Patent ID: 8985986
Filing Date: 2015-03-24
Classification: B29B,B29C,Y10S

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for hot cut granulation of material, configured for strands of the material which has been melted in an extruder to be introduced thereto, comprising: a granulating housing configured for the strands to be introduced into the granulating housing; a rotatable shaft; rotatable knives disposed in the granulating housing and disposed on the shaft, wherein the rotatable knives are configured to cut the strands into granulate particles; a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, configured for coolant to flow through the granulating housing in such a way that the granulate particles are picked up and cooled by the coolant, and the granulate particles are discharged from the granulating housing through the coolant outlet along with the coolant; and a flow-through opening, wherein the shaft penetrates the granulating housing through the flow-through opening, wherein the flow-through opening abuts immediately against the shaft, and wherein the flow-through opening establishes a fluid connection between an interior of the granulating housing and an ambient atmosphere of the apparatus, wherein, during operation, a pressure interior of the granulating housing is at a vacuum in comparison with the ambient atmosphere of the apparatus, wherein the vacuum acts to draw in air from the ambient atmosphere to thereby create an air current such that the air current enters the granulating housing through the flow-through opening at a rate to prevent any of the coolant from exiting the granulating housing through the flow-through opening, such that the air current creates a seal against the escape the coolant from the flow-through opening.