for spraying droplets of liquid into said cylindrical pipes; first gas supply means connected to said gas stream supply chamber for supplying pressurized gas thereto which gas flows upwardly through the perforations in said perforate wall to form a fluidized bed of granules above said perforate wall; second gas supply means connected to the lower ends of said pipes for supplying pressurized gas thereto which latter gas flows upwardly in the form of jet streams through said pipes to entrain said droplets therein and thence through said funnels so that the granules in said funnels are coated by the liquid and are circulated in toroidal flow above said funnels; feed means for supplying feed granules into said upper portion of said container; discharge means attached to the sidewall of said container above and close to said first wall for discharging granules of enlarged size; and means for exhausting gas from the upper end of the upper portion of said container.