Apparatus for aggregating difficult to aggregate materials

Claim 1

A APPARATUS FOR AGGREGATION DIFFICULT TO AGGREGATE FINELY DIVIDED PARTICLES WHICH COMPRISES: (A) AN ELONGATED WETTING TUBE, (B) A BLOWER CONNECTED TO ONE END OF SAID WETTING TUBE AND BEING ADAPTED TO FORCE A FLOW OF AIR THERETHROUGH, (C) MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID WETTING TUBE FOR INTRODUCING A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS FLOW OF FINELY DIVIDED PARTICLES INTO SAID TUBE, (D) MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS FLOW OF MOISTURE INTO SAID TUBE WHEREBY TO WET SAID PARTICLES AND CAUSE THEM TO ADHERE TOGETHER IN RANDOM FASHION TO FORM AGGREGATES, (E) COLLECTOR MEANS ATTACHED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID WETTING TUBE FOR SEPARATING SAID AGGREGATES FROM SAID AIR FLOW, (F) A DRYING CHAMBER IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID COLLECTOR WHEREBY THE WETTED AGGREGATES SEPARATED FROM SAID AIR FLOW BY SAID COLLECTOR ARE DELIVERED BY GRAVITY TO SAID DRYING CHAMBER, (G) SAID DRYING CHAMBER HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL INNER SURFACE, A HOT AIR INLET, AN EXHAUST OUTLET, AND A PRODUCT OUTLET SEPARATE FROM SAID INLET AND EXHAUST OUTLET, AND (H) MEANS FOR SUPPLYING HOT DRY AIR TO SAID HOT AIR INLET AT A DESIRED RATE WHEREBY TO CAUSE SAID HOT AIR TO CIRCULATE GENTLY THROUGH SAID CHAMBER AND DRY SAID AGGREGATES TO THE MOISTURE LEVEL DESIRED IN THE FINAL AGGREGATED PRODUCT, (I) SAID HOT AIR SUPPLY MEANS HAVING A SUPPLY OUTLET SUBSTANTIALLY TANGENT TO THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID CHAMBER AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CHAMBER HOT AIR INLET TO DIRECT DRY AIR THROUGH SAID HOT AIR INLET AND INTO SAID CHAMBER.

Claim 2

A APPARATUS FOR AGGREGATION DIFFICULT TO AGGREGATE FINELY DIVIDED PARTICLES WHICH COMPRISES: (A) AN ELONGATED WETTING TUBE, (B) A BLOWER CONNECTED TO ONE END OF SAID WETTING TUBE AND BEING ADAPTED TO FORCE A FLOW OF AIR THERETHROUGH, (C) MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID WETTING TUBE FOR INTRODUCING A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS FLOW OF FINELY DIVIDED PARTICLES INTO SAID TUBE, (D) MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS FLOW OF MOISTURE INTO SAID TUBE WHEREBY TO WET SAID PARTICLES AND CAUSE THEM TO ADHERE TOGETHER IN RANDOM FASHION TO FORM AGGREGATES, (E) COLLECTOR MEANS ATTACHED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID WETTING TUBE FOR SEPARATING SAID AGGREGATES FROM SAID AIR FLOW, (F) A DRYING CHAMBER IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID COLLECTOR WHEREBY THE WETTED AGGREGATES SEPARATED FROM SAID AIR FLOW BY SAID COLLECTOR ARE DELIVERED BY GRAVITY TO SAID DRYING CHAMBER, (G) SAID DRYING CHAMBER HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL INNER SURFACE, A HOT AIR INLET, AN EXHAUST OUTLET, AND A PRODUCT OUTLET SEPARATE FROM SAID INLET AND EXHAUST OUTLET, AND (H) MEANS FOR SUPPLYING HOT DRY AIR TO SAID HOT AIR INLET AT A DESIRED RATE WHEREBY TO CAUSE SAID HOT AIR TO CIRCULATE GENTLY THROUGH SAID CHAMBER AND DRY SAID AGGREGATES TO THE MOISTURE LEVEL DESIRED IN THE FINAL AGGREGATED PRODUCT, (I) SAID HOT AIR SUPPLY MEANS HAVING A SUPPLY OUTLET SUBSTANTIALLY TANGENT TO THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID CHAMBER AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CHAMBER HOT AIR INLET TO DIRECT DRY AIR THROUGH SAID HOT AIR INLET AND INTO SAID CHAMBER.