Apparatus for measuring and controlling moisture content of materials

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOIST GRANULAR MATERIAL THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF WHICH IS VARIABLE DIRECTLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS TEMPERATURE, COMPRISING A MIXER IN THE FORM OF A RECEPTACLE HAVING A TOP OPENING THEREIN FOR THE ADMISSION OF GRANULAR MATERIAL AND HAVING ROTARY MIXING MEANS THEREIN TO WORK THE GRANULAR MATERIAL AND TO MIX IT THROUGHLY WITH LIQUID ADDED TO THE GRANULAR MATERIAL IN THE MIXER, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING INTO SAID RECEPTACLE THROUGH THE TOP OPENING THEREOF BATCHES OF GRANULAR MATERIAL OF DIFFERENT MOISTURE CONTENT AND TEMPERATURE, LIQUID SUPPLY MEANS FOR SAID MIXER COMPRISING A PASSAGE THROUGH WHICH LIQUID FLOWS DIRECTLY TO SAID RECEPTACLE, AND A VALVE IN SAID PASSAGE DIRECTLY CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF LIQUID INTO SAID RECEPTACLE, TEMPERATURE MEASURING MEANS FOR MEASURING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID BATCHES OF GRANULAR MATERIAL TO DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE MOISTURE CONTENT THEREOF, MOISTURE MEASURING MEANS FOR DETERMINING THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF THE GRANULAR MATERIAL IN SAID RECEPTACLE AS ITS MOISTURE CONTENT INCREASES DUE TO THE ADDITION OF LIQUID THERETO AND THE CONTINUED MIXING THEREOF, SAID VALVE HAVING ELECTRICALLY OPERABLE ACTUATING MEANS, AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT FOR SAID VALVE ACTUATING MEANS, AND CIRCUIT CONTROL MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE MEASUREMENTS OF BOTH THE MEASURED MOISTURE CONTENT AND TEMPERATURE TO CLOSE SAID VALVE TO TERMINATE THE ADDITION OF LIQUID TO THE GRANULAR MATERIAL IN THE MIXER WHEN ITS MOISTURE CONTENT REACHES THE VALVE APPROPRIATE FOR ITS MEASURED TEMPERATURE.