Patent ID: 8142178

Claim:
A device for compacting a moist organic material into a plastic gas-impermeable mass and transferring it into or from a desolventiser maintained at sub-atmospheric pressure, comprising a cylindrical tube ( 6 ), a helical conveyor ( 5 ) capable of rotating in said cylindrical tube ( 6 ), said tube being fitted with a dead-zone preventer, and being provided at an exit end with a self-regulating plug forming valve, wherein said device is used in a continuous process for the removal of one or more organic solvents from a marc comprising the steps of: a) continuously introducing said marc into a desolventiser; b) introducing an inert, gaseous stripping medium into said desolventiser; c) removing said one or more organic solvents from said marc by maintaining a sub-atmospheric pressure of about 800 hPa or less inside said desolventiser and by stripping vaporized organic solvent from said moist organic material, thus providing an organic solvent-desolventised material; d) continuously extracting said organic solvent-desolventised material from said desolventiser; wherein, step (a) and step (d) comprise compacting said marc and said organic solvent-desolventised material into a first and second plastic, substantially gas-impermeable mass, respectively, and extruding said first and second plastic mass through an annular gap, the opening of which is controlled by the rate of supply of said first and second plastic mass.