Process for continuously producing soap and device for carrying out the process

Claim 1

A method of producing soap in continuous operation from a mixture of starting materials of the kind described, said method comprising the steps of: providing a continuous treatment line in the form of a screw extruder comprising an elongate casing having at one end a feed port and at the other end a discharge port and including a pair of conveyor screws rotary within the casing parallel to the axis thereof and having differently pitched screw elements, said screws coacting with each other and with the inner casing wall transverse of the lengthwise axis thereof, the wall of the casing intermediate said ports thereof including lengthwise spaced degasing openings, feed means for feeding the mixture of starting materials into the casing through said feed port and further feed means disposed inteRmediate the ports in the casing for feeding additives into the casing; feeding the mixture into the casing through the feed port therein; continuously subjecting the mixture to the action of the screw elements as the mixture is being conveyed toward the discharge port for converting the mixture into a pliable mass of soap; degasing the mixture as it passes said degasing openings; and feeding additives into the casing and thus to the mixture as the latter passes said further feed means.

Claim 2

A method of producing soap in continuous operation from a mixture of starting materials of the kind described, said method comprising the steps of: providing a continuous treatment line in the form of a screw extruder comprising an elongate casing having at one end a feed port and at the other end a discharge port and including a pair of conveyor screws rotary within the casing parallel to the axis thereof and having differently pitched screw elements, said screws coacting with each other and with the inner casing wall transverse of the lengthwise axis thereof, the wall of the casing intermediate said ports thereof including lengthwise spaced degasing openings, feed means for feeding the mixture of starting materials into the casing through said feed port and further feed means disposed inteRmediate the ports in the casing for feeding additives into the casing; feeding the mixture into the casing through the feed port therein; continuously subjecting the mixture to the action of the screw elements as the mixture is being conveyed toward the discharge port for converting the mixture into a pliable mass of soap; degasing the mixture as it passes said degasing openings; and feeding additives into the casing and thus to the mixture as the latter passes said further feed means.

Claim 3

A device for producing soap in continuous operation from a mixture of starting materials of the kind described, said device comprising: a screw extruder including an elongate casing having at one end a feed port and at the other end a discharge port, at least one degasing opening intermediate said ports, two shafts rotary within the casing parallel to the axis thereof, screw elements secured to said shafts for rotation in unison therewith, said screw elements being divided into sections and constituting a continuous conveyor screw on each shaft, the screw elements on at least one shaft extending along substantially the length of the casing and including screw elements of different pitch for varying the action of the screw elements upon the mixture as the same passes the respective group of screw elements, the section of screw elements adjacent to the feed port constituting a feed-in section of the extruder, the screw elements in said section being in mesh and having self-cleaning profiles; a first section interposed between the downstream end of said feed-in section and the next adjacent downstream section of screw elements, the section of screw elements adjacent to the discharge port constituting a discharge section, the screw elements in said discharge section having a uniform pitch, and a second section of kneading discs interposed between the upstream end of said discharge section and the downstream end of the next adjacent section of screw elements.

Claim 4

A device for producing soap in continuous operation from a mixture of starting materials of the kind described, said device comprising: a screw extruder including an elongate casing having at one end a feed port and at the other end a discharge port, at least one degasing opening intermediate said ports, two shafts rotary within the casing parallel to the axis thereof, screw elements secured to said shafts for rotation in unison therewith, said screw elements being divided into sections and constituting a continuous conveyor screw on each shaft, the screw elements on at least one shaft extending along substantially the length of the casing and including screw elements of different pitch for varying the action of the screw elements upon the mixture as the same passes the respective group of screw elements, the section of screw elements adjacent to the feed port constituting a feed-in section of the extruder, the screw elements in said section being in mesh and having self-cleaning profiles; a first section interposed between the downstream end of said feed-in section and the next adjacent downstream section of screw elements, the section of screw elements adjacent to the discharge port constituting a discharge section, the screw elements in said discharge section having a uniform pitch, and a second section of kneading discs interposed between the upstream end of said discharge section and the downstream end of the next adjacent section of screw elements.