CONTINUOUS GRANULATOR

Abstract: A continuous granulator includes a granulator body (1) for continuously processing powdered materials into granules, and a screw conveyor (12, 13, 19) for discharging the produced granules from the granulator body (1), the screw conveyor including a pneumatic classifier (10, 14) for separating or classifying the produced granules while they are being conveyed. The pneumatic classifier includes a porous lower portion (14) of the screw conveyor which permits passage of streams of pressurized air therethough into the interior of the screw conveyor. With this construction, discharging conveyance of the produced granules and classification of the produced granules can be carried out concurrently at the same station and hence the granules of a uniform grain size can be produced at an increased rate.

Description: The present invention relates to an apparatus for continuously processing powdered materials into grains or granules for the production of medicines, foodstaffs or the like. Such apparatus is hereinafter referred to as a "continuous granulator". There have been proposed numerous types of continuous granulators constructed to process powdered materials to continuously produce grains or granules. The proposed granulators generally include a discharge conveyor for the delivery of the treated or produced granules from the inside of the granulator. The produced granules are then fed into a separator or classifier by means of which only the granules of a desired grain size are collected as a final product. The known granulators are satisfactory in that the final product has a relatively uniform grain size. On the other hand, the known granulators have a drawback that the productivity is low since the granulation, discharge and classification processes are carried out successively at separate processing stations. DE-A-3 248 504 describes a known apparatus which simultaneously fluidizes and classifies granuals by means of air jets and a screw conveyor. However, the apparatus does not positively convey the granules at the same time as classifying them, but relies upon gravity for conveyance at this stage. Consequently, it is impossible to control the rate of granual conveyance, and classification jets must be very carefully balanced and finely adjusted. With the foregoing drawback of the known apparatus in view, it is an object of the present invention to provide a continuous granulator with which powdered materials can be continuously processed into grains or granules of a uniform size at an increased rate of production. According to the present invention, there is provided for continuous granular including a granulator body for continuously processing powdered materials into granules, and a discharge conveyor for discharging the produced granules from said granular body, characterised in that said discharge conveyor comprises a screw conveyor including means for pneumatically classifying the produced granules while they are being conveyed. With this construction, the discharging process and the classifying process are carried out concurrently at the same station and hence the production rate is substantially increased. Another advantage is that since the classifier is incorporated in the screw conveyor, the granulator is compact and simple in construction as a whole. Many advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which preferred structural embodiments incorporating the principles of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative example. Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the general construction of a continuous granulator according to the present invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a discharge conveyor of the granulator shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of a modified screw element according to the present invention; and Figure 4 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view showing a modified discharge conveyor according to the invention. Figure 1 diagrammatically shows the general construction of a continuous granulator embodying the present invention. The granulator generally comprises a granulator body 1 and a screw conveyor associated with the granulator body 1 for purposes described later on. The granulator body 1 is in the form of a fluidized chamber 1 which includes an upper inlet port 2 through which starting powdered materials are introduced into the chamber 1, a lower outlet or discharge channel 3 through which produced grains or granules are discharged from the chamber 1, and a spray nozzle 4 disposed in the chamber 1 for spraying a suitable solution of binder or other agent toward a porous bottom slab 5 of the chamber 1, the porous bottom slab 5 being formed of a perforated plate or a woven wire cloth. The bottom wall of the fluidized chamber 1 is connected with a blower pipe 6. A filter 7 is disposed in the fluidized chamber 1 at a position above the inlet port 2 and defines with the chamber 1 an upper interior portion to which a suction pipe 8 is connected. The blower pipe 6 is connected through a valve 9 with a blower 10 while the suction pipe 8 is connected with a suction blower 11. With the fluidized chamber 1 thus constructed, starting powdered materials are loaded into the fluidized chamber 1 through the inlet port 2 while introducing a carrier fluid, namely air, gas, hot air, or hot gas into the chamber 1 through the blower pipe 6. At the same time, a solution of binder or other agent is sprayed toward the porous bottom slab 5. The loaded powdered materials are suspended or fluidized by a vertically rising stream of carrier fluid which is blown into the chamber 1 through the porous bottom slab 5. The vertically rising stream of carrier fluid imparts to the powdered materials an appearance of great turbulence with which stirring of the powdered materials is promoted. Thus, the powdered materials