Coating Flowable Contact-Tolerant Granules, Including Seeds

Abstract

A process and apparatus for coating flowable contact-tolerant granules, such as seeds, includes a rotating wheel having peripheral apertures so when the granules are dropped onto the central portion, they bounce and contact other granules and are impelled by centrifugal force to fall through the peripheral apertures down a narrowing funnel preferably (but not necessarily) having a different rotation rate. The coating is spread by gentle granule-to-granule contact and contact with any coating material on the wheel and in the funnel. The granules then flow into an inclined conveyor belt, an inclined auger, or other conveyor, which rolls the granules as they are conveyed upwardly, so that the coating is further spread by gentle granule-to-granule contact.

Claims

1. An apparatus for coating flowable contact-tolerant granules, comprising: a hopper to receive said granules having a bottom orifice; an application chamber having a separator positioned below said orifice and converging lower walls, whereby when granules flow from said hopper into said application chamber and over said separator, said granules are separated into flowing subflows of granules; at least one applicator positioned to apply a desired coating material onto said flowing subflows of granules and to partially coat said granules in said subflows, whereby when said flowing subflows of granules contact said converging lower walls of said lower portion or said application chamber, said flowing subflows of granules recombine into said flow of granules; a wheel having a rigid central portion rotating at a wheel rotation rate around a substantially vertical axis of rotation, said wheel having peripheral apertures larger than said granules, positioned a drop height below said lower walls of said application chamber, whereby when said granules fall onto said rigid central portion of said rotating wheel from said drop height, said granules bounce and contact other granules, whereby said coating material is spread on said granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material on said wheel, and said granules are impelled by centrifugal force to said peripheral apertures and fall through said peripheral apertures with wheel momentum; a funnel having funnel walls, a wide end, and a narrow end, said wide end being positioned under said wheel and being wide enough to receive all granules falling through said peripheral apertures, said funnel having a funnel rotation rate, whereby when said granules fall through said peripheral apertures with said wheel momentum and contact said funnel walls rotating at said funnel rotation rate and fall down said funnel walls towards said narrow end, said granules tumble against each other, and coating material is further spread on said granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact, and by contact with any of said coating material on said funnel walls; a conveyor, tilted at an inclined angle, open at both top and bottom ends, with said bottom end positioned to receive granules falling through said narrow end of said funnel, having a conveyor belt; a conveyor floor underneath, and substantially parallel to, said belt, extending between said top and bottom ends; paddles that extend downwardly from said belt towards, and in close proximity to, said conveyor floor, whereby said paddles and said conveyor floor are separated by a paddle separation; whereby, when said conveyor belt spins backwards, so that said paddles in said close proximity to said conveyor floor move upwardly at said incline, said paddles push granules that are on said floor upwardly, whereby said granules roll over each other and said coating material is further spread on said granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material on said floor, until said granules are discharged out said top end.

2. An apparatus for coating flowable contact-tolerant granules, comprising: a hopper to receive said granules having a bottom orifice; an application chamber having a separator positioned below said orifice and converging lower walls, whereby granules flowing from said hopper into said application chamber and over said separator are separated into flowing subflows of granules; at least one applicator positioned to apply a desired coating material onto said flowing subflows of granules and to partially coat said granules in said subflows, wherein said converging lower walls recombine said flowing subflows of granules into said flow of granules; a wheel having a rigid central portion rotating at a wheel rotation rate around a substantially vertical axis of rotation, said wheel having peripheral apertures larger than said granules, positioned a drop height below said lower walls of said application chamber, whereby when said granules fall onto said rigid central portion of said rotating wheel from said drop height, said granules bounce and contact other granules, whereby said coating material is spread on said granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material on said wheel and said granules are impelled by centrifugal force to said peripheral apertures and fall through said peripheral apertures with wheel momentum; a funnel having funnel walls, a wide end, and a narrow end, said wide end being positioned under said wheel and being wide enough to receive granules falling through said peripheral apertures, said funnel having a funnel rotation rate, whereby when said granules fall through said peripheral apertures with wheel momentum and contact said funnel walls rotating at said funnel rotation rate and fall down said funnel walls towards said narrow end, said granules tumble against each other, and coating material is further spread on said granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material on said funnel walls; an enclosed auger tilted at an inclined angle, having a top end and a bottom end, open at both top and bottom ends, with said bottom end positioned to receive granules falling through said narrow end of said funnel, whereby when said auger rotates, granules are pushed upwardly, whereby said granules roll over each other and said coating material is further spread on said granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material in said auger, until said granules are discharged out the top end.

