Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
245 words
A screw extruder for compressing a material to be compressed, comprising: plural contiguous screw extruder units arranged in a line each of said units having a casing member defining an inlet and an outlet, an elongated screw member disposed in each of said casing members and extending between the inlet and outlet of said casing members said screw members having a core defining a first circumferential dimension and a thread wrapped about the core defining a second circumferential dimension larger than the first circumferential dimension, the first and second circumferential dimensions defining a screw member free-section, and each of said units including a throttle plate member disposed in each of said casing members proximate the inlet of said casing members the direction of elongation of the screw members said throttle plate member and having an orifice therethrough having a preselected dimension selected to be greater than said first circumferential dimension but less than said second circumferential dimension so as to effectively block the free-section of the screw members; whereby, material to be compressed sequentially introduced through each of said contiguous screw extruder units are pressed against said throttle plate member of a corresponding screw extruder unit with a large force thereby causing heat that creates pulverization and drying of the material by friction on each of said throttle plate members before passing through the corresponding orifices of said throttle plate members having said preselected dimension that effectively blocks the free-section of the corresponding screw members.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
245 words
A screw extruder for compressing a material to be compressed, comprising: plural contiguous screw extruder units arranged in a line each of said units having a casing member defining an inlet and an outlet, an elongated screw member disposed in each of said casing members and extending between the inlet and outlet of said casing members said screw members having a core defining a first circumferential dimension and a thread wrapped about the core defining a second circumferential dimension larger than the first circumferential dimension, the first and second circumferential dimensions defining a screw member free-section, and each of said units including a throttle plate member disposed in each of said casing members proximate the inlet of said casing members the direction of elongation of the screw members said throttle plate member and having an orifice therethrough having a preselected dimension selected to be greater than said first circumferential dimension but less than said second circumferential dimension so as to effectively block the free-section of the screw members; whereby, material to be compressed sequentially introduced through each of said contiguous screw extruder units are pressed against said throttle plate member of a corresponding screw extruder unit with a large force thereby causing heat that creates pulverization and drying of the material by friction on each of said throttle plate members before passing through the corresponding orifices of said throttle plate members having said preselected dimension that effectively blocks the free-section of the corresponding screw members.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
91 words
The invention of claim 1, wherein said screw members each include two laterally spaced screw member portions each having a core member defining a first circumferential dimension and a thread wrapped about the core defining a second circumferential dimension, and said throttle plate member of each of said corresponding screw extruder units having an orifice therethrough of preselected dimensions selected to be greater than twice said first circumferential dimensions but less than twice said second circumferential dimensions so as to effectively impede the free-section of the two screw member portions combined.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
63 words
The invention of claim 2, wherein each of said throttle plate members having an orifice includes first and second plate member portions having confronting cut-outs that are cooperative to provide said orifice, and further including means for moving said first and said second plate member portions relative to each other such that said confronting cut-outs thereof define an orifice of selectably different dimensions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
The invention of claim 2, wherein said moving means includes means for sliding said first and said second plate member portions of each of said throttle plate members adjustably to different selected positions spaced in the plane of said first and said second plate member portions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
The invention of claim 1, further including a rotatable shaft, and means coupled to the plural contiguous screw extruder units for mounting said plural screw members for rotation with said rotatable shaft.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
53 words
The invention of claim 5, wherein one of said plural contiguous screw extruder units is an intake unit and another one thereof is a final unit, and wherein said rotating mounting means includes a tension shaft mounted between the screw member of said final unit and the screw member of said intake unit.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
The invention of claim 5, further including a gear mounted to said shaft for rotating said shaft, and a thrust bearing coupled to said gear via tie rods.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The invention of claim 7, further including means coupled to said shaft for preventing lateral motion thereof.