Polymer drying process and apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS SUITABLE FOR DRYING WET COAGULUM OF EMULSION POLYMERIZED RUBBERY POLYMER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: AN EXTRUSION DRYER HAVING ROTATING WORMS ADAPTED AND ARRANGED TO RECEIVE MATERIAL OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED AND VOLATILIZE MOISTURE PRESENT THEREIN WITH THE HEAT GENERATED BY SEVERE MASTICATION OF THE MATERIAL ITSELF, A FEED SECTION, AND A MILLING SECTION, A FIRST ROLL POSITIONED TO DISCHARGE MATERIAL FROM ITS PERIPHERY INTO SAID FEED SECTION, A SECOND ROLL SPACED CLOSELY TO SAID FIRST ROLL AND ALIGNED THEREWITH TO COMPACT AGAINST SID FIRST ROLL MATERIAL PASSING BETWEEN SAID ROLLS, SAID SECOND ROLL HAVING RAISED BLADES BETWEEN SAID ROLLS, SAID SECOND ROLL HAVING RAISED BLADES SPACED ACROSS THE SURFACE THEREOF TO DIVIDE THE MATERIAL COMPACTED BETWEEN SAID ROLLS INTO LARGE FRAGMENTS SAID FIRST AND SECOND ROLLS BEING POSITIONED IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE ABOVE SAID FEED SECTION AND CONDUIT MEANS FOR FEEDING SLURRIED PARTICULATE MATERIAL TO SAID ROLLS.