Abstract A method of preventing edge cracking when continuously rolling and compressing powdered material comprising the steps of feeding the powdered material between a pair of rotating rolls, reducing the thickness of the powdered material by compacting as it passes between the rolls, engaging the lateral edges of the compacted material with a pair of inflexible, compressible elongated restraint members throughout a zone of compaction, traveling the restraint members rectilinearly at a velocity substantially equal to the velocity of said rolls, restraining the lateral edges of the compacted material by said restraint members during said compaction to prevent lateral deformation of the compacted material while reducing the thickness thereof. By such a method, the tensile forces along the lateral edges of the compacted material are sufficiently reduced to prevent edge cracking.
A METHOD OF PREVENTING EDGE CRACKING WHEN CONTINUOUSLY ROLLING AND COMPRESSING POWDER MATERIAL BETWEEN AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF SPACED, PARALLEL ALIGNED ROOLS COMPRISING: A. FEEDING THE POWDER MATERIAL BETWEEN A PAIR OF ROTATING ROLLS, B. REDUCING THE THICKNESS OF THE POWDER MATERIAL BY COMPACTING AS IT PASSES BETWEEN THE ROLLS, C. ENGAGING THE LATERAL EDGES OF SAID COMPACTED MATERIAL WITH A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY INCOMPRESSIBLE ELONGATED RESTRAINT MEMBERS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY INFLEXIBLE THROUGHOUT A ZONE OF COMPACTION WITH SAID ROLLS, D. RESTRAINING THE LATERAL EDGES OF THE COMPACTED MATERIAL DURING SAID COMPACTION, AND E. MOVING SAID RESTRAINT MEMBERS RECTILINEARLY AT A VELOCITY SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE PERPHERAL VELOCITIES OF SAID ROLLS WITH THE COMPACT MATERIAL TO PREVENT LATERAL DEFORMATION OF COMPACTED MATERIAL WHILE REDUCING THE THICKNESS THEREOF, WHEREBY THE TENSILE FORCES ALONG THE LATERAL EDGES OF THE COMPACTED MATERIAL ARE SUFFICIENTLY REDUCED TO PREVENT EDGE CRACKING.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
146 words
A METHOD OF PREVENTING EDGE CRACKING WHEN CONTINUOUSLY ROLLING AND COMPRESSING POWDER MATERIAL BETWEEN AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF SPACED, PARALLEL ALIGNED ROOLS COMPRISING: A. FEEDING THE POWDER MATERIAL BETWEEN A PAIR OF ROTATING ROLLS, B. REDUCING THE THICKNESS OF THE POWDER MATERIAL BY COMPACTING AS IT PASSES BETWEEN THE ROLLS, C. ENGAGING THE LATERAL EDGES OF SAID COMPACTED MATERIAL WITH A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY INCOMPRESSIBLE ELONGATED RESTRAINT MEMBERS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY INFLEXIBLE THROUGHOUT A ZONE OF COMPACTION WITH SAID ROLLS, D. RESTRAINING THE LATERAL EDGES OF THE COMPACTED MATERIAL DURING SAID COMPACTION, AND E. MOVING SAID RESTRAINT MEMBERS RECTILINEARLY AT A VELOCITY SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE PERPHERAL VELOCITIES OF SAID ROLLS WITH THE COMPACT MATERIAL TO PREVENT LATERAL DEFORMATION OF COMPACTED MATERIAL WHILE REDUCING THE THICKNESS THEREOF, WHEREBY THE TENSILE FORCES ALONG THE LATERAL EDGES OF THE COMPACTED MATERIAL ARE SUFFICIENTLY REDUCED TO PREVENT EDGE CRACKING.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 including the further step of: compacting loose particulate powder prior to step a) between a pair of converging belts defining a feeding throat tapering to said rolls and said zone of compaction therebetween.