Detergent tablet and process of preparing same

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING A DETERGENT TABLET WHICH COMPRISES PRODUCING A PARTICULATE DETERGENT COMPOSITION COMPRISING 2 TO 20% OF A WATER-SOLUBLE SYNTHETIC ORGANIC DETERGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SULFATED AND SULFONATED ANIONIC DETERGENTS AND WATER-SOLUBLE NONIONIC DETERGENTS CONTAINING BOTH HYDROPHILIC AND HYDROPHOBIC PORTIONS IN THE MOLECULE IN WHICH AT LEAST THE HYDROPHILIC PORTION INCLUDES A PLURALITY OF LOWER JOINED ALKYLENE OXIDE GROUPS OR MIXTURES THEREOF, 25 TO 40% OF A WATER-SOLUBLE ALKALI METAL POLYPHOSPHATE, 20 TO 50% OF A WATER-SOLUBLE ALKALI METAL SILICATE, 4 TO 12% OF A WATER-SOLUBLE ALKALI METAL SULFATE AND UP TO ABOUT 15% WATER, MOVING AND CIRCULATING A MASS OF SAID PARTICULATE DETERGENT, ADDING 2 TO 30% WATER TO THE MOVING AND CIRCULATING PARTICULATE DETERGENT TO RAISE THE MOISTURE CONTENT THEREOF TO 17 TO 30% WHEREBY THE MOISTURE IS SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE MASS OF SAID PARTICLES AND LIGHTLY COMPACTING THE RESULTING PARTICLES AT A PRESSURE OF 3-100 P.S.I. INTO FORM RETAINING TABLETS WHICH ARE READILY DISINTEGRABLE IN WASH WATER, SOLUBLE THEREIN AND RESISTANT TO BREAKAGE WHEN SUBJECTED TO SHIPPING SHOCKS.