Machine for forming pellets and the like

Claim 1

IN A DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, A PAIR OF COOPERATING HOLLOW DIE CYLINDERS MOUNTED FOR ROTATING TO COMPRESS A MOLDABLE MATERIAL BETWEEN THEM INTO PELLETS, EACH DIE CYLINDER HAVING A SERIES OF TEETH ARRANGED IN HERRINGBONE CONFIGURATION AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF LATERALLY SPACED PASSAGEWAYS LEADING FROM THE VALLEYS BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE TEETH TO THE INTERIOR OF THE HOLLOW DIE CYLINDER TO EFFECT A PLUNGER ACTION BY THE TEETH OF THE OPPOSITE MESHING CYLINDER, SAID HERRINGBONE CONFIGURATION OF THE TEETH AND OF THE PASSAGEWAYS FORCING THE MATERIAL FROM BOTH SIDES OF A TOOTH TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE DIE CYLINDER AS THE OUTER PORTIONS OF A TOOTH ENGAGE THE OPPOSITE DIE CYLINDER BEFORE THE MID-PORTION OF THAT TOOTH ENGAGES AND EACH TOOTH EXERTS MAXIMUM COMPRESSION AS THE NEXT SUCCESSIVE TOOTH IS EXERTING PARTIAL COMPRESSION WHEREBY TO SEAL THE MOLDABLE MATERIAL WITHIN THE COMPRESSION AREA, THUS PROVIDING FULL LOAD ON SUCCESSIVE TEETH AT ALL TIMES NEUTRALIZING END THRUST, ELIMINATING EXTRUSION OUT OF THE SIDES OF THE TEETH, AND REDUCING DIE CYLINDER VIBRATION