come into intimate contact to thereby form grains or granules. The produced granules fall by their own weight and then discharged from the chamber 1 through the discharge channel 3. The suction blower 11 produces a negative pressure in the chamber 1 by means of which stirring of the powdered materials is further promoted. The filter 7 permits only the passage of the fluid toward the suction pipe 8 while blocking passage of the powdered materials. The screw conveyor includes a first screw 12 rotatably disposed in the discharge channel 3, and a second screw 13 connected end-to-end with the first screw 12 and extending downstream of the first screw 12. The first and second screws 12, 13 are attached to a common horizontal shaft 12ª which is driven by an electric motor 18. The first screw 12 is composed of a general short pitch helical screw and is used solely for conveyance of the granules toward the second screw 13. The second screw 13 is larger in diameter than the first screw 12 and comprises a ribbon screw or a paddle screw which includes bars or paddles (not shown) connected to the shaft 12ª. The second screw 13 thus constructed makes it ideal for separation or classification of the produced granules while they are being conveyed. The second screw 13 is rotatably disposed in a stationary casing 19 connected at its one end (left end in Figure 1) with a discharge end of the discharge channel 3. The casing 19 includes a flat porous bottom member 14 underlying the second screw 13. The porous bottom member may be made of the same material as the porous bottom slab 5 of the fluidized chamber 1. The bottom portion of the casing 19 is connected with the blower 10 through a blower pipe 15 while the upper portion of the casing 19 is connected with the fluidized chamber 1 through a return passage 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the blower pipe 15 is branched from the blower pipe 6 for enabling a common use of the blower 10. However, it is possible to provide a separate blower for forcing the fluid to flow through the blower pipe 15 into the casing 19. The fluid is usually air or gas, but when a final drying of the granules is required, hot air or hot gas may be used. With the screw conveyor thus constructed, the pressurized fluid is feed through the porous bottom member 14 into the casing 19 and then flows upwardly across the second screw 13 with the result that the granules are classified while they are conveyed by the second conveyor 13. During that time, ungranulated powdered materials and undersized granules are scattered upwardly and flow back into the fluidized chamber 1 as the fluid flows from the casing 19 through the return passage 16 to the chamber 1. The granules are finally discharged from the screw conveyor through an outlet port 17 of the casing 19. With the pneumatic classification thus carried out, the discharged granules have a highly uniform grain size. A modified screw conveyor shown in Figure 2 is similar to the screw conveyor shown in Figure 1 but differs therefrom in that the casing 19 includes an arcuate trough-like porous bottom member 14 connected to opposite lower side edges of the casing 19 via a pair of elongate connecting strips 19ª, 19ª. The arcuate poroces bottom member 14 is downwardly spaced a distance from the second screw 13 and extends around a lower peripheral portion of the second screw 13. It has been experimentally proved that the lower peripheral portion of the second screw 13 circumferentially extends preferably through an angle 0 of 30 - 120 degrees, and the ratio of the outside diameter of the first screw 12 to the outside diameter of the second screw 13 is preferably 1 : 1.5 - 1 : 5. Figure 3 shows a modified screw element which is composed of a first screw 12 attached to a shaft 12ª, and a second screw 13 secured to a hollow shaft 13ª and driven by an electric motor 18ª operatively coupled with the shaft 13ª. The shaft 12ª extends concentrically through the hollow shaft 13ª and is driven by an electric motor 18 b . With this arrangement, the speed of rotation of the second screw 13 can be adjusted independently from the speed of first screw 12 so that the granules while being conveyed are sufficiently stirred and classified. Thus, the uniformity in grain size of the final granular product is substantially improved. A modified screw conveyor shown in Figure 4 is similar to the screw conveyor of Figure 1 but differs therefrom in that two-stage classification of the produced granules can be attained. To this end, the screw conveyor includes a pair of spaced porous bottom members 14, 14 disposed in series in a casing 19' at a position below the second screw 13. A non-illustrated blower forces a fluid to flow through a pair of branched blower pipes 15, 15 into the casing 19. The fluid is then forced respectively through the porous bottom members 14, 14 and flows aross the granules while they are conveyed by the second screw 13. Finally, the fluid flows through a pair of blanched return passage 16, 16 to the fluidized chamber 1, not shown. With this arrangement, an improved degree of classification and drying of the granules is achievable. Unlike the prior granulators in which a separate classifier, such as a mechanical sieve is provided additional to the discharge conveyor, the continuous granulator of the present invention includes a screw conveyor having a pneumatic classifier. The present granulator is therefore compact and simple in construction. Furthermore, classification of the produced granules and discharge conveyance of the produced granules are carried out concurrently at the same station with the result that the rate of production is greatly increased. Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. For example, the principle of the present invention is also useful when embodied in a granulator body of the type which is different from the illustrated fluidized chamber.

