Patent GB-789964-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to the continuous production of nodules from pulverulent materials
Inventor: KEIDING POVL
IPC: B28C5/24
Filed: 1954-09-14
Abstract: 789,964. Agglomerating ores. SMIDTH & CO., AKTIESELSKAB, F. L. July 25, 1955 [Sept. 14, 1954], No. 26667/54. Class 82(1) In a method of and apparatus for continuously nodulizing moist pulverulent material such as cement raw material, the material is fed into one end of a drum, which may be rotary and preferably horizontal, or stationary and either horizontal inclined or vertical and caused to travel as a thin layer along the inner wall of the drum whilst being-repeatedly beaten. With a rotary drum the thin layer may be maintained wholly by centrifugal force, or partly; in the latter case the beating elements, several of which are mounted for rotation about axes' parallel to the axis of the drum, supplement the centrifugal effect; with a stationary vertical drum. the beating elements alone maintain the layer and cause it to travel up or down the drum. More frequent beating may be arranged in the direction of movement of the material. Water, 10-20 per cent, should preferably be added to the material in the drum itself, and at a point or points where it is not struck by the beaters; no more than one third of the total water should be added to the material before entering the drum. Figs. 1 and 5 accompanying the Provisional Specification show the materials feed worm at 9, nodules discharge shoot 10, rotary drum 1 and'four beaters each comprising metal beating spikes 14 welded on to cylinders 12. The beaters extend the length of the drum and a common driving mechanism outside the drum rotates both beaters and drum in the same sense (see arrows). Spikes are distributed so as to increase in the direction towards which the material moves, as shown in Fig. 5, where a, b, c, d represent sections of the beaters at successive distances from the feed end. One beater e.g. c may have longer spikes than the others to prevent material adhering to the drum wall. The beaters rotate faster and have greater peripheral speeds than the drum wall; a controlled supply of water enters in a fine downwardly directed spray by pipes 31 and some water may be added in the conveyer 9. The drum 1 may be supported on flanged rollers 3 or slide shoes 34, 35, 39, 40 of which shoe 34 is flanged on both sides and dips with shoe 35 into an oil bath 43. In Fig. 8 (and Fig. 6. not shown )the drum 45 which may be stationary or rotary has beating elements 55 mounted on a drum 70 or on radial spokes 53 attached to the rotary shaft 50. Material is fed at'47, water at 56, and the thin layer formed is carried along axially by the pressure of the incoming material to leave as nodules at 57. The elements 55 may be inclined to the drum axis to assist the forward suction of the material. In Fig. 7 accompanying the Provisional Specification the drum is vertical with inlet 59 and outlet 67. Water enters via 68 69. and the beaters 66 which are mounted on helical bars carried by spokes 65 carry the material unwards if their rotation is clockwise as seen from above: reverse rotation will enable material fed at 67 to travel as a layer downwardly, nodules leaving at 59.