US3615668A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method for processing particulate solids
Assignee: Smitherm Industries Inc
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Filing: 1970-06-08
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Granted: 1971-10-26
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Expires: 1990-06-08
Abstract
Abstract Method for processing particulate solids in a continuous operation, which includes a reactor, a system for heating and circulating a fluid through the reactor, and arrangements for continuously supplying material to be processed to and discharging it from the reactor, the processing being accomplished by convective heating of the solids.
Inventors
- 👤 Horace L Smith Jr
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 13:08
CPC Classifications
A; A23; A23F; A23F5/00; A23F5/04; A23F5/046; A23N; A23N12/00; A23N12/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
78 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the solids are heated to a sufficiently high temperature to evolve moisture therefrom and including the steps of recirculating the heated fluid through the bed of solids and cooling a part of the recirculating fluid to a temperature below the dewpoint of the moisture therein to condense at least part of the evolved water vapor mixed with said fluid and thereby reduce the moisture content of said fluid to a predetermined level.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1, together with the step of purging the interior of the reaction vessel of any air therein to preclude oxidative degradation of the solids being roasted by said air.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 1, together with the steps of confining the solids introduced into the bed thereof to the region of the bed into which they are introduced and wherein said bed is displaced continuously and at a substantially constant rate, whereby successive increments of the solids introduced into said bed are processed in a substantially uniform manner.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
87 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the solids are treated by effecting a flow of a heated fluid therethrough at a temperature sufficiently high to evolve moisture from said solids and including the step of recirculating the fluid through the solids and the step of cooling at least a portion of said fluid to a temperature below the boiling point of water after it exits from but before it is recirculated through said bed to thereby keep the moisture coNtent of said fluid at a selected level.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said heated fluid is essentially chemically inert with respect to the solids being processed and is introduced into said bed at an above-atmospheric pressure.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
320 words
A method of roasting coffee and comparably processable solids comprising the steps of forming in a roasting vessel a vertically extending bed of solids having an annular horizontal cross-section and an inner and outer boundary; introducing solids to be roasted into said bed at a first location; displacing said bed to thereby move said solids to a second location by rotatably advancing the bed about a vertical axis at the center of the bed; roasting said solids by effecting a flow of a heated fluid upwardly through the divergingly sectioned bed in an inner region of the bed adjacent the inner boundary as said solids are moved from said first location to said second location to cause the solids in the bed to circulate through paths in which they move upwardly in the inner region of the bed and downwardly in an outer region of the bed adjacent the outer boundary thereof, thereby producing intimate contact between the solids and the heated fluid thereof as said solids are moved from said first location to said second location to cause the solids in the bed to circulate through paths in which they move upwardly in the inner region of the bed and downwardly in the outer region of the bed, thereby producing intimate contact between the solids and the heated fluid and promoting uniformity in the roasting of the solids; and removing the roasted solids from the bed at the second location and from the roasting vessel, the solids being so introduced into and removed from the roasting vessel as to substantially preclude the flow of air into or the flow of heated fluid from the roasting vessel and any air mixed with said solids being separated therefrom as they are introduced into the roasting vessel, whereby said solids can be roasted in an atmosphere of controlled composition and whereby the loss of fluid from the roasting vessel can be abated.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 7 together with the step of confining the solids to the portion of the bed into which they are introduced and wherein the bed is rotatably advanced at a substantially uniform rate to thereby promote uniformity in the roasting of the solids introduced into the bed.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
295 words
A method of roasting coffee and comparably processable solids comprising the steps of forming in a roasting vessel a vertically extending bed of solids having a cross-section which diverges from an inner boundary to an outer boundary so that said bed has an inner region adjacent the inner boundary which is narrower than an outer region adjacent the outer boundary; introducing solids to be roasted into said bed at a first location; confining the solids introduced into the bed to that portion of the bed into which they are introduced to thereby divide said bed into a series of generally discrete segments; displacing said bed as an entity to thereby move said solids to a second location; roasting said solids by effecting a flow of a heated fluid upwardly through the divergingly sectioned bed in the inner region thereof as said solids are moved from said first location to said second location to cause the solids in the bed to circulate through paths in which they move upwardly in the inner region of the bed and downwardly in the outer region of the bed, thereby producing intimate contact between the solids and the heated fluid and promoting uniformity in the roasting of the solids; and removing the roasted solids from the bed at the second location and from the roasting vessel, the solids being so introduced into and removed from the roasting vessel as to substantially preclude the flow of air into or the flow of heated fluid from the roasting vessel and any air mixed with said solids being separated therefrom as they are introduced into the roasting vessel, whereby said solids can be roasted in an atmosphere of controllEd composition and whereby the loss of fluid from the roasting vessel can be abated.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 9, wherein the heated fluid is introduced at generally the same velocity and temperature for a period of generally the same duration into each of the discrete segments of the bed to promote uniformity in the roasting of solids in different ones of said discrete segments.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 9, wherein the solids in the bed are confined to the generally discrete segments thereof by interposing a plurality of dividers in said bed.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-10-25 | 1975-04-26 | 1975-10-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-10-25 | 1979-04-26 | 1979-10-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-10-25 | 1983-04-26 | 1983-10-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |