Method and apparatus for coating feed

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A UNIFORM COATING OF A HEAVY VISCID SYRUP TO FEED PELLETS INCLUDING AN ELONGATED TROUGH HAVING A SPIRAL MIXING CONVEYOR THEREIN FOR CONTINUOUSLY ADVANCING AND TUMBLING FEED PELLETS DELIVERED TO SAID TROUGH AT ONE END THEREOF BY A HOPPER AND REMOVED THEREFROM BY A DELIVERY CHUTE, A HOLLOW SYRUP VAT HAVING THE UPPERMOST END THEREOF DISPOSED ABOVE SAID TROUGH; A METERING ASSEMBLY ABOVE THE VAT FOR CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING SUGAR TO THE VAT AT THE TOP THEREOF; A CONDUIT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE VAT FOR DIRECTING HEATED WATER UNDER PRESSURE INTO THE VAT; AN AGITATOR IN THE VAT FOR MIXING THE SUGAR AND WATER TO FORM A VISCID SYRUP, SAID AGITATOR BEING DISPOSED TO WHIRL THE SUGAR-WATER MIXTURE IN THE VAT; AND AN OVERFLOW CONDUIT AT THE TOP OF THE VAT AND HAVING A DISCHARGE END ABOVE THE CONVEYOR INTERMEDIATE SAID HOPPER AND SIAD CHUTE FOR GRAVITATIONAL DELIVERY OF SAID VISCID SYRUP TO THE ADVANCING AND TUMBLING PELLETS WHEREBY THE SAME ARE COATED, SAID ASSEMBLY BEING DISPOSED FOR MOVEMENT OF THE SUGAR IN THE VAT IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE OVERFLOW CONDUIT. 6.THE METHOD OF PRODUCING SYRUP COATED FEED PELLETS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING GRANULAR SUGAR INTO THE TOP OF A SUITABLE SYRUP VAT AT A PREDETERMINED RATE; CONTINUOUSLY DIRECTING WATER AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF 150*F. TO 180*F. INTO THE LOWERMOST END OF THE TANK AT A PREDETERMINED RATE; AGITATING THE SUGAR AND WATER TO THOROUGHLY ADMIX THE SAME, THE RATES AT WHICH THE SUGAR AND WATER ARE INTRODUCED INTO THE VAT BEING SO CORRELATED THAT AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF 80*F. TO 110*F., A HEAVY VISCID SYRUP IS FORMED AT THE UPPERMOST END OF THE VAT AND WHICH OVERFLOWS THE VAT; MAINTAINING THE SYRUP AT THE UPERMOST END OF THE VAT WITHIN SAID RANGE OF 80*F. TO 110*F.; AND ADVANCING AND TUMBLING FEED PELLETS THROUGH THE OVERFLOWING SYRUP TO UNIFORMLY COAT THE PELLETS WITH THE SYRUP.