Animal feed in pellet form, process and apparatus for preparing same
First Claim
1. A process for pelletizing animal feed comprising:
- providing a powder composition on an inclined disc defining an upper and lower zones through which the disc passes during rotation, the powder composition consisting of powders of a food-grade hydraulic binder, a food-grade phosphate salt, and at least one substantially insoluble feed ingredient;
rotating the disc such that the powder composition is carried towards the upper zone;
spraying water onto the powder composition as the disc is rotated so as to cause the powder composition to agglomerate into pellets of animal feed; and
causing some of the powder composition to tumble towards the lower zone by gravity.
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Abstract
An animal feed production process and apparatus, and pellet product thereby obtained. The process comprises providing a powder composition into a drum, the drum having a disc, a circumferential wall integral with the disc, and an axis of rotation normal to the disc and inclined relative to a vertical axis, the drum being rotatable about said inclined axis and adapted to pass through an upper and lower zones relative to the disc, the powder composition consisting of fine powders of magnesium oxyde, mono-dicalcium phosphate, and at least one substantially insoluble feed ingredient; whereby when the disc is rotated some of the powder composition is carried towards the upper zone, and some of the powder composition tumbles towards the lower zone by gravity; and then spraying water onto the powder composition as the drum is rotated so as to cause the powder composition to agglomerate into pellets of animal feed.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A process for pelletizing animal feed comprising:
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providing a powder composition on an inclined disc defining an upper and lower zones through which the disc passes during rotation, the powder composition consisting of powders of a food-grade hydraulic binder, a food-grade phosphate salt, and at least one substantially insoluble feed ingredient;
rotating the disc such that the powder composition is carried towards the upper zone;
spraying water onto the powder composition as the disc is rotated so as to cause the powder composition to agglomerate into pellets of animal feed; and
causing some of the powder composition to tumble towards the lower zone by gravity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for producing animal feed in pellet form by agglomeration from a powder composition;
- the apparatus comprising;
a drum, the drum having a disc and a wall circumferential to the disc, the drum being rotatable around a rotation axis thereof, the rotation axis being normal to the disc and being inclined with respect to a vertical axis, defining an upper zone and a lower zone through which the disc passes during rotation;
at least one spray nozzle adapted to spray water onto a portion of the disc moving from the lower zone towards the upper zone during rotation;
wherein the powder composition is tumbled, moistened, and agglomerated into pellets within the rotating drum. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- the apparatus comprising;
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15. A method of preparing animal feed in pellet form, the method comprising:
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providing a powder composition including powder feed ingredients mixed together, the powder composition being capable of agglomerating into pellets;
spraying an appropriate amount of water to the powder composition while tumbling the powder composition, thereby causing the powder composition to agglomerate into pellets. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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- 21. An animal feed pellet made from a powder composition, the powder composition consisting substantially of an agglomeration of insoluble particles of animal feed ingredients, a food grade phosphate salt, and a food grade hydraulic binder, each pellet having a moisture content of between 5 and 20%, and being further characterized by a porous consistency thereby providing an increased surface exposure during digestion by an animal.
Specification