Patent GB-1094672-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to apparatus for instantizing food powders
IPC: A23C9/16
Filed: 1966-05-06
Abstract: Powder particles of spray-dried skim, low-fat or whole milk, chocolate-flavoured milk, spray dried synthetic milk (56% corn syrup solids, 37.5% hydrogenated vegetable fat, 1% dipotassium phosphate and 0.5% emulsifier), gelatine, pectin, starch, lactose, onion and garlic powders, and coffee are aggregated by pneumatically conveying the particles through a tangential inlet 12 into a cyclone 10, from which part or all of the air stream is exhausted through a conduit 13, contacting the particles as they are falling into a treatment chamber 11 with wet <PICT:1094672/C3/1> steam together with some water droplets introduced from a line 21 through a nozzle (25, Fig. 3, not shown) giving a divergent conical-shaped spray whereby the particles are rendered sticky and form aggregates, and passing the aggregates through a discharge opening 36 into a shaking drier 37. The particles are prevented from touching the steam pipe 21 by a jacket 22 through which there is passed a current of air from line 23 to apertures (24, Fig. 2, not shown) in the region surrounding the nozzle. A suction fan 48 induces an upward flow of air from inlets (not shown) adjacent the discharge opening 36.  The flow of warm air through the shaker drier may be sufficient to create a negative pressure at the inlet end 41. The walls of the treating chamber 11 are kept warm through the provision of either heat insulation (not shown) or a heating jacket 49. The dimensions of the equipment are disclosed. It is stated that the synthetic milk powder can be agglomerated with atomized water without the use of steam.  Figs. 4 and 5 (not shown) depict diagrammatically forms of apparatus which can be used for introducing into the nozzle water, or a mixture of water, steam and lecithin.ALSO:Granular particles of spray-dried synthetic milk (56% corn syrup solids, 37.5% hydrogenated vegetable fat, 1% dipotassium phosphate and 0.5% emulsifier), starch or lactose are prepared by pneumatically conveying powder particles through a tangential inlet 12 into a cyclone 10, from which part or all of the <PICT:1094672/C2/1> air stream is exhausted through a conduit 13, contacting the particles as they are falling into a treatment chamber 11 with wet steam together with some water droplets introduced from a line 21 through a nozzle (25, Fig. 3, not shown) giving a divergent conical-shaped spray whereby the particles are rendered sticky and form aggregates, and passing the aggregates through a discharge opening 36 into a shaking drier 37. The particles are prevented from touching the steam pipe 21 by a jacket 22 through which there is passed a current of air from line 23 to apertures (24, Fig. 2, not shown) in the region surrounding the nozzle.  A suction fan 48 induces an upward flow of air from inlets (not shown) adjacent the discharge opening 36.  The flow of warm air through the shaker drier may be sufficient to create a negative pressure at the inlet end 41. The walls of the treating chamber 11 are kept warm through the provision of either heat insulation (not shown) or a heating jacket 49.  The dimensions of the equipment are disclosed. It is stated that the synthetic milk powder can be agglomerated with atomized water without the use of steam.  Figs. 4 and 5 (not shown) depict diagrammatically forms of apparatus which can be used for introducing into the nozzle water, or a mixture of water, steam and lecithin.