Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
217 words
A method for forming particulate glass batch material into pellets having a controlled selected size range, comprising: a. rotating in a clockwise direction a pelletizing disc inclined at about 40° to 55° from horizontal; b. depositing onto the disc at approximately a four o'clock position a dry particulate glass batch mixture including sand, fine ground limestone, and fine ground dolomite, the mixture being at least about 20 percent by weight finer than 100 mesh and at least 15 percent by weight finer than 200 mesh; c. spraying onto the disc on aqueous solution of 50 to 75 percent by weight alkali metal hydroxide; d. permitting the materials deposited onto the disc and contacted with the alkali metal hydroxide solution to roll the disc and tumble over one another to form pellets of said dry mixture which are bound together by said aqueous solution; e. controlling the relative flow rates of the dry glass batch mixture and the aqueous hydroxide solution in (b) and (c) above soas to produce uniformly sized pellets with uniform compositions; f. controlling the moisture content of the materials on the disc so as to produce pellets having a moisture content of about 5 to 10 percent by weight; and g. removing said pellets from the disc as they attain a selected size range.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
217 words
A method for forming particulate glass batch material into pellets having a controlled selected size range, comprising: a. rotating in a clockwise direction a pelletizing disc inclined at about 40° to 55° from horizontal; b. depositing onto the disc at approximately a four o'clock position a dry particulate glass batch mixture including sand, fine ground limestone, and fine ground dolomite, the mixture being at least about 20 percent by weight finer than 100 mesh and at least 15 percent by weight finer than 200 mesh; c. spraying onto the disc on aqueous solution of 50 to 75 percent by weight alkali metal hydroxide; d. permitting the materials deposited onto the disc and contacted with the alkali metal hydroxide solution to roll the disc and tumble over one another to form pellets of said dry mixture which are bound together by said aqueous solution; e. controlling the relative flow rates of the dry glass batch mixture and the aqueous hydroxide solution in (b) and (c) above soas to produce uniformly sized pellets with uniform compositions; f. controlling the moisture content of the materials on the disc so as to produce pellets having a moisture content of about 5 to 10 percent by weight; and g. removing said pellets from the disc as they attain a selected size range.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of claim 1 further including adding water onto the disc at about a five o'clock position, in from the perimeter of the disc about 1/6 to 1/7 of the diameter of the disc, as a separate feed, so as to aid said controlling of the moisture content of the materials on the disc.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 1 in which said aqueous solution of alkali metal hydroxide is sprayed onto said rolling batch materials on said pelletizing disc at about a two o'clock position, in from the perimeter of the disc about 1/6 to 1/7 of the diameter of the disc.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 1 in which said aqueous solution of alkali metal hydroxide is sprayed onto said dry glass batch mixture as the dry glass mixture is being deposited onto said pelletizing disc.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the aqueous solution of alkali metal hydroxide being sprayed onto said pelletizing disc is 73 percent by weight aqueous sodium hydroxide solution and is at a temperature of 60° C. to 90° C.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the limestone and dolomite being deposited onto the disc each have at least 65 percent by weight minus 100 mesh and at least 50 percent by weight minus 200 mesh.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 6 wherein about 40 to 70 percent by weight of the sand being deposited is between 30 and 60 mesh, with about 20 to 50 percent by weight being between 60 and 100 mesh, with no more than 15 percent by weight being finer than 100 mesh.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 6 in which the sand has the following particle size distribution: ______________________________________
Mesh Percent by Weight
______________________________________
+50 0-10
-50 +80 5-15
-80 +100 25-40
-100 +140 35-55
-140 +200 5-35
-200 +325 5-35
-325 0-25
______________________________________
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 8 in which the sand is a McLish sand.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of claim 6 in which the dolomite and limestone have the following particle size distributions: ______________________________________
Dolomite Limestone
Percent Percent
Mesh by Weight Mesh by Weight
______________________________________
+80 0-4 +100 0-15
-80 +100 0-7 -100 +200 5-25
-100 +140 2-10 -200 +325 20-85
-140 +200 10-30 -325 10-75
-200 +325 20-70
-325 10-65
______________________________________