Method of spraying freely falling particles

Claim 1

THE PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES DROPPING PREFORMED SOLID PARTICLES OF ORGANIC DETERGENT IN A THIN CURTAIN WHICH IS ANNULAR IN HORIZONTAL SECTION, SPRAYING SAID PARTICLES WHILE FREELY FALLING WITH A LIQUID COATING FLUID, THE SPRAY BEING DIRECTED TOWARD SAID CURTAIN FROM A PLURALITY OF POINTS SURROUNDING THE CURTAIN, ACCUMULATING A MASS OF SAID SPRAYED PARTICLES, FLUIDIZING SAID MASS WITH AIR HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 130* C. TO REMOVE EXCESS MOISTURE WHEREBY THE PARTICLES ARE HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE AT WHICH CAKING WOULD RESULT IF THE PARTICLES WERE PACKED AT THE TEMPERATURE, WITHDRAWING PARTICLES FROM SAID MASS AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 100* F. AND ACCUMULATING SAID WITHDRAWN PARTICLES INTO A SECOND MASS, FLUIDIZING SAID SECOND MASS WITH COOLING AIR TO COOL THE PARTICLES TO A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 90* F. AT WHICH CAKING DOES NOT OCCUR WHEN THE PARTICLES ARE PACKAGED, AND WITHDRAWING COOLED PARTICLES FROM SAID SECOND MASS.