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AssigneeFuji Paudal Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsSatoru Watano, Yoshihiro Itoh, Nobuhito Oda, Teturo Kamata, Noboru Kawakami, Nobuharu Moriya
Estimating the term…
In the operation of a granulating or coating apparatus wherein a particulate material is processed in a granulation chamber into granules, the material may be photographed during the course of carrying out the granulation process by utilizing a photography probe wherein a bundle of optical fibers are utilized to project a source of stroboscopic illuminating light in the form of a generally flat beam through a portion of the granulating chamber and a photographic camera is focused within the projected light beam along an optical line of sight oriented generally perpendicular to the projected light beam to produce an image of granules within the beam against a relatively dark background. Simultaneously, a stream of gas is directed into the region of the intersection of the projected light beam and the line of camera sight to disperse the charge material to promote photography of individualized particles of the charged material while at the same time preventing accumulation of charge material on the photographic probe.
In a granulation or coating apparatus of the type having a processing vessel defining a granulation chamber for processing a particulate charge material therein into granules, an apparatus for photographing material under process in the granulation chamber for use in controlling physical characteristics of granules produced therein, the apparatus comprising means for projecting a source of illuminating light in the form of a generally flat beam through a portion of the granulation chamber, means for focusing a photographic camera within the projected light beam along an optical line of sight oriented generally perpendicular to the projected light beam, and means for directing a stream of gas in the region of the intersection of the projected light beam and the line of sight to disperse the charge material in the region during photography to promote photography of individualized particles of the charge material.
In a granulation or coating apparatus of the type having a processing vessel defining a granulation chamber for processing a particulate charge material therein into granules, an apparatus for photographing material under process in the granulation chamber for use in controlling physical characteristics of granules produced therein, the apparatus comprising means for projecting a source of illuminating light through a portion of the granulation chamber, means for focusing a photographic camera within the projected light, and means for directing a stream of gas in the region of the light projecting means and the camera focusing means to purge charge material from accumulating thereon and to disperse the charge material in the region during photography to promote photography of individualized particles of the charge material.
In a method of granulating or coating a particulate material into granules within a granulation chamber of a processing vessel, a method of controlling physical characteristics of the granules produced, the method comprising photographing the material under process in the chamber by projecting a source of illuminating light through a portion of the granulation chamber, focusing a photographic camera within the projected light, and directing a stream of gas in the region of the projected light and the camera focus to purge the material under process from accumulating on the light source or the camera and to disperse the process material in the region during photography to promote photography of individualized particles of the process material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.