Method and apparatus for drying gelatinous material

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING GELATINOUS MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES COOLING A SOLUTION OF THE MATERIAL TO THE JELLING POINT OF THE SOLUTION IN A COMPLETELY ENCLOSED CHAMBER FROM WHICH AIR IS EXCLUDED WHILE AGITATING THE SOLUTION TO PREVENT IT FROM JELLING, FORCING THE SUB-COOLED SOLUTION INTO AN ENLARGED CHAMBER FROM WHICH AIR IS ALSO EXCLUDED, ALLOWING THE SOLUTION TO JELL IN SAID ENLARGED CHAMBER, THEN EXTRUDING THE JELL FROM THE CHAMBER IN RIBBONS, COLLECTING THE EXTRUDED MATERIAL AND PASSING HEATED AIR DEPTHWISE THROUGH THE MATERIAL TO DRY THE MATERIAL.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF DRYING GELATINOUS MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES COOLING A SOLUTION OF THE MATERIAL TO THE JELLING POINT OF THE SOLUTION WHILE AGITATING THE SOLUTION TO PREVENT IT FROM JELLING, FORCING THE SUB-COOLED SOLUTION INTO AN ENLARGED CHAMBER TO PERMIT IT TO JELL, EXTRUDING THE MAMATERIAL IN RIBBONS, COLLECTING THE EXTRUDED MATERIAL ON A TRAVELING FORAMINOUS CONVEYOR, PASSING HEATED AIR REPEATEDLY THROUGH THE MATERIAL DEPTHWISE OF THE MATERIAL AS IT MOVES ALONG WITH THE CONVEYOR, AND RAISING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE AIR AFTER EACH PASSAGE THROUGH THE MATERIAL PRIOR TO THE NEXT PASSAGE OF THE AIR THROUGH THE MATERIAL, THE AIR BEING PASSED DOWN THROUGH THE MATERIAL AT LEAST ON ITS FIRST PASSAGE THROUGH THE MATERIAL AND THE AIR BEING PASSED UP THROUGH THE MATERIAL AT LEAST ON ITS LAST PASSASGE THROUGH THE MATERIAL.