3. An apparatus for coating flowable contact-tolerant granules having an angle of repose, comprising: a hopper to receive said granules having a bottom orifice; an application chamber having a separator positioned below said orifice and converging lower walls, whereby when granules flow from said hopper into said application chamber and over said separator, said granules are separated into flowing subflows of granules; at least one applicator positioned to apply a desired coating material onto said flowing subflows of granules and to partially coat said granules in said subflows, whereby when said flowing subflows of granules contact said converging lower walls of said lower portion of said application chamber, said flowing subflows of granules recombine into said flow of granules; a wheel having a rigid central portion rotating at a wheel rotation rate around a substantially vertical axis of rotation, said wheel having peripheral apertures larger than said granules, positioned a drop height below said lower walls of said application chamber, whereby when said granules fall onto said rigid central portion of said rotating wheel from said drop height, said granules bounce and contact other granules, whereby said coating material is spread on said granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material on said wheel, and said granules are impelled by centrifugal force to said peripheral apertures and fall through said peripheral apertures with wheel momentum; a funnel having funnel walls, a wide end, and a narrow end, said wide end being positioned under said wheel and being wide enough to receive all granules falling through said peripheral apertures, said funnel having a funnel rotation rate, whereby when said granules fall through said peripheral apertures with said wheel momentum and contact said funnel walls rotating at said funnel rotation rate and fall down said funnel walls towards said narrow end, said granules tumble against each other, and coating material is further spread on said granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material on said funnel walls; a conveyor, tilted at an inclined angle greater than said angle of repose, open at both top and bottom ends, with said bottom end positioned to receive granules falling through said narrow end of said funnel, having a conveyor belt; whereby, when said conveyor belt spins forwards, said granules roll backwards over each other and said coating material is further spread on said granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material on said conveyor belt, until said granules are discharged out said top end.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said paddle separation is larger than said granules.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said drop height is at least approximately 1 inch (approximately 2.5 centimeters).

