Mold for forming compacted mass having a grooved surface

Abstract

A mold for use in a rotary compactor in order to form compacted mass products (e.g., briquets) from a compactable material, the mold having at least one roll pocket that is provided with a surface configuration adapted to impart corresponding grooves to the respective mass surface, and in turn, to provide a physical barrier to the flow of the compactable material adapted to impart an optimal balance between releasability and wear resistance as compared to a pocket previously known in the art.

1 . A mold for use in a rotary compactor, the mold comprising a plurality of roll pockets adapted to form a briquet from a compactable material, the pockets comprising:
 a) a first pocket adapted to impart a substantially convex upper surface to the briquet, and   b) a second pocket adapted to impart a substantially convex opposite (lower) surface to the briquet;   c) at least one of the first and second pockets comprising a surface configuration adapted to impart corresponding grooves or dimples to the respective briquet surface;   d) the surface configuration providing a physical barrier to the flow of the compactable material adapted to impart an optimal balance between releasability and wear resistance as compared to a pocket previously known in the art.   
     
     
         2 . A mold according to  claim 1 , wherein the mold provides an improved combination of both service life and economy, as compared to roll pockets previously known. 
     
     
         3 . A mold according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one roll pocket comprises one or more reliefs, positioned in a manner that is sufficiently offset from the direction of material flow. 
     
     
         4 . A mold according to  claim 3 , wherein the relief is sufficient to provide an improved damming effect, thereby impeding the flow of material, in a manner sufficient to lessen abrasion of the pocket surface, and thereby improve the useful working life of the pocket. 
     
     
         5 . A mold according to  claim 4 , wherein the pocket comprises a plurality of such relief portions, selected from the group consisting of offset parallel lines, or cross-hatched lines. 
     
     
         6 . A roll pocket adapted for use in the mold of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         7 . A briquet formed using the mold of  claim 1 .