Agglomerating process and apparatus

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PELLETING A FLOCCULENT POWDER WHICH COMPRISES FORMING A SUSPENSION OF SAID POWDER IN A GAS, INTRODUCING AN ATOMIZED WETTING LIQUID IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO FORM PELLETS WITH SAID POWDER BUT INSUFFICIENT TO CONVERT SAID POWDER INTO A SLURRY INTO SAID SUSPENSION TO WET AT LEAST A PORTION OF SUSPENDED POWDER, PASSING THE RESULTING SUSPENSION MIXTURE INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF A VERTICAL AGITATING COLUMN, MECHANICALLY AGITATING SAID RESULTING SUSPENSION MIXTURE TO FORM PELLETS COMPRISING AN ADMIXTURE OF SAID FLOCCULENT POWDER AND SAID WETTING LIQUID IN SAID COLUMN SUSPENDED IN SAID GAS, DECREASING THE VELOCITY OF SAID SUSPENSION MIXTURE AS IT PASSES THROUGH SAID COLUMN UNDER CONDITIONS SUCH THAT UPON THE FORMATION OF PELLETS OF THE DESIRED SIZE AND DENSITY SAID PELLETS FALL COUNTERCURRENTLY TO THE UPWARD FLOW OF SAID RESULTING SUSPENSION MIXTURE IN SAID COLUMN, PASSING GAS AND UNPELLETED POWDER FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID COLUMN, DISCHARGING PELLETS OF THE DESIRED SIZE AND DENSITY STILL SUSPENDED IN SAID GAS FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID COLUMN, PASSING SAID PELLETS STILL SUSPENDED IN SAID GAS TO THE LOWER PORTION OF A VERTICAL DRYING COLUMN, INTRODUCING A GAS INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID DRYING COLUMN TO SUSPEND SAID PELLETS THEREIN, DECREASING THE VELOCITY OF FLOW OF SAID SUSPENDING GAS PASSING UPWARD THROUGH SAID COLUMN SUCH THAT THE DECREASE IN WEIGHT OF PELLETS DUE TO DRYING IS PARTIALLY COMPENSATED FOR BY THE DECREASE IN THE VELOCITY OF THE SUSPENDING GAS IN SUCH A MANNER THAT PELLETS STILL SUSPENDED IN SAID GAS ARE RETAINED IN SAID DRYING COLUMN UNTIL SUBSTANTIALLY DRY, REMOVING GAS AND DRY PELLETS STILL SUSPENDED IN SAID GAS FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID COLUMN, AND SEPARATING SAID GAS AND SAID DRIED PELLETS, THE CONTINUOUS SUSPENSION OF PELLETS IN SAID GAS FROM THE TIME OF THEIR FORMATION UNTIL THEIR REMOVAL FROM THE DRYING COLUMN MAINTAINING SAID PELLETS GENERALLY OUT OF PROLONGED CONTACT WITH THE WALLS AND BOTTOM OF SAID COLUMNS WHEREBY THE FORMATION OF A SLURRY OR MASSIVE DEPOSIT THEREON IS AVOIDED.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PELLETING A FLOCCULENT POWDER WHICH COMPRISES FORMING A SUSPENSION OF SAID POWDER IN A GAS, INTRODUCING AN ATOMIZED WETTING LIQUID IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO FORM PELLETS WITH SAID POWDER BUT INSUFFICIENT TO CONVERT SAID POWDER INTO A SLURRY INTO SAID SUSPENSION TO WET AT LEAST A PORTION OF SUSPENDED POWDER, PASSING THE RESULTING SUSPENSION MIXTURE INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF A VERTICAL AGITATING COLUMN, MECHANICALLY AGITATING SAID RESULTING SUSPENSION MIXTURE TO FORM PELLETS COMPRISING AN ADMIXTURE OF SAID FLOCCULENT POWDER AND SAID WETTING LIQUID IN SAID COLUMN SUSPENDED IN SAID GAS, DECREASING THE VELOCITY OF SAID SUSPENSION MIXTURE AS IT PASSES THROUGH SAID COLUMN UNDER CONDITIONS SUCH THAT UPON THE FORMATION OF PELLETS OF THE DESIRED SIZE AND DENSITY SAID PELLETS FALL COUNTERCURRENTLY TO THE UPWARD FLOW OF SAID RESULTING SUSPENSION MIXTURE IN SAID COLUMN, PASSING GAS AND UNPELLETED POWDER FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID COLUMN, DISCHARGING PELLETS OF THE DESIRED SIZE AND DENSITY STILL SUSPENDED IN SAID GAS FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID COLUMN, PASSING SAID PELLETS STILL SUSPENDED IN SAID GAS TO THE LOWER PORTION OF A VERTICAL DRYING COLUMN, INTRODUCING A GAS INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID DRYING COLUMN TO SUSPEND SAID PELLETS THEREIN, DECREASING THE VELOCITY OF FLOW OF SAID SUSPENDING GAS PASSING UPWARD THROUGH SAID COLUMN SUCH THAT THE DECREASE IN WEIGHT OF PELLETS DUE TO DRYING IS PARTIALLY COMPENSATED FOR BY THE DECREASE IN THE VELOCITY OF THE SUSPENDING GAS IN SUCH A MANNER THAT PELLETS STILL SUSPENDED IN SAID GAS ARE RETAINED IN SAID DRYING COLUMN UNTIL SUBSTANTIALLY DRY, REMOVING GAS AND DRY PELLETS STILL SUSPENDED IN SAID GAS FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID COLUMN, AND SEPARATING SAID GAS AND SAID DRIED PELLETS, THE CONTINUOUS SUSPENSION OF PELLETS IN SAID GAS FROM THE TIME OF THEIR FORMATION UNTIL THEIR REMOVAL FROM THE DRYING COLUMN MAINTAINING SAID PELLETS GENERALLY OUT OF PROLONGED CONTACT WITH THE WALLS AND BOTTOM OF SAID COLUMNS WHEREBY THE FORMATION OF A SLURRY OR MASSIVE DEPOSIT THEREON IS AVOIDED.