Method and apparatus for continuous sulfonization of discrete article

An apparatus for continuous sulfonization of discrete articles using ultra-dry air, sulfur trioxide gas, and a neutralizing fluid comprising:

• a feeder box for drying the discrete articles with ultra-dry air;
• a sulfonization chamber for treating the discrete articles with sulfur trioxide gas;
• a conveyor assembly extending between said feeder box and said sulfonization chamber for transporting the discrete articles from said feeder box to said sulfonization chamber;
• a neutralizing tank for receiving the discrete articles from said sulfonization chamber and for treating the discrete articles with neutralizing fluid;
• an exit tube extending between said sulfonization chamber and said neutralizing tank for transporting the discrete articles from said sulfonization chamber to said neutralizing tank;
• said feeder box including a box bottom having a rectangular periphery and a plurality of box sides extending upwardly about said rectangular periphery and perpendicular to said box bottom to define an open top;
• said feeder box including a box liner extending parallel to said box bottom and upwardly along said box sides between said box bottom and said conveyor assembly for providing a cushion to the discrete articles within said feeder box;
• said feeder box including a box top perpendicular to said box sides and parallel to said box bottom for closing said open top defined by said box sides;
• said box top including a pair of handles for facilitating manual removal of said box top from said feeder box;
• a first of said box sides defining a plurality of access openings for allowing access to the discrete articles within said feeder box;
• a second of said box sides defining an exit opening for allowing transfer of the discrete articles from said feeder box;
• one of said box sides of said feeder box defining an air inlet opening for introducing the ultra-dry air into said feeder box;
• said sulfonization chamber including a chamber bottom having a circular periphery extending about a center axis and defining a chamber bottom opening on said center axis;
• said sulfonization chamber including a chamber wall having a cylindrical shape extending upwardly about said circular periphery of said chamber bottom and perpendicular to said chamber bottom;
• said sulfonization chamber including a chamber top supported on said chamber wall, said chamber wall defining an entrance opening for allowing transfer of the discrete articles into said sulfonization chamber, said chamber wall defining a gas inlet opening;
• said conveyor assembly including a conveyor housing including a plurality of housing sides defining an interior channel extending between said exit opening of said feeder box and tangentially to said entrance opening of said sulfonization chamber;
• said neutralizing tank including a tank bottom having a rectangular periphery and a plurality of tank sides extending upwardly about said periphery and perpendicular to said tank bottom for holding the neutralizing fluid;
• said neutralizing tank including a tank top perpendicular to said tank sides and parallel to said tank bottom supported on said tank sides;
• a rotating dial plate having a circular periphery and presenting an upper surface extending radially from and rotatable about said center axis and disposed above said chamber bottom for receiving the discrete articles at said circular periphery of said rotating dial plate;
• said chamber wall including a guide arm extending parallel to and spaced from the upper surface of the rotating dial plate, said guide arm including a plurality of guides being arcuate in shape and extending perpendicularly from said guide arm toward said upper surface of said rotating dial plate and spaced radially outward from one another along a radial extending radially from said center axis for moving the discrete articles radially inward in a spiral path during rotation of said rotating dial plate;
• a first of said guides including a first end for receiving the discrete articles and extending in a spiral about said center axis to a second end for positioning the discrete articles radially inward for alignment with said first end of a next of said guides spaced radially inward from said first of said guides for moving the discrete articles progressively and radially inward in response to successive rotations of said rotating dial plate;
• said rotating dial plate defining a plurality of dial perforations for circulating the sulfur trioxide gas through said rotating dial plate and into said sulfonization chamber;
• said sulfonization chamber including a dial mount disposed upon said chamber bottom and extending about and radially spaced from said chamber bottom opening;
• said rotating dial plate being rotatably supported by said dial mount and extending parallel to and spaced from said chamber bottom, said rotating dial plate defining a dial opening about said center axis;
• said box bottom of said feeder box defining a plurality of box perforations for circulating the ultra-dry air through said box bottom and out of said feeder box;
• said second box side of said feeder box extending perpendicularly from said first box side;
• said feeder box including a plurality of covers having a glove-like shape disposed on said first box side and about said access openings for allowing manual access to the discrete articles within said feeder box;
• said chamber top of said sulfonization chamber being frustoconical in shape about said center axis and defining an exhaust opening on said center axis for exhausting the sulfur trioxide gas;
• said sulfonization chamber including a gas inlet tube including a pair of tube legs disposed on opposite sides of said gas inlet opening and between said chamber bottom and said rotating dial plate and spaced apart from said center axis;
• said gas inlet tube defining tube perforations for introducing the sulfur trioxide gas into said sulfonization chamber;
• said conveyor assembly including a conveyor extending from a third box side opposite said second box side and adjacent said first box side through said exit opening and said conveyor housing to said entrance opening of said sulfonization chamber for transporting the discrete articles from said feeder box to said sulfonization chamber;
• said tank top defining a tank opening for receiving the discrete articles from said sulfonization chamber;
• said exit tube having a cylindrical shape and extending from said dial opening through said chamber bottom opening and said tank opening to said neutralizing tank for guiding gravitational movement of the discrete articles from said rotating dial plate and into said neutralizing tank;
• and
• said exit tube including a trap door disposed within said exit tube parallel to said tank bottom for closing said exit tube and containing the neutralizing fluid within said neutralizing tank.