Apparatus for the manufacture of spherical particles

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SPHERICAL PARTICLES COMPRISING A CLOSED VERTICAL SPHERE-FORMING CHAMBER ADAPTED TO BE MAINTAINED UNDER SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND TO CONTAIN A GELLING LIQUID IN ITS LOWER PORTION, A HORIZONTAL PLATE EXTENDING ACROSS THE UPPER PORTION AND SPACED FROM THE TOP OF SAID CHAMBER AND FORMING A RESERVOIR WITH THE TOP OF THE CHAMBER, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING TO SAID RESERVOIR FLUID MATERIAL TO BE FORMED INTO SPHERICAL PARTICLES, A DROPPING TIP DEPENDING FROM SAID PLATE AND COMPRISING AN INNER SHELL HAVING AN ENLARGED UPPER PORTION AND A CONICAL LOWER PORTION TERMINATING IN A RESTRICTED OUTLET FOR DROPLETS AT ITS LOWER END, AN OUTER SHELL DEPENDING FROM SAID PLATE AND OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME SHAPE AS AND SURROUNDING AND SPACED FROM SAID INNER SHELL AND HAVING A RESTRICTED BOTTOM OUTLET AT A LOWER ELEVATION IN SAID CHAMBER THAN THE FIRSTMENTIONED RESTRICTED OUTLET, THE ENLARGED UPPER PORTION OF SAID INNER SHELL BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID RESERVOIR THROUGH AN OPENING IN SAID PLATE AND THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID OUTER SHELL BEING CLOSED TO THE RESERVOIR BY SAID PLTE, MEANS FOR PASSING GELLING LIQUID THROUGH THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID SHELLS AND THROUGH SAID RESTRICTED BOTTOM OUTLET INTO SAID FORMING CHAMBER, AND MEANS FOR REMOVING GELLED PARTICLES FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF THE CHAMBER.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SPHERICAL PARTICLES COMPRISING A CLOSED VERTICAL SPHERE-FORMING CHAMBER ADAPTED TO BE MAINTAINED UNDER SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND TO CONTAIN A GELLING LIQUID IN ITS LOWER PORTION, A HORIZONTAL PLATE EXTENDING ACROSS THE UPPER PORTION AND SPACED FROM THE TOP OF SAID CHAMBER AND FORMING A RESERVOIR WITH THE TOP OF THE CHAMBER, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING TO SAID RESERVOIR FLUID MATERIAL TO BE FORMED INTO SPHERICAL PARTICLES, A DROPPING TIP DEPENDING FROM SAID PLATE AND COMPRISING AN INNER SHELL HAVING AN ENLARGED UPPER PORTION AND A CONICAL LOWER PORTION TERMINATING IN A RESTRICTED OUTLET FOR DROPLETS AT ITS LOWER END, AN OUTER SHELL DEPENDING FROM SAID PLATE AND OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME SHAPE AS AND SURROUNDING AND SPACED FROM SAID INNER SHELL AND HAVING A RESTRICTED BOTTOM OUTLET AT A LOWER ELEVATION IN SAID CHAMBER THAN THE FIRSTMENTIONED RESTRICTED OUTLET, THE ENLARGED UPPER PORTION OF SAID INNER SHELL BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID RESERVOIR THROUGH AN OPENING IN SAID PLATE AND THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID OUTER SHELL BEING CLOSED TO THE RESERVOIR BY SAID PLTE, MEANS FOR PASSING GELLING LIQUID THROUGH THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID SHELLS AND THROUGH SAID RESTRICTED BOTTOM OUTLET INTO SAID FORMING CHAMBER, AND MEANS FOR REMOVING GELLED PARTICLES FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF THE CHAMBER.