6. An apparatus for coating flowable contact-tolerant granules partially coated with a coating material flowing from a drop height, comprising: a wheel having a rigid central portion rotating at a wheel rotation rate around a substantially vertical axis of rotation, said wheel having peripheral apertures larger than said granules, whereby when said granules fall onto said rigid central portion of said rotating wheel from said drop height, said granules bounce and contact other granules, whereby said coating material is spread on said granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material on said wheel, and said granules are impelled by centrifugal force to said peripheral apertures and fall through said peripheral apertures with wheel momentum; a funnel having funnel walls, a wide end, and a narrow end, said wide end being positioned under said wheel and being wide enough to receive all granules falling through said peripheral apertures, said funnel having a funnel rotation rate, whereby when said granules fall through said peripheral apertures with said wheel momentum and contact said funnel walls rotating at said funnel rotation rate and fall down said funnel walls towards said narrow end, said granules tumble against each other, and coating material is further spread on said granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material on said funnel walls; and a roller positioned to receive granules falling through said narrow end of said funnel that gently rolls said granules against each other, whereby said coating material is further spread on said granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said roller is selected from the group consisting of: (a) a conveyor, tilted at an inclined angle, open at both top and bottom ends, with said bottom end positioned to receive granules falling through said narrow end of said funnel, having a conveyor belt, a conveyor floor underneath and substantially parallel to said belt extending between said top and bottom ends, paddles that extend downwardly from said belt towards, and in close proximity to, said conveyor floor, said paddles and said conveyor floor being separated by a paddle separation, whereby, when said conveyor belt spins backwards, so that said paddles in said close proximity to said conveyor floor move upwardly along said incline, said paddles push granules that are on said floor upwardly, whereby said granules roll over each other and said coating material is further spread on said granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material on said floor, until said granules are discharged out said top end; b) an enclosed auger tilted at an inclined angle, having a top end and a bottom end, open at both top and bottom ends, with said bottom end positioned to receive granules falling through said narrow end of said funnel, whereby when said auger rotates, granules are pushed upwardly, whereby said granules roll over each other and said coating material is further spread on said granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material in said auger, until said granules are discharged out said top end; and (c) a conveyor belt, tilted at an inclined angle greater than the angle of repose of said granules, having top and bottom ends, with said bottom end positioned to receive granules from said funnel, further comprising retarding structures attached to said conveyor belt to constrain a sufficient portion of said granules to be carried upwards, whereby when the conveyor belt spins forwardly, said granules roll over each other backwards as said granules are conveyed upwards, and said coating material is further spread on said granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material on said conveyor belt, until said granules are discharged out said top end.

8. An apparatus for coating flowable contact-tolerant granules partially coated with a coating material, flowing from an application chamber, comprising: a wheel having a rigid central portion rotating at a wheel rotation rate around a substantially vertical axis of rotation, said wheel having peripheral apertures larger than said granules and being positioned a drop height below said application chamber, whereby when said granules fall onto said rigid central portion of said rotating wheel from said drop height, said granules bounce and contact other granules, said coating material is spread on said granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material on said wheel, and said granules are impelled by centrifugal force to said peripheral apertures and fall through said peripheral apertures with wheel momentum; a funnel having funnel walls, a wide end, and a narrow end, said wide end being positioned under said wheel and being wide enough to receive granules falling through said peripheral apertures, said funnel having a funnel rotation rate, whereby when said granules fall through said peripheral apertures with wheel momentum and contact said funnel walls rotating at said funnel rotation rate and fall down said runnel walls towards said narrow end, said granules tumble against each other, and coating material is further spread on said granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material on said funnel walls.

9. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said funnel has a non-circular cross section.

10. In an apparatus for coating flowable contact-tolerant granules, partially coated with a coating material, flowing from an application chamber, the improvement comprising: a wheel having a rigid central portion rotating at a wheel rotation rate around a substantially vertical axis of rotation, said wheel having peripheral apertures larger than said granules, positioned a drop height below said application chamber, whereby when said granules fall onto said rigid central portion of said rotating wheel from said drop height, said granules bounce and contact other granules, and said coating material is spread on said granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material on said wheel, and said granules are impelled by centrifugal force to said peripheral apertures and fall through said peripheral apertures with wheel momentum; a funnel having funnel walls, a wide end, and a narrow end, said wide end being positioned under said wheel and being wide enough to receive granules falling through said peripheral apertures, said funnel having a funnel rotation rate, whereby when said granules fall through said peripheral apertures with wheel momentum and contact said funnel walls rotating at said funnel rotation rate and fall down said funnel walls towards said narrow end, said granules tumble against each other, and said coating material is further spread on said granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material on said funnel walls.

