Method and apparatus for agglomeration

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING A DRY, FREE-FLOWING AGGLOMERATED EDIBLE MATERIAL FROM FINE PARTILCES OF SOLID EDIBLE MATERIAL INCLUDING AT LEAST A MAJOR PROPORTION OF FINE PULVERIZED, SHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF DROPPING THE FINE SOLID MATERIAL TO BE AGGLOMERATED AT SUBSTANTIALLY AMBIENT TEMPERATURE IN THE FORM OF A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS CURTAIN OF FINE PARTICLES FALLING FREELY AND UNINTERRUPTEDLY THROUGH AN AGGLOMERATING ZONE, DIRECTING A PLURALITY OF JETS OF SUBSTANTIALLY DRY STEAM AT SIAD CURTAIN OF FINE PARTICLES IN SUFFICIENT NUMBER AND SPREAD OF THE RESPECTIVE JETS SO AS TO COVER THE ENTIRE AREA OF SAID CURTAIN WITH STEAM, AND THEREBY MOISTENING THE PARTICLES OF MATERIAL MAKING UP SAID CURTAIN SAID STEAM BEING AT A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER THAN THAT OF SAID CURTAIN OF FINE PARTICLES AGAINST WHICH SAID STEAM IS DIRECTED, ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER SUBJECTING THE THUS MOISTENED PARTICLES OF MATERIAL OF SAID CURTAIN WHILE SUCH PARTICLES ARE STILL FALLING FEELY IN SAID ZONE, TO THE ACTION FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF AIR AND SUBSTANTIALLY DRY STEAM, SAID FLUID BEING DELIVERED AT A SUFFICIENT VELOCITY TO IMPART TURBULENCE TO SAID MOISTENED PARTICLES IN SAID ZONE AND THEREBY CAUSE THEM TO AGGLOMERATE WHILE STILL UNSUPPORTED EXCEPT BY THE TURBULENT FLUID IN SAID ZONE, SO AS TO FORM AGGLOMERATES, SAID JETS BEING SYMMETRICALLY DISPOSED ON BOTH SIDES OF SAID CURTAIN OF FINE PARTICLES AND THE AMOUNT OF STEAM SUPPLIED BY SAID JETS TO SAID CURTAIN OF FINE PARTICLES BEING SUFFICIENT TO MOISTEN SAID FINE PARTICLES WHEREBY THE MOISTENED PARTICLES ARE AGGLOMERABLE ON CONTACT WITH SAID SECOND SET OF JETS, AND THEREAFTER DRYING SAID AGGLOMERATES TO FORM A DRY, FREE-FLOWING MATERIAL.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING A DRY, FREE-FLOWING AGGLOMERATED EDIBLE MATERIAL FROM FINE PARTILCES OF SOLID EDIBLE MATERIAL INCLUDING AT LEAST A MAJOR PROPORTION OF FINE PULVERIZED, SHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF DROPPING THE FINE SOLID MATERIAL TO BE AGGLOMERATED AT SUBSTANTIALLY AMBIENT TEMPERATURE IN THE FORM OF A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS CURTAIN OF FINE PARTICLES FALLING FREELY AND UNINTERRUPTEDLY THROUGH AN AGGLOMERATING ZONE, DIRECTING A PLURALITY OF JETS OF SUBSTANTIALLY DRY STEAM AT SIAD CURTAIN OF FINE PARTICLES IN SUFFICIENT NUMBER AND SPREAD OF THE RESPECTIVE JETS SO AS TO COVER THE ENTIRE AREA OF SAID CURTAIN WITH STEAM, AND THEREBY MOISTENING THE PARTICLES OF MATERIAL MAKING UP SAID CURTAIN SAID STEAM BEING AT A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER THAN THAT OF SAID CURTAIN OF FINE PARTICLES AGAINST WHICH SAID STEAM IS DIRECTED, ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER SUBJECTING THE THUS MOISTENED PARTICLES OF MATERIAL OF SAID CURTAIN WHILE SUCH PARTICLES ARE STILL FALLING FEELY IN SAID ZONE, TO THE ACTION FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF AIR AND SUBSTANTIALLY DRY STEAM, SAID FLUID BEING DELIVERED AT A SUFFICIENT VELOCITY TO IMPART TURBULENCE TO SAID MOISTENED PARTICLES IN SAID ZONE AND THEREBY CAUSE THEM TO AGGLOMERATE WHILE STILL UNSUPPORTED EXCEPT BY THE TURBULENT FLUID IN SAID ZONE, SO AS TO FORM AGGLOMERATES, SAID JETS BEING SYMMETRICALLY DISPOSED ON BOTH SIDES OF SAID CURTAIN OF FINE PARTICLES AND THE AMOUNT OF STEAM SUPPLIED BY SAID JETS TO SAID CURTAIN OF FINE PARTICLES BEING SUFFICIENT TO MOISTEN SAID FINE PARTICLES WHEREBY THE MOISTENED PARTICLES ARE AGGLOMERABLE ON CONTACT WITH SAID SECOND SET OF JETS, AND THEREAFTER DRYING SAID AGGLOMERATES TO FORM A DRY, FREE-FLOWING MATERIAL.