| 摘要 |
1431595 Nozzles NESTLE SA 17 Oct 1973 [17 Oct 1972] 48282/73 Heading B2F [Also in Divisions B4 and B5] A powdered product e.g. tea or coffee extracts or sugar-, cocoa- and/or milk-containing beverages such as orange juice is agglomerated by contacting a current thereof with a current of steam, and a current of gaseous fluid at a temperature below that of the steam the currents of steam and gaseous fluid, at least over the initial parts of their free trajectories, lying on coaxial surfaces of revolution, the axis of which is coaxial with that of the powdered product. The gaseous fluid may be air, nitrogen or carbon dioxide and at 10-40‹C and the steam is preferably saturated and at 100- 140‹C. As shown, a hopper 1 for feeding the powder has its lower end 2 located within an opening 3a of a hollow annular member 3. Member 3 also has an annular chamber 14 with steam supply pipes 15. A part 12 is adjustably screwed into part 11 to define the width of steam ejection orifice 16. Steam supplied from orifice 16 forms a hollow cone contacting the powder fed through hopper 1 and drawing in ambient air through the passage between the inner wall of chamber 3a and the outer wall of hopper end 2. A further hollow member 9 of similar construction 17-22 may be spaced below the first hollow member 3 for a further agglomeration. The agglomerated product may then fall through opening 6a in a base plate 6 and into a drying tower (not shown). |
