Process and apparatus for the preparation of granules

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF AMMONIUM NITRATE GRANULES COATED WITH A POWDERY MATERIAL, COMPRISING TRANSFORMING MOLTEN AMMONIUM NITRATE INTO DROPS BY PASSING IT THROUGH AN ORIFICE AND ALLOWING SAID DROPS TO ALL, IN AT LEAST SEMIFLUID STATE INTO A COOLING BED, SAID BED BEING A GAS-FLUIDIZED MASS OF POWDERY MATERIAL COMPROSING A MIXTURE OF GAS, CALCIUM CARBONATE AND SOLIDIFIED AMMONIUM NITRATE PARTICLES, FLUIDIZED SOLELY BY BLOWING IN SAID GAS AT A RATE, HINDERING THE POWDERY MATERIAL FROM SETTING, THE DROPS, AS THEY ARE BEING FROMED AND PERMITTED TO FALL, BEING SUBJECTED TO RESPECTIVE DIFFERENTIAL DISPLACEMENT LATERALLY OF THE DIRECTION OF FALL, TO PROVIDE DIFFERENT PATHS OF FALL FOR RESPECTIVE SEQUENTIALLY FORMING DROPS, THE BED BEING SIMULTANEOUSLY VIBRATED IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE DIRECTION OF FALL.