MANUFACTURE OF Mi1LK POWDER 301 
at the upper end being fed thereto by a screw conveyor H, which 
receives the product from the coating chamber I which 1s located 
above the drying chamber. The coating chamber is cone shape. 
At the upper end of this chamber there is provided a means for 
introducing the nucleus mass or supporting material, in this case 
the previously desiccated milk, and distributing the same in the 
chamber, as well as a means for maintaining in this chamber an 
atmosphere which carries the milk to be desiccated in com- 
minuted form. The nucleus mass or supporting material is fed 
to a rotary distributer K by a screw conveyor M, receiving its 
material from a hopper N. Extending down through a hollow 
shaft L is a pipe O terminating in an atomizing nozzle and the 
milk to be desiccated is forced through the pipe and nozzle under 
pressure. By this arrangement the comminuted milk and the 
comminuted supporting material come into intimate contact 
whereby the particles of the supporting material become coated 
with the milk to be desiccated. 
At the bottom of the desiccating chamber a grading mechan- 
ism is provided consisting of shaking screens Q and ©! and a 
hopper P which separate the desiccated milk into three grades. 
Shaking screen Q is of relatively large mesh. It is designed ta 
remove only the larger particles which pass from this screen ta 
a pulverizing apparatus R where they are reduced to a finer 
condition. The material passing through screen Q drops on 
screen ©?, the mesh of which is of such size as to permit the 
passage of only the finer particles, while the intermediate sized 
particles are discharged into receptacle S as the finished product. 
The finer particles pass down onto a shaking floor Q? and from 
there into a receiver U, which may also receive the pulverized 
material from pulverizer R. A convevor V carries the material 
from receiver U up into hopper N, this material constituting the 
nucleus mass or supporting material used for desiccating the milk. 
There is no drying action in the coating chamber. 
This apparatus and process may be operated continuously 
and after it is once in operation the output is claimed to be equal 
to or greater than would be possible. with an apparatus in which 
the liquid milk itself is sprayed into the current of heated air. 
This process yields a product having particles of appreciable 
size, which facilitates ease and completeness of solution in water. 
