Floor cleaner product and method for making same from attapulgite clay

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR PRODUCING AN IMPROVED ABSORBENT USEFUL AS A FLOOR CLEANER WHICH COMPRISES: FORMING A MOIST PLASTIC MIXTURE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF COLLOIDAL ATTAPULGITE CLAY, WATER AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF A FLOCCULATING AGENT FOR SAID CLAY, SAID MIXTURE HAVING A V.M. WITHIN THE LIMITS OF 55% TO 65%, WITHOUT HEATING, CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING SAID PLASTIC MIXTURE INTO THE BITE BETWEEN HARD AND SMOOTH SURFACED COUNTERROTATING ROLLS ROTATING AT THE SAME PERIPHERAL VELOCITY UNDER TENSION SO CONTROLLED AS TO PRESS SAID MIXTURE TO A THICKNESS WITHIN THE LIMITS OF ABOUT 0.025 INCH TO ABOUT 0.050 INCH, SIMULTANEOUSLY SCRAPING THE PRESSED MIXTURE FROM EACH OF SAID ROLLS TANGENTIALLY AT A POSITION BEYOND THE BITE BETWEEN SAID ROLLS SO AS TO REMOVE PRESSED MIXTURE FROM SAID ROLLS IN THE FORM OF COHERENT FLAKED AGGREGATES, CALCINING SAID FLAKED AGGREGATES, AND CRUSHING SAID CALCINED AGGREGATES TO OBTAIN AN ABSORBENT PRODUCT OF THE DESIRED MESH SIZE.