Method for extrusion of coal containing body

Claim 1

In a method for the extrusion of a cohesive continuous, rod-like coal-containing body wherein a mixture containing powdered coal and a binder is fed into an extruder barrel structure adjacent one end thereof, said mixture is moved through said barrel structure by the rotation of an extruder screw disposed therein and is forced at the outer end thereof through die means, said die means having the internal configuration of the wall thereof in the shape of a right circular cylinder whereby said mixture is consolidated into the desired continuous, rod-like cohesive body and after discharge from said die means, said continuous body is subdivided, the improvement comprising the steps of: a. providing for uninterrupted containment of said mixture during consolidation thereof to form the rod-like body in said die means and b. simultaneously applying at least four controllably varied forces at a common station along said die means the magnitude of which forces is automatically controlled, each of said forces being applied into the die volume against the outer surface of said rod-like body via a separate discontinuity in said wall shortly before discharge thereof from said die means, said simultaneous force applications occurring subsequent to said uninterrupted containment along an axial length substantially shorter than the axial length of said uninterrupted containment.