Abstract: A drop former includes a supply vessel having bottom discharge openings for discharging a free-flowing viscous mass. An endless perforated belt rotates around front and rear guide drums such that a lower run of the belt travels toward the rear guide drum while passing across the discharge openings of the vessel to periodically open those openings and allow drops of the mass to fall onto a cooling conveyor. A collecting space is formed beneath the rear guide drum for collecting residual mass from the belt. A recirculation mechanism recirculates that collected residual mass back to a location adjacent the discharge openings.

Abstract: A hollow drum is rotatable about a horizontal axis and includes openings around its circumference for discharging drops of a free-flowing substance onto a cooling belt in the manufacture of pastilles. A stationary body disposed inside the drum is spaced from the interior surface of a front side of the drum to form therewith a sickle-shaped gap leading to the drop-forming zone. A channeling member rests against an external surface of the front side of the drum to form therewith an upwardly open channel. The supply passage which delivers the freely flowable substance to the drum can be defined by the channel, whereby the substance would be fed into the upwardly open end thereof and would flow into the gap through the drum openings. Alternatively, the supply passage could be defined by a space within the stationary body which communicates with the gap at a location disposed above the drop-forming zone.

Abstract: A mechanism for making granulated material from a viscous substance includes a vessel charged with the substance and having a discharge arrangement such as a slit through which the substance can flow onto a cooling surface. A belt disposed above the cooling surface is passed across the slit of the vessel. The belt has openings arranged to periodically come into alignment with the slit to allow the substance to flow therethrough. The belt is a thin metal belt strengthened by sleeves projecting from respective ones of the openings in a direction away from the vessel.

Abstract: A drop former comprises a drum assembly including a stationary inner drum and a rotatable outer drum mounted coaxially around the inner drum. The outer drum has holes which periodically become aligned with holes in the inner drum to allow a flowable substance to flow from the inner drum onto a cooling belt traveling beneath the outer drum. In order to redirect into the outer drum, residual portions of the substance which have not fallen off the outer drum, a directing device is disposed around a portion of the circumference of the outer drum. The directing device is mounted on a frame which pivots toward and away from the outer drum. In order to secure the directing device to the drum assembly, a ring is mounted on an end of the inner drum which projects beyond a respective end of the outer drum. The ring, which is rotatable and movable axially relative to the inner drum, carries a radial projection which is received in a recess of the frame when the frame is in an operating position.

Abstract: Granular material is produced by discharging a viscous material from a vessel and onto a support surface on which the material solidifies. The vessel has first openings through which the material flows, and a belt travels across lower ends of the first openings, whereupon second openings of the belt periodically come into alignment with the first openings to permit a downward flow of the material. The belt comprises a plurality of links having long and short sides, with the long sides arranged parallel to one another and perpendicular to the direction of belt travel. Mutually facing long sides of adjacent links have undercut grooves which receive an elastic connector in the form of a pair of parallel rods received in the recesses and interconnected by springs.

Abstract: A mechanism for making granulated material from a viscous substance includes a vessel charged with the substance and having a discharge opening arrangement for discharging the substance onto a cooling surface. A belt travels across the vessel, the belt having openings arranged to periodically come into alignment with the discharge opening arrangement to allow the substance to fall onto the cooling surface. The discharge opening arrangement comprises a plurality of rows of discharge openings. Each row extends transversely of the longitudinal direction of belt travel, and the rows are spaced apart in that longitudinal direction. The vessel openings of each row are offset in the transverse direction with respect to the vessel openings of other rows. A collection arrangement collects residual substance falling from the belt and returns the substance onto the belt at a location upstream of the vessel.

Abstract: A rotoformer includes a rotary drum for dispensing drops or strips of a free-flowing compound onto a cooling belt. A heating hood overlies the drum and is swingable to an inoperative position to afford access to the drum. The hood is mounted for swinging movement on a vertical axis which is offset from a horizontal axis of rotation of the drum so that when in its inoperative position, no part of the hood overlies the cooling belt. A part of the hood is relocatable, e.g., by being swingable upwardly, or by being detached, to permit the hood to be swung to its inoperative position.

