Split-pan for panning apparatus

A method of coating at least two separate masses of centers simultaneously in a single coating apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing the coating apparatus, comprising a coating pan including an outer shell having first and second ends, with the pan defining an interior volume, and at least one partition within the shell, dividing the interior volume into a plurality of coating vessels;
• introducing a mass of centers to be coated into each of the coating vessels, wherein the masses of centers in different coating vessels may be the same as or different from each other;
• optionally, measuring each mass of centers to provide masses of centers that vary in weight, one from the other, by no more than about 2 percent
• rotating the coating pan;
• introducing a coating composition into each of the coating vessels, wherein each coating composition introduced into different coating vessels may be the same as or different from one another;
• intermixing the mass of centers and coating composition in each coating vessel to form a coating layer on each of the centers;
• and
• drying the coating layers.

A split-pan for a panning apparatus, the split-pan comprising:

• a hollow drum, having first and second ends, the drum defining an interior volume;
• and
• a partition, mounted in the drum between the first and second ends, thereby dividing the interior volume into a first coating vessel between the first end and the partition and a second coating vessel between the partition and the second end;
• wherein
• the partition optionally defines an aperture configured to allow passage of a drying gas therethrough, and sized generally to prevent intermixing of centers introduced respectively into each of the first and second coating vessels;
• and, optionally,
• the first end of the drum defines a first end aperture, and the second end of the drum defines a second end aperture, and wherein each of the first and second end apertures is of a size sufficient to permit introduction of centers into the first and second coating vessels.

A panning apparatus, comprising a split-pan,

• the split-pan comprising:
• a hollow drum, having first and second ends, the drum defining an interior volume;
• and
• at least one partition, positioned between the first and second ends, thereby dividing the interior volume into a plurality of coating vessels;
• wherein
• the partition optionally defines an aperture, configured to allow passage of a drying gas, and sized to generally prevent intermixing of centers introduced respectively into each of the plurality of coating vessels.