11. A process for coating flowable contact-tolerant granules, comprising: applying a desired coating material onto a flow of granules, resulting in partially coated granules; centrifugal tumbling said partially coated granules against each other, wherein said centrifugal tumbling step is performed by imparting wheel momentum to said partially coated granules by flowing said partially coated granules from a drop height onto a wheel having a rigid central portion rotating at a wheel rotation rate around a substantially vertical axis of rotation, said wheel having peripheral, apertures larger than said partially coated granules, wherein said partially coated granules bounce and contact other falling partially coated granules, whereby said coating material is spread on said partially coated granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material on said wheel, and said partially coated granules are impelled by centrifugal force to said peripheral apertures and fall through said peripheral apertures with said wheel momentum, resulting in centrifugal tumbling granules; funnel tumbling said centrifugal tumbling granules against each other, wherein said funnel tumbling step is performed by causing said centrifugal tumbling granules to fall down a funnel having narrowing funnel walls and a funnel rotation rate, whereby said centrifugal tumbling granules contact said funnel walls rotating at said funnel rotation rate as said centrifugal tumbling granules fall down said narrowing funnel, resulting in funnel tumbling granules, whereby coating material is further spread on said funnel tumbling granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material on said funnel walls; and rolling said funnel tumbling granules against each other, resulting in rolling granules, whereby said rolling granules roll over each other and said coating material is further spread on said rolling granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact.

12. A process according to claim 11, further comprising: before said applying step, separating said flow of said granules into flowing subflows of granules and performing said applying step to said subflows; and after said applying step, recombining said subflows into a flow of said partially coated granules.

13. A process according to claim 11, wherein said rolling step is performed by a step selected from the group consisting of: (a) flowing said funnel tumbling granules onto a conveyor belt tilted at an inclined angle having top and bottom ends, a conveyor floor underneath and substantially parallel to said belt, extending between said top and bottom ends with said bottom end positioned to receive granules from said funnel, also having paddles that extend downwardly from said belt towards, and in close proximity to, said conveyor floor, wherein said paddles and said conveyor floor are separated by a paddle separation, resulting in rolling granules, whereby when the conveyor belt spins backwards, so that the paddles on the bottom of the belt move upwardly along the floor, said paddles push said rolling granules that are on said floor upwardly, whereby said rolling granules roll over each other and said coating material is further spread on said rolling granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material on said floor, until said rolling granules are discharged out said top end; (b) flowing said funnel tumbling granules onto a conveyor belt, tilted at an .inclined angle greater than the angle of repose of said granules, having top and bottom ends, with said bottom end positioned to receive granules from said funnel, resulting in rolling granules, whereby when the conveyor belt spins forward, said rolling granules roll backwards over each other as said rolling granules are conveyed upwards, and said coating material is further spread on said rolling granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material on said conveyor belt, until said rolling granules are discharged out said top end; and (c) flowing said funnel tumbling granules into an enclosed auger, resulting in rolling granules, whereby when said auger rotates, said rolling granules are pushed upwardly, whereby said rolling granules roll over each other and said coating material is further spread on said rolling granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of said coating material in said auger, until said rolling granules are discharged out the top end

14. A process according to claim 11: wherein said centrifugal tumbling step is performed so that said centrifugal tumbling granules gather near and in said central portion of said wheel, whereby said bouncing of centrifugal tumbling granules within said gathered centrifugal tumbling granules creates a boiling effect among said gathered partially coated centrifugal tumbling granules near and in said central portion.

15. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 6, 8 or 10, wherein said funnel rotation rate is the same as said wheel rotation rate.

16. A process according to claim 11, wherein said funnel rotation rate is the same as said wheel rotation rate.

17. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 6, 8 or 10, wherein said funnel rotation rate is different from said wheel rotation rate.

10. A process according to claim 11, wherein said funnel rotation rate is different from said wheel rotation rate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0062] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a presently preferred first embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.

[0063] FIG. 2 is an elevational view, from the input end, of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

[0064] FIG. 3 is an elevational cutaway view, from the input end, of the application chamber, wheel and funnel of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

[0065] FIG. 4 is a side elevational cutaway view of the conveyor of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

[0066] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the separator in the application chamber of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

[0067] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the wheel and funnel of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

[0068] FIG. 7 is an assembled perspective view of the wheel and funnel of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

[0069] FIG. 8 is an elevational cutaway view of the application chamber of an alternative embodiment of the present invention, with the addition of applicators applying coating material to the interior surfaces of the flow of granules.

