US3672294A — Apparatus for treating granular material

Claim 1

Independent Claim 149 words

A continuous pressure cooker for cooking granular material comprising a substantially pressure tight cooking chamber aligned along a vertical axis so that it has a top end and a bottom end, the surface of said bottom end being substantially flat, an inlet opening proximate the top end for introducing material into the chamber against the pressure therein, a discharge opening at the bottom of the chamber for removing material from the chamber without reducing the pressure therein, said material passing from the upper portion of the chamber to the lower portion thereof by gravity, means for introducing pressurized steam into said chamber, movable means at the bottom of said chamber for discharging the cooked material from the chamber by transferring a layer of the material proximate the bottom surface of the chamber toward the discharge opening, and means for controlling the discharge rate of the material from the chamber.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 149 words

A continuous pressure cooker for cooking granular material comprising a substantially pressure tight cooking chamber aligned along a vertical axis so that it has a top end and a bottom end, the surface of said bottom end being substantially flat, an inlet opening proximate the top end for introducing material into the chamber against the pressure therein, a discharge opening at the bottom of the chamber for removing material from the chamber without reducing the pressure therein, said material passing from the upper portion of the chamber to the lower portion thereof by gravity, means for introducing pressurized steam into said chamber, movable means at the bottom of said chamber for discharging the cooked material from the chamber by transferring a layer of the material proximate the bottom surface of the chamber toward the discharge opening, and means for controlling the discharge rate of the material from the chamber.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 58 words

The combination of claim 1 wherein a shaft is mounted within said chamber so that it is rotatable about said vertical axis, and a shield member is provided which surrounds at least the lower portion of said shaft, the cross-sectional dimension of the lower portion of said shield being larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the discharge opening.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 26 words

The combination of claim 2 wherein means are provided within the chamber for aiding in directing the material vertically toward the discharge end of the chamber.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 50 words

The combination of claim 2 which includes hopper means, and means for securing said hopper means to the discharge end of the chamber so that it surrounds the discharge opening, and steam inlet means are provided in said hopper means for introducing pressurized steam into the bottom of the chamber.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 77 words

The combination of claim 1 wherein a shaft is mounted within said chamber so that it is rotatable about said vertical axis, and the movable means for discharging the material from the chamber includes at least one elongated discharge arm connected to the bottom end of said shaft so that it is juxtaposed over the bottom surface of the chamber, said discharge arm transferring cooked material along the bottom surface of the chamber toward the discharge opening.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 27 words

The combination of claim 5 wherein the chamber has a circular cross section and the discharge opening is centrally located in the bottom surface of the chamber.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 39 words

The combination of claim 6 wherein means are provided over said discharge opening for minimizing the amount of material which passes through said opening, said discharge arm being interposed between Said means and the bottom surface of the chamber.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 103 words

The combination of claim 6 wherein the shaft is supported and journalled at its upper end so that its lower end is cantilevered toward the bottom surface of the chamber, a tubular shield member is provided within the chamber which surrounds said shaft so that an annular space is formed between the walls of said chamber and said shield, said shield member having an upper end and a lower end and a larger cross section than the cross section of the discharge opening, and means are provided at each end of the shield for preventing the granular material from entering said shield member.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 40 words

The combination of claim 8 wherein at least one horizontal arm member is fixedly attached to the vertical shaft proximate the upper end of the shield member, in such a manner that it projects through the surface of said shield.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 31 words

The combination of claim 9 wherein the horizontal arm is provided with projecting means on its undersurface for leveling material within the chamber, as the arm rotates about the shaft axis.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 30 words

The combination of claim 8 wherein means are provided for fixedly connecting said shield member to the shaft so that it rotates about the shaft axis as the shaft rotates.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 74 words

The combination of claim 8 wherein the shield is comprised of two parts, an upper portion which is fixedly connected to the shaft so that it rotates with said shaft, and a lower portion which is rotatably mounted relative to the shaft by fixedly connecting a portion of it to the inner surface of the chamber, and sealing means are provided for preventing material from passing between the joint formed by said two sections.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 68 words