Claims: A continous granulator including a granulator body (1) for continously processing powdered materials into granules, a discharge conveyor (12, 13, 19; 19' ) for discharging the produced granules from said granulator body, and a discharge channel (3) through which produced grains or granules are discharged from the granulator body (1), characterised in that said discharge conveyor comprises a screw conveyor (12, 13, 19; 19' ) including means (10, 14) for pneumatically classifying the produced granules while they are being conveyed, the means (10, 14) for pneumatically classifying the granules being situated substantially at the downstream end of the discharge channel (3) and the screw conveyor (12, 13, 19; 19' ) extending to substantially the downstream end of the channel (3). A continuous granulator according to claim 1, said pneumatic classifying means comprising a porous lower portion (14) of said screw conveyor (19;; 19' ) which permits passage of streams of pressurized air therethrough into the interior of said screw conveyor (19; 19' ). A continuous granulator according to claim 2, said porous lower portion (14) of said screw conveyor (19') being separated into a plurality of porous parts in a direction parallel to the axis of said screw conveyor. A continuous granulator according to claim 2, said screw conveyor including a screw (13) rotatably disposed therein, said porous lower portion (14) of said screw conveyor being flat and underlying said screw (13). A continous granulator according to claim 2, said screw conveyor including a screw (13) rotatably disposed therein, said porous lower portion (14) of said screw conveyor being arcuate and extending around a lower peripheral portion of said screw (13). A continuous granulator according to claim 5, said lower peripheral portion of said screw (13) extending circumferentially through an angle of 30 - 120 degrees. A continuous granulator according to claim 1, said screw conveyor including a first screw (12) disposed adjacent to said granulator body (1), and a second screw (13) disposed immediately downstream of said first screw (12), said pnuematic classifying means (10, 14) being operatively associated with said second screw (13). A continuous granulator according to claim 7, said pneumatic classifying means comprising a porous lower portion (14) of said screw conveyor underlying said second screw (13). A continuous granulator according to claim 8, said porous lower portions (14) of said screw conveyor (19') being separated into a plurality of porous parts in a direction parallel to the axis of said second screw (13). A continuous granulator according to claim 8, said porous lower portion (14) of said screw conveyor being flat. A continuous granulator according to claim 8, said porous lower portion (14) of said screw conveyor being arcuate and extending around a lower peripheral portion of said second screw (13). A continuous granulator according to claim 11, said lower peripheral portion of said second screw (13) extending circumferentially through an angle of 30 - 120 degrees. A continuous granulator according to claim 7, said first screw (12) comprising a helical screw of the general type, said second screw (13) comprising a ribbon screw. A continuous granulator according to claim 7, said first screw (12) comprising a helical screw of the general type, said second screw (13) comprising a paddle screw. A continuous granulator according to claim 7, said second screw (13) having an outside diameter greater than the outside diameter of said first screw (12). A continuous granulator according to claim 15, the ratio of the outside diameter of said first screw (12) to the outside diameter of said second screw (13) being 1 : 1.5 - 1 : 5. A continuous granulator according to claim 7, said first and second screws (12, 13) being attached to a single shaft (12ª). A continuous granulator according to claim 7, said first screw (12) being attached to a first shaft (12ª) and driven by a first motor (18 b ) operatively coupled with said first shaft (12ª), said second screw (13) being attached to a hollow second shaft (13ª) and driven by a second motor (18ª) operatively coupled with said second shaft (13ª), said first shaft (12ª) extending concentrically through said hollow second shaft (13ª). A continuous granualtor according to claim 1, further including a return passage (16) extending between said granulator body (1) and said screw conveyor (19; 19') for returning ungranulated powder materials from screw conveyor (19; 19') to said granualtor body (1). A continuous granulator according to claim 1, said granulator body comprising a fluidized chamber (1) having a discharge channel (3) through which the produced granules are dischared from said fluidized chamber, said screw conveyor including a first screw (12) rotatably disposed in said discharge channel (3), a second screw (13) disposed immediately downstream of said first screw (12), and a casing (19; 19') connected with said discharge channel (3) and rotatably receiving therein said second screw (13), said pneumatic classifying means comprising a porous lower portion (14) of said casing (19; 19') and a blower (10) for forcing a fluid through said porous lower portion (14) into said casing (19; 19'). A continuous granulator according to claim 20, said blower (10) being operatively connected with said fluidized chamber (1) for feeding the fluid thereinto. A continuous granulator according to claim 20, said casing (19; 19') and said granulator chamber (1) being connected together by a return passage (16). A continuous granulator according to claim 20, said porous lower portion (14) being separated into a plurality of porous parts in a direction parallel to the axis of said second screw (13).

Inventors: NAKANISHI, HIROSHI, NOGUCHI, TETSUO 271-2, KAMIJIMA, TANAKA, MASAO
Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA OKAWARA SEISAKUSHO
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B01J2
IPC codes: B01J2