Process for forming aggregates of powdered materials

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS OF PELLETING POWDERED MATERIAL WHEREBY THE POWDERED MATERIAL AND A WETTING LIQUID ARE FED TO AN AGITATION ZONE HAVING A DISCHARGE OPENING AT ONE END THEREOF AT RATES WHICH ENABLE THE PRODUCTION OF PELLETS HAVING THE DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS, WHICH RATES ARE NOT DELIBERATELY VARIED, BUT ARE SUBJECT TO FLUCTUATION DURING OPERATION, AND THE MASS OF POWDERED PIGMENT AND WETTING LIQUID IS SUBJECTED TO VIGOROUS MECHANICAL AGITATION WHILE BEING ADVANCED THROUGH SAID AGITATION ZONE TOWARD THE DISCHARGE OPENING THEREOF BY SUBJECTING THE MASS TO THE ACTION OF AGITATING MEANS MOVING THROUGH THE MASS IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE ADVANCEMENT MOVEMENT OF THE MASS THROUGH THE AGITATION ZONE, THE METHOD OF REGULATING AND CONTROLLING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RESULTING PELLETS WHICH COMPRISES VARYING THE RATE AT WHICH SAID MASS IS DISCHARGED FROM SAID AGITATION ZONE, IN RESPONSE TO AND IN PROPORTION TO VARIATIONS IN THE RESISTANCE OFFERED BY SAID MASS TO THE MOVEMENT OF SAID AGITATING MEANS THERETHROUGH FROM THE LEVEL OF RESISTANCE REQUIRED TO PRODUCE PELLETS HAVING THE DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS, WHEREBY THE AREA OF SAID DISCHARGE OPENING IS PROPORTIONATELY DECREASED WHEN THE RESISTANCE OFFERED BY SAID MASS TO THE MOVEMENT OF SAID AGITATING MEANS FALLS BELOW THE REQUIRED LEVEL, AND IS PROPORTIONATELY INCREASED WHEN THE RESISTANCE OFFERED BY SAID MASS TO THE MOVEMENT OF SAID AGITATING MEANS BECOMES GREATER THAN THE REQUIRED LEVEL.