[0070] FIG. 9 is an elevational cutaway view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention with an auger instead of a conveyor.

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0071] The presently preferred best mode for practicing the present invention is presently illustrated by way of example in FIGS. 1 to 9.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 1, shown is a perspective view of a presently preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, showing an intake hopper 20 for untreated granules, an application chamber 40, a wheel chamber 60, and a conveyor 80. The treated granules are impelled out the upper end of the conveyor 84. Also shown is an application control system 100, which controls the coating that is applied in the application chamber 40.

[0073] Referring to FIG. 2, shown is an elevational view from the input end of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, also showing the intake hopper 20 having a bottom orifice 30 that leads into the application chamber 40, and the funnel 70 below the wheel chamber 60.

[0074] Referring to FIG. 3, shown is an elevational cutaway view, from the input end, of the application chamber, wheel and funnel of the embodiment of FIG. 1, showing the hopper 20 with its bottom orifice 30 leading into the application chamber 40; the application chamber 40 having a separator 42 leading into the wheel chamber 60; and the wheel chamber 60 leading into the funnel 70, having a wide end 72 and a narrow end 74. Applicators 44 for applying a coating material are positioned in the application chamber 40. The lower converging walls 46 of the application chamber 40 preferably converge and lead to the center of the wheel chamber 60.

[0075] Referring to FIG. 4, shown is a side elevational cutaway view of the conveyor 80, having a bottom end 82 showing a conveyor belt 86 with projecting paddles 87 that are separated from the conveyor floor 88 by a paddle separation 89.

[0076] Referring to FIG. 5, shown is a perspective view of the interior of the application chamber 40, showing a separator 42.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 6, shown is an exploded perspective view of the wheel assembly that is in the wheel chamber 60, comprising a wheel 62 having peripheral apertures 64, with a containment rim 66.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 7, shown is an assembled perspective view of the wheel assembly of FIG. 6, driven to rotate by a motor 68 engaging with the rim of the wheel 42.

[0079] The operation of this embodiment of the presently preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described.

[0080] Referring to FIG. 2, untreated granules are received in the hopper 20, and flow through the bottom orifice 30 into the application chamber 40. Referring to FIG. 5, the flow of granules is then separated by the separator 42 into two or more subflows of granules. Returning to FIG. 3, applicators 44 spray the outward facing surfaces of the subflows of granules, which partially coats the granules in the subflows. The subflows of partially coated granules then contact the lower portion 46 of the application chamber 40 to recombine as a single flow, and then flow onto the center of the wheel 62 from a drop height 48. Referring to FIG. 6, the granules fall on the center of the wheel 62 and bounce back and meet other falling granules. Also, the wheel 62 is rotating, so the granules are impelled by centrifugal force outwards on the wheel 62, but are contained by the containment rim 66, so that the granules fall through the peripheral apertures 64 into the wide end 72 of the funnel 70, which is preferably wide enough to receive ail the granules falling through the apertures 64. Referring to FIG. 3, optionally, vertical disrupters 49 can be placed extending downwardly towards, but not contacting, the wheel 62, either closer to the center where the granules initially drop onto the wheel 62, or farther out, where the granules travel by centrifugal force. Preferably, the funnel 70 has a rotation rate that is different from the rotation rate of the wheel 62, such as where the funnel 70 is stationary or rotating faster or slower than the wheel 62.

[0081] Referring to FIG. 4, the granules then flow through the narrow end 74 of the funnel 70 and into the bottom end 82 of the inclined conveyor 80 and onto the conveyor belt 86. Preferably, the conveyor belt 86 is rotating backwards, with the upper portion moving downwardly, and the lower portion moving upwardly. The paddles 87 then push bunches of granules up the conveyor floor 88 because the paddle separation 89 is several times the size of the granules (preferably twice the size of the granules), but there are multiple layers of granules, so that the granules roll over each other and are conveyed gently up the conveyor 80, to exit out the top end 84.

