Apparatus for producing granules from powder
AssigneeUnited Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
InventorEric Whitehead
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Inner and outer cylinders are mounted for rotation about a common horizontal axis. Powder is fed into one end of the inner cylinder to produce granules by coagulation as the cylinder rotates. The inner cylinder is open at the other end to provide an outlet for the granules, and has a perforated (mesh) wall portion towards its outlet end through which uncoagulated powder falls into the outer cylinder. The diameter of the latter increases towards the inlet end of the inner cylinder so that the uncoagulated powder travels back down the surface of the outer cylinder as it rotates. On reaching the end thereof adjacent the inlet end of the inner cylinder, the powder is lifted by scoops on the inner surface of the outer cylinder to fall into an open-topped duct by which powder is fed into the inner cylinder.
Claims3
Apparatus for producing granules from powder, the apparatus comprising inner and outer cylinders mounted for rotation about an at least approximately horizontal axis and means for introducing powder into one end of said inner cylinder to produce granules by coagulation of said powder as said inner cylinder rotates, said inner cylinder having an outlet at its other end for granules to pass out thereof and including towards said other end a perforated wall portion for allowing uncoagulated powder but not granules to fall therethrough, and said outer cylinder having a diameter which decreases from said one end to said other end of said inner cylinder whereby powder may fall through said perforated wall portion into said outer cylinder and travel back over the inner surface thereof to its large-diameter end as it rotates, and means operable by the rotation of said outer cylinder for feeding powder which reaches said large-diameter end back into said one end of the inner cylinder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.