# US 10,307,936 B2 · Method and apparatus for producing reshaped plastic granules > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,307,936 B2 - Document ID: US10307936B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/501,473 - Filed: 2015-08-04 - Published: 2017-08-24 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2014-08-04 - Applicants: András Szücs - Inventors: András Szücs - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10307936B2 ## CPC - B29B 9/16: Auxiliary treatment of granules - B29B 9/12: characterised by structure or composition - B29B 13/065: {of powder or pellets} - F26B 1/005: {by means of disintegrating, e.g. crushing, shredding, milling the materials to be dried (F26B17/102, F26B17/103 take precedence)} - F26B 17/00: Machines or apparatus for drying materials in loose, plastic, or fluidised form, e.g. granules, staple fibres, with progressive movement (F26B13/00 takes precedence {; feed or discharge arrangements F26B25/002}) - B29B 2009/125: {Micropellets, microgranules, microparticles} - B29B 2009/166: {Deforming granules to give a special form, e.g. spheroidizing, rounding} - B29C 33/026: {in rolls, calenders or drums} - B29C 43/04: using movable moulds - B29C 43/08: with circular movement {, e.g. mounted on rolls, turntables} - B29C 43/3697: {comprising rollers or belts cooperating with non-rotating mould parts} - B29C 43/40: with means for cutting the article - B29C 53/16: Straightening or flattening - B29C 53/20: of tubes - B29C 67/0003: {Moulding articles between moving mould surfaces, e.g. turning surfaces} - B29C 2043/043: {rotating on their own axis without linear displacement} - B29K 2105/251: {Particles, powder or granules (expandable particles B29K2105/046)} - B29B: PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS - F26B: DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM (drying devices for combines A01D41/133; racks for drying fruit or vegetables A01F25/12; drying foodstuffs A23; drying hair A45D20/00; body-drying implements A47K10/00; drying household articles A47L; drying gases or vapours B01D; chemical or physical processes for dewatering or like separating liquids from solids B01D43/00; centrifugal apparatus B04; drying ceramics C04B33/30; drying yarns or fabrics in association with some other form of treatment D06C; drying frames for laundry without heating or positive air circulation, domestic laundry-or spin-driers, wringing or hot pressing laundry D06F; furnaces, kilns, ovens F27) - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS ## Abstract An apparatus (10) for producing reshaped plastic granules from a plurality of initial granules (12) with a predetermined shape is disclosed comprising: a feeding unit (20) for continuously receiving a plurality of said initial granules (12), a pressing unit (30) for mechanically reshaping the initial granules, said pressing unit comprising at least two opposite pressing surfaces (32) with a gap (34) therebetween, the width (W) of said gap ranging from 0 mm to 0.5 mm, a receiving chamber (40) for receiving the reshaped final granules (13) from the pressing unit, and a frame (50) for supporting the feeding unit, the pressing unit and the receiving chamber. A method is also provided to produce final granules by mechanically reshaping the initial granule, each final granule having a certain surface-to-volume ratio and a primary thickness of at most 0.7 mm within substantially the entire volume of the final granules. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of producing reshaped plastic granules, comprising the step of providing a plurality of initial granules having a predetermined average surface-to-volume ratio of at most 3 mm2/mm3, wherein the method further comprises the step of flattening the initial granules by pressing the initial granules to produce final granules, having a surface-to-volume ratio of greater than 4 mm2/mm3; and wherein the step of pressing the initial plastic granules comprises pressing the initial plastic granules in a pressing unit having at least two pressing surfaces with a gap therebetween, the width of said gap ranging from 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the pressing unit comprises smooth or textured pressing surfaces. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the pressing surfaces are tempered to have an optimal surface temperature depending on the material of the initial granules. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the pressing unit comprises a rotating pressing roll and a stationary pressing counterpart. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the pressing unit comprises one or more pairs of contra-rotating pressing rolls. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein the co-operating contra-rotating pressing rolls are rotated at the same rotational speed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein the co-operating contra-rotated pressing rolls are rotated at different rotational speeds. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the pressing surfaces have a surface texture selected from the group consisting of roughened, ribbed, indented and toothed, said surface texture having recesses with a depth of at most 0.05 mm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising drying the reshaped final granules. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the flattening is a mechanical reshaping. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the initial granules have a predetermined shape, each initial granule having (a) a main plane defined by the two largest, substantially orthogonal dimensions thereof and (b) a primary thickness defined as the dimension thereof in a direction orthogonal to the main plane of the granule, wherein the primary thickness of the initial granules is at least 1 mm within substantially the entire volume of the granules, wherein, after the flattening, the final granules each have (i) a main plane defined by the two largest mutually orthogonal dimensions thereof and (ii) a primary thickness defined as the dimension in a direction orthogonal to the main plane of the granule, wherein the primary thickness of the final granules is at most 0.5 mm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein the main plain of the final granules has a diameter of at least 6 mm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the final granules have a volume of at least 12 mm3. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) An apparatus for carrying out the method of claim 1 of producing reshaped plastic granules from a plurality of initial granules with a predetermined shape and an initial thickness of at least 1 mm within substantially the entire volume of the granules, the apparatus comprising: a feeding unit for continuously receiving a plurality of said initial granules, a pressing unit for flattening the initial granules and producing said reshaped final granules, a receiving chamber for receiving the reshaped final granules from the pressing unit, and a frame for supporting the feeding unit, the pressing unit and the receiving chamber, characterized in that said pressing unit comprises at least two smooth or textured pressing surfaces opposite to each other with a gap therebetween, the width of said gap being adjustable between 0.05 mm and 0.5 mm. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the pressing unit comprises a rotating pressing roll and a stationary pressing counterpart. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the pressing unit comprises one or more pairs of contra-rotating pressing rolls. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the pressing surfaces are made to have a surface texture selected from the group consisting of roughened, ribbed, indented and toothed, said surface texture having recesses with a depth of at most 0.05 mm. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein each rotating pressing roll of the pressing unit is equipped with a doctor blade for the removal of any residual material of the reshaped granules from the respective pressing surfaces. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein at least one pressing roll of the pressing unit comprises a movable bearing for adjusting the width of the gap between the pressing surfaces of the pressing unit. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the receiving chamber is provided with a drying means for drying the reshaped final granules.