Method for producing agglomerated powders and apparatus for performing the method
AssigneeAktieselskabet Niro Atomizer
InventorsKarl Erik Hansen, Ove Hansen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and an apparatus for producing agglomerated powders such as coffee powder, coffee substitutes such as chicory and other highly hygroscopic and thermoplastic powders in which powder is made to fall down against a central area of a rotating disc. The powder is moistened during the fall against the disc by the supply of steam or finely atomized water across the central area of the disc at such a distance above the same that practically all the powder is moistened before it hits the disc.
Claims26
A method for producing agglomerated hygroscopic soluble powder products of coffee or coffee substitutes from a powder of the raw materials, said method comprising the steps of:
- a. dropping the raw materials
- i. in an unobstructed movement directly down towards a disc
- ii. a distance sufficient to permit moistening of the raw materials in the next-recited step;
- b. moistening the raw materials
- i. with an aqueous moistening agent
- ii. as they drop towards the disc
- iii. by an amount sufficient to cause agglomeration of the raw materials;
- and
- c. causing the disc to rotate with sufficient speed to cause the moistened raw materials to be thrown off the disc by centrifugal force, the disc being shaped so that the motion of the raw materials as they are thrown off the disc by centrifugal force is unobstructed.
Apparatus for producing agglomerated hygroscopic soluble powder products of coffee or coffee substitutes from a powder of the raw materials, said apparatus comprising:
- a. a chamber;
- b. means defining an inlet for the raw materials located in said chamber;
- c. means for moistening the raw materials
- i. with an aqueous moistening agent
- ii. as they drop into said chamber from said inlet
- iii. by an amount sufficient to cause agglomeration of the raw materials;
- d. a disc
- i. located vertically below said inlet by a distance sufficient to permit moistening of the raw materials as they fall in an unobstructed movement from said inlet
- ii. shaped so that the motion of the raw materials as they are thrown off the disc by centrifugal force is unobstructed;
- e. means for rotating said disc with sufficient speed to cause the moistened raw materials to be thrown off said disc by centrifugal force;
- and
- f. means for causing the raw materials to have a uniform distribution across the cross-section of the moistening zone.
Apparatus for producing agglomerated hygroscopic soluble powder products of coffee or coffee substitutes from a powder of the raw materials, said apparatus comprising:
- a. a chamber;
- b. means defining an inlet for the raw materials located in said chamber;
- c. means for moistening the raw materials
- i. with an aqueous moistening agent
- ii. as they drop into said chamber from said inlet
- iii. by an amount sufficient to cause agglomeration of the raw materials;
- d. a disc
- i. located vertically below said inlet by a distance sufficient to permit moistening of the raw materials as they fall in an unobstructed movement from said inlet
- ii. shaped so that the motion of the raw materials as they are thrown off the disc by centrifugal force is unobstructed;
- e. means for rotating said disc with sufficient speed to cause the moistened raw materials to be thrown off said disc by centrifugal force;
- and
- f. means for adjusting the distance between said disc and said means defining an inlet.
Apparatus for producing agglomerated hygroscopic soluble powder products of coffee or coffee substitutes from a powder of the raw materials, said apparatus comprising:
- a. a chamber;
- b. means defining an inlet for the raw materials located in said chamber;
- c. means for moistening the raw materials
- i. with an aqueous moistening agent
- ii. as they drop into said chamber from said inlet
- iii. by an amount sufficient to cause agglomeration of the raw materials;
- d. a disc
- i. located vertically below said inlet by a distance sufficient to permit moistening of the raw materials as they fall in an unobstructed movement from said inlet
- ii. shaped so that the motion of the raw materials as they are thrown off the disc by centrifugal force is unobstructed;
- e. means for rotating said disc with sufficient speed to cause the moistened raw materials to be thrown off said disc by centrifugal force;
- and
- f. means for introducing a drying gas into said chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.