Abstract: A drop former includes an outer rotary steel body having circumferentially spaced openings which successively reach a lower discharge position to enable viscous material to drop onto a cooling conveyor from within the outer body. An inner steel body, which can be stationary or rotating, is situated within the outer body to direct viscous material to the openings as the openings reach the discharge portion. An electrical inductive heating coil is situated adjacent one or both of the bodies to inductively heat the body, avoiding excessive heating of the viscous material.

Abstract: A machine for producing granulate from meltable compounds comprises a stationary inner drum and a rotary outer drum mounted on the inner drum. Melted compound contained within the inner drum drips onto a cooling belt when openings in the outer and inner drums become vertically aligned. A bearing/sealing assembly is disposed at each end of the inner drum. Each bearing/sealing assembly includes a bearing for rotatably supporting the outer drum, and a seal for resisting the leakage of particles beyond the drums. An annulus surrounds the seal and includes a downwardly directed discharge opening enabling particles which have leaked past the seal to fall from the assembly without reaching and fouling the bearing.

Abstract: A rotary drum assembly contains a flowable material and includes peripheral openings through which the material can flow to form pieces of the material on a belt traveling beneath the drum assembly. A guide contacts the outer periphery of the drum assembly for pressing residual material back into the openings. The guide can be pivoted away from the drum assembly for servicing, and can be adjusted to different positions around the circumference of the drum assembly.

Abstract: Pastilles are formed by passing small quantities of a viscous material through small openings and onto a moving conveyor surface located therebeneath. The viscous material is contacted by the conveyor surface after the material protrudes from the openings, but before the material becomes sufficiently large to break free and fall. Instead, the conveyor surface forcefully extracts the material from the openings, thereby resulting in the formation of pastilles which are of smaller size than would have been the case had the material been allowed to break free and fall on its own accord.

Abstract: A granulating apparatus includes a hollow roll equipped on its internal circumference with axially extending toothed ledges and a co-rotating contact pressure roll, equipped with corresponding axial toothed ledges on its outer circumference, and engaging in the hollow roll in the lower area of the latter. The hollow roll is provided with axially extending rows of holes between its toothed ledges. The toothed ledges of the hollow roll and pressure roll intermesh to form a tapering nip zone therebetween. The material to be granulated is fed into the hollow roll and into the nip zone. By means of the cooperation of the toothed ledges, the material is pressed out forcibly and volumetrically in the downward direction. The drops being formed fall onto a cooling conveyor and are allowed to solidify thereon. The mass is extruded forcibly and with a defined volume. By virtue of the cooperation of rotating parts, high production rates are possible.

Abstract: A flowable substance is extruded from two coaxial telescoping cylindrical containers of which the outer is provided with openings on its periphery and is rotatable about the inner container. The substance is fed to the inner container and exits via a row of openings therein. As the outer container rotates, the inner and outer openings radially coincide cyclically whereby the substance falls in the form of drops onto a belt and solidifies. The row of openings of the inner container is provided in a nozzle bar which is removably attached to the periphery of a body part of the inner container.

Abstract: An apparatus for the production of granules from flowable media comprises a cylindrical vessel rotatable about a horizontal axle and being provided with circumferentially spaced orifices through which the medium emerges in the form of droplets. The drops fall onto a cooling conveyor in order to solidify thereon. A collector wall is situated within the vessel and oriented obliquely relative to the horizontal. The medium is dropped onto the collector plate and flows downwardly onto the internal surface of the vessel. The medium falls onto the internal surface ahead of a baffle which presses against the internal surface.

Abstract: An apparatus forms granulates from a flowable viscous mass. The mass is delivered to a tubular body and flows downwardly from a lower slit thereof in the form of drops. An endlessly revolving belt travels across the slit in tight engagement therewith. The belt has orifices therein which intermittently open the slit to admit the passage of the drops. The drops fall onto a conveyor which travels below the belt in the same direction and at the same speed as the belt.

Abstract: Apparatus for the extrusion of a flowable mass onto a conveyor, comprises first and second cylindrical containers. The first container is disposed for rotation about a longitudinal axis and includes first passages for depositing the flowable mass. The second container includes a wall portion which contains a plurality of second passages. The wall portion is disposed against the first container, the latter rotating relative to the second container so that the first and second passages are periodically aligned to enable the flowable mass to be deposited onto the conveyor. The first and second containers define a gap therebetween which creates a negative pressure to suck-in excess mass from the outer periphery of the apparatus. A spatula is provided to push the mass into the gap.