[0082] As can be seen from the above, this invention enables coating of the granules using the following gentle process.

[0083] The separator 42 separates a flow of the granules into two or more flowing subflows of granules. The applicators 44 then apply a desired coating material (preferably spreadable by granule-to-granule contact) onto a surface of the flowing subflows of granules, so that granules in the subflows are partially coated. Converging lower walls 46 of the application chamber 40 recombine the flowing subflows of granules into a single flow of granules.

[0084] The flow of partially coated granules then falls onto the wheel 62 from the drop height 48, so that granules bounce against each other near and in the center of the wheel 62, creating a boiling effect that spreads the coating material by gentle granule-to-granule contact.

[0085] The wheel assembly 60 then centrifugally tumbles the granules against each other, by flowing Lite granules onto the wheel 62 rotating at a wheel rotation rate around a substantially vertical axis of rotation. The wheel 62 has peripheral apertures 64 larger than the coated granules, so the granules are impelled by centrifugal force to the peripheral apertures 64 and fall through the peripheral apertures 64 with the wheel's momentum, resulting in centrifugal tumbling granules. The coating material is spread on the granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of the coating material on the wheel 62. Optionally, vertical disrupters 49 can be provided to disrupt the boiling effect of the granules in the center of the wheel 62 and/or to disrupt outward flow of the granules towards the peripheral apertures 64, thus increasing the dwell time of the granules near the center of the wheel 62 and increasing spreading there through gentle granule-to-granule contact.

[0086] After the granules fall through the apertures 64, the funnel 70 causes funnel tumbling of the granules against each other, because the centrifugal tumbling granules flow down the funnel 70 (which has narrowing funnel walls and, preferably, a funnel rotation rate different from the wheel rotation rate). However, the funnel rotation rate can also be the same as the wheel rotation rate, or can be zero. The centrifugal tumbling granules contact the funnel walls rotating at the funnel rotation rate as the granules flow down the narrowing funnel 70, resulting in funnel tumbling granules, so that coating material is further spread on the granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of the coating material on said funnel walls.

[0087] The conveyor 80 then gently rolls the granules against each other as follows: the bottom end 82 of the conveyor is positioned to receive granules flowing from the narrow end 74 of the funnel 70, so that the granules flow into the bottom end 82 of the conveyor 80, which is tilted at an inclined angle, and has a conveyor belt 86, and a conveyor floor 88 underneath and substantially parallel to the belt. The belt, has paddles 87 that extend outwardly from the belt towards the conveyor floor 88, with the paddles and the conveyor floor separated by a paddle separation 89. The paddle separation is more than the size of the granules (preferably at least approximately twice the size of the granules), so that when the conveyor belt 86 spins backwards (so that the paddles 87 on the bottom of the belt move upwardly along the floor 88), the paddles 87 push granules that are on the floor 88 upwardly, and the granules roll over each other, so that the coating material is further spread on the granules by gentle granule-to-granule contact and by contact with any of the coating material on the floor 88, until the granules are discharged out the top end 84.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 8, shown is a side elevational cutaway view of an alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which additional applicators 45 apply coating material to the additional (here inner) exposed surfaces of the subflows of granules.

[0089] Referring to FIG. 9, shown is a side elevational cutaway view of another alternative preferred embodiment, of the present invention, in which an enclosed auger 90 is used instead of a conveyor 80.

[0090] While the present invention has been disclosed in connection with the presently preferred best mode described herein, it should be understood that the best mode includes words of description and illustration, rather than words of limitation. There may be other embodiments which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Accordingly, no limitations are to be implied or inferred in this invention, except as specifically and explicitly set forth in the claims.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0091] The present invention is applicable whenever it is desired to coat flowable contact-tolerant granules with a coating, including seeds.