The combination of claim 6 wherein a pair of discharge arms are provided on opposite sides of the shaft, each arm having its longitudinal axis horizontally aligned and having a curved configuration which extends from the shaft toward and along the curved surface of the chamber, said arms transferring a layer of material along the bottom surface of the chamber toward the discharge opening as the shaft rotates.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 30 words

The combination of claim 13 wherein each discharge arm has a prescribed thickness, an inner curved surface, and an outer curved surface, said inner curved surface having an indentation therein.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 26 words

The combination of claim 5 wherein at least one horizontal leveling arm is fixedly attached to the vertical shaft proximate the upper end of the chamber.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 77 words

The combination of claim 15 wherein a passage is provided in the vertical shaft which extends along the longitudinal axis of said shaft, a horizontal passage is provided in the horizontal arm which intersects with the passage in the shaft, at least one orifice is provided in the arm member which forms an opening from the horizontal passage into the cooking chamber, and means for linking said shaft and shaft passage to a source of pressurized steam.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 93 words

The combination of claim 5 which includes a first rotary valve, means for attaching said first rotary valve proximate the upper part of the chamber so that the material to be treated passes through said valve before it passes through the inlet opening into the chamber, a second rotary valve, means for attaching said second rotary valve proximate the lower part of the chamber so that the cooked material passes through the discharge opening and through said second rotary valve, said rotary valves maintaining the pressure within the cooker at a prescribed level.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 26 words

The combination of claim 1 wherein the discharge rate of material from the chamber is controlled relative to the input rate of material into the chamber.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 41 words

The combination of claim 18 wherein the controlling means includes a scale having an indicator head, said cooker being mounted on said scale so that any changes of the weight of material within the cooker are registered on the indicator head.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 194 words

A continuous pressure cooker which comprises a substantially pressure tight cylinderical cooking chamber aligned along a vertical axis so that it has a top end and a bottom end, the surface of said bottom end being substantially flat, an inlet opening for continuously introducing material to be cooked into the chamber, a discharge opening at the bottom of the chamber for continuously removing the cooked material from the chamber, means for introducing pressurized steam into said chamber, means associated with said inlet and discharge openings for maintaining a predetermined pressure within the chamber, a vertically oriented shaft rotatably mounted within said chamber, movable means connected to said shaft proximate the discharge opening for transferring a layer of cooked material along the bottom surface of the chamber through said discharge opening as the shaft rotates, means including a shield member which surrounds at least the lower portion of said shaft, for effectively preventing said material from flowing through the discharge opening unless the shaft rotates, scale means, and means for positioning said cooker on said scale means so that any changes of the weight of material within the cooker are registered by said scale means.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 194 words

A continuous pressure cooker which comprises a substantially pressure tight cylinderical cooking chamber aligned along a vertical axis so that it has a top end and a bottom end, the surface of said bottom end being substantially flat, an inlet opening for continuously introducing material to be cooked into the chamber, a discharge opening at the bottom of the chamber for continuously removing the cooked material from the chamber, means for introducing pressurized steam into said chamber, means associated with said inlet and discharge openings for maintaining a predetermined pressure within the chamber, a vertically oriented shaft rotatably mounted within said chamber, movable means connected to said shaft proximate the discharge opening for transferring a layer of cooked material along the bottom surface of the chamber through said discharge opening as the shaft rotates, means including a shield member which surrounds at least the lower portion of said shaft, for effectively preventing said material from flowing through the discharge opening unless the shaft rotates, scale means, and means for positioning said cooker on said scale means so that any changes of the weight of material within the cooker are registered by said scale means.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1975-06-27	1975-12-27	1976-06-27	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1979-06-27	1979-12-27	1980-06-27	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1983-06-27	1983-12-27	1984-06-27	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Apparatus for treating granular material

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