Process and apparatus for the production of fatty products

Claim 2

PROCESS FOR MAKING PELLETS HAVING A CORE OF SOFT FATTY MATERIAL SURROUNDED BY A COHERENT COATING OF A HARDER FATTY MATERIAL, THE SOFT AND HARDER FATTY MATERIALS HAVING AT LEAST A 10* C. DIFFERENCE IN SLIP MELTING POINT, WHICH COMPRISES CAUSING DROPLETS OF THE SOFTER MATERIAL IN THE MOLTEN CONDITION TO FALL ONTO A FLUIDSED BED OF FINELY DIVIDED PARTICLES OF THE HARDER MATERIAL AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE SOLIDIFICATION POINT OF THE SOFTER MATERIAL SO THAT THE SAID DROPLETS ARE SOLIDIFIED BY COOLING WHILE STILL IN SUBSTANTIALLY SPHERICAL FORM AND DURING COOLING BECOME COATED WITH PARTICLES OF THE HARDER MATERIAL WHICH, BY VIRTUE OF AT LEAST PARTIAL FUSION, ADHERE TO THE SOLIDIFIED DROPLETS AND TO ONE ANOTHER TO PROVIDE SAID DROPLETS WITH A COHERENT COATING, CONTINUALLY REMOVING THE PELLETS SO FORMED AND MAINTAINING THE SUPPLY OF THE HARDER PARTICLES TO THE FLUIDISED BED.

Claim 3

APPARATUS WHICH COMPRISES A VESSEL FOR CONTAINING A RELATIVELY SHALLOW FLUIDISED BED OF PARTICLES OF A HARD FATTY MATERIAL, MEANS LOCATED NEAR THE BOTTOM OF SAID VESSEL FOR RECEIVING A CONTINUOUS SUPPLY OF GAS UNDER PRESSURE AND CAUSING SAID GAS TO ISSUE IN THE FORM OF UPWARDLY DIRECTED JETS OPERATIVE TO MAINTAIN SAID BED IN FLUIDISED CONDITION, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING A SHOWER OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM DROPLETS OF A SOFT FATTY MATERIAL IN MOLTEN FORM ONTO SAID BED, MECHANICAL MEANS FOR CONTINUALLY REMOVING THE PELLETS OF THE SOFT MATERIAL COATED WITH THE HARD MATERIAL FROM AN AREA IN THE UPPER PART OF SAID BED WITHOUT REMOVING SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTIONS OF FREE PARTICLES OF THE HARD MATERIAL AND WHILE ALLOWING THE FREE PASSAGE OF SAID PARTICLES AND THE FALLING OF THE DROPLETS ONTO THE BED AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING FRESH PARTICLES OF THE OF THE HARD MATERIAL TO MAINTAIN THE FLUID BED.

Claim 4

APPARATUS WHICH COMPRISES A VESSEL FOR CONTAINING A RELATIVELY SHALLOW FLUIDISED BED OF PARTICLES OF A HARD FATTY MATERIAL, MEANS LOCATED NEAR THE BOTTOM OF SAID VESSEL FOR RECEIVING A CONTINUOUS SUPPLY OF GAS UNDER PRESSURE AND CAUSING SAID GAS TO ISSUE IN THE FORM OF UPWARDLY DIRECTED JETS OPERATIVE TO MAINTAIN SAID BED IN FLUIDISED CONDITION, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING A SHOWER OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM DROPLETS OF A SOFT FATTY MATERIAL IN MOLTEN FORM ONTO SAID BED, MECHANICAL MEANS FOR CONTINUALLY REMOVING THE PELLETS OF THE SOFT MATERIAL COATED WITH THE HARD MATERIAL FROM AN AREA IN THE UPPER PART OF SAID BED WITHOUT REMOVING SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTIONS OF FREE PARTICLES OF THE HARD MATERIAL AND WHILE ALLOWING THE FREE PASSAGE OF SAID PARTICLES AND THE FALLING OF THE DROPLETS ONTO THE BED AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING FRESH PARTICLES OF THE OF THE HARD MATERIAL TO MAINTAIN THE FLUID BED.