Process and apparatus for continuously processing and extruding plasticizing materials

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY PROCESSING COLD MILLED SOAP TO AERATE THE SAME, WHICH COMPRSIES: PROGRESSIVELY COMPACTING THE SOAP INTO A DEFORMABLE MASS; FEEDING THE COMPACTED DEFORMABLE SOAP MASS THROUGH A COMMINUTING ZONE WHERE IT IS BROKEN UP AND INTO A BLENDING ZONE; CONTINUOUSLY SPREADING THE SOAP IN THE BLENDING ZONE OVER A FORAMINOUS PLATE TO FORM THE SOAP INTO A THIN FILM AND TO FORCE IT THROUGH THE APERTURES IN THE PLATE TO THEREBY EFFECT OCCLUSION AND UNIFORM DISTRIBUTION IN THE SOAP OF GAS PRESENT IN THE BLENDING ZONE; AND SO CONTROLLING THE RATE OF FEED OF THE SOAP MASS THROUGH THE COMMINUTING ZONE AND THE SPEED OF THE SPREADING ACTION WITHIN THE BLENDING ZONE THAT THE SOAP MOVES THROUGH THE BLENDING ZONE MUCH FASTER THAN IT MOVES THROUGH THE COMMINUTING ZONE.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING PLASTICIZABLE MATERIAL TO INCORPORATE A FLUID SECONDARY INGREDIENT THEREIN, COMPRISING: MEANS DEFINING A BLENDING CHAMBER HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET AND THROUGH WHICH THE MATERIAL TO BE PROCESSED MUST PASS; A FORAMINOUS PLATE FIXED ACROSS THE OUTLET SO THAT MATERIAL TO BE DISCHARGED FROM THE CHAMBER MUST FLOW THROUGH THE APERTURES IN SAID PLATE; MEANS FOR COMPACTING THE MATERIAL INTO A FLOWABLE MASS AND FOR MOVING IT TOWARD THE INLET OF SAID CHAMBER; A FORAMINOUS PLATE FIXED ACROSS THE INLET OF SAID CHAMBER AND THROUGH WHICH THE MATERIAL IS FORCED BY THE COMPACTING PRESSURE, MEANS FOR FEEDING THE FLUID SECONDARY INGREDIENT INTO SAID CHAMBER; MEANS FOR BREAKING UP THE MATERIAL ENTERING THE BLENDING CHAMBER INTO SMALL PELLETS; AND MEANS FOR SPREADING SAID PELLETS AS THEY ARE FORMED OVER THE FORAMINOUS OUTLET PLATE TO FORM THE SAME INTO A THIN FILM WITH THE FLUID SECONDARY INGREDIENT UNIFORMLY DISPERSED THEREIN AND DISCHARGE THE MANIPULATED MATERIAL FROM THE BLENDING CHAMBER THROUGH THE APERTURES IN SAID OUTLET PLATE.