Abstract: In a continuous sugar centrifugal, an imperforate thin, open ended, truncated cone, of high strength corrosion-resistant material is placed on the working screen within the centrifugal basket. The cone extends part way up the working screen and protects the working screen from damage from high impact particles being released from an accelerator bell.

Abstract: A counter flow cooler in which feed material is fed into the top inlet of the cooler and dispersed into a plurality of cooling chambers. At the bottom of each cooling chamber is a discharge grid which will discharge feed material uniformly over the area of the cooling chamber. The discharge rate of this discharge grid can be adjusted to the desired throughput of the cooler. Air is drawn through the bottom of the discharge grid and passes up through the feed material in a counter flow manner. That is, while the product is passing down through the cooler, the air is passing up through the feed material, carrying away heat and possibly. A feed controller is used to selectively direct feed material into the plurality of cooling chambers. When a second batch of feed material is to be introduced into the cooler, feed material to the first cooling chamber is stopped and all the feed material is directed into the second cooling chamber.

Abstract: A counter flow cooler in which feed material is fed into the top inlet of the cooler and dispersed into a plurality of cooling chambers. At the bottom of each cooling chamber is a discharge grid which will discharge feed material uniformly over the area of the cooling chamber. The discharge rate of this discharge grid can be adjusted to the desired throughput of the cooler. Air is drawn through the bottom of the discharge grid and passes up through the feed material in a counter flow manner. That is, while the product is passing down through the cooler, the air is passing up through the feed material, carrying away heat and possibly. A feed controller is used to selectively direct feed material into the plurality of cooling chambers. When a second batch of feed material is to be introduced into the cooler, feed material to the first cooling chamber is stopped and all the feed material is directed into the second cooling chamber.

Abstract: A hammermill having a polygon profile screen which provides for improved hammer impact and crushing efficiency. Particles in the working zone of the hammermill tend to be accelerated in the direction of hammer rotation. This acceleration lessens the speed differential between the hammer and the particle, which lessens the impact force and crushing efficiency. The polygonal screen inhibits this acceleration of particles in the working zone, due to flow interruptions caused by its irregular shape, thus increasing the particle-to-hammer speed differential and crushing efficiency.

Abstract: A horizontal cooler/dryer having a continuous traveling conveyor, the conveyor being a chain conveyor formed of a plurality of links adjoined in end-to-end relationship, each of the links being pivotally pinned at its ends to adjacent links; a housing about the conveyor, the housing having a cooling gas inlet, a gas exhaust, a product inlet through which material to be cooled may be deposited on the conveyor and a product outlet through which cooled material can be discharged; and a plurality of non-perforate material pans mounted to the conveyor in juxtaposed overlapping relationship to form a substantially continuous surface about the conveyor. The product bed is leveled by dragging the lower edge of a hollow pivoting quarter drum across the product. The leveling is produced by the weight of the quarter drum pivoting down against the product. Counter weights can be used to control the leveling pressure against the product to avoid crushing or other product damage.

Abstract: A horizontal cooler/dryer having a continuous traveling conveyor, the conveyor being a chain conveyor formed of a plurality of links adjoined in end-to-end relationship, each of the links being pivotally pinned at its ends to adjacent links; a housing about the conveyor, the housing having a cooling gas inlet, a gas exhaust, a product inlet through which material to be cooled may be deposited on the conveyor and a product outlet through which cooled material can be discharged; and a plurality of non-perforate material pans mounted to the conveyor in juxtaposed overlapping relationship to form a substantially continuous surface about the conveyor.

Abstract: A manually actuated mechanism for roller mill feed gates that features both fine adjust and quick acting actuation. The mechanism consists of a hand wheel attached to an acme threaded rod, both of which are mounted in a bracket, the rod is attached to a clevis which is attached to a linkage and lever that is attached to the feed gate shaft. The fine adjust and quick action is accomplished by the lever which is spring loaded by tension spring. The lever has a half round acme nut that engages the acme threaded rod. The lever is normally held engaged to the rod by the spring for fine adjust but can be pulled by hand to release the rod for quick acting adjustment.

Abstract: A split housing pillow block bearing assembly for use with a roll having a shaft. A bearing assembly including a bearing housing split along a parting line passing through the axis of the shaft into an upper housing and a lower housing, the lower housing having a foot portion extending therefrom, the foot portion being offset towards the roll whereby a portion of the bearing housing projects axially outward from the foot portion away from the roll, the lower housing and the upper housing each having an arcuate bearing receiving aperture; a spherical roller bearing positioned within the arcuate bearing receiving apertures, the spherical roller bearing having a inner bore extending therethrough, the inner bore being tapered; and a tapered sleeve mounted on the shaft, the tapered sleeve being received within the bearing inner bore, the foot portion of the bearing being attached to the frame.

Abstract: A roll arrangement, for milling machine, comprising: a frame; a first elongated roll rotatably mounted within the frame, the first roll having a first end and a second end, the first roll having first sheaves attached at each end; a second elongated roll rotatably mounted within the frame, the second roll having a first end and a second end, the second roll having second sheaves attached at each end; a first belted drive means coupled to the first and second roll first ends; and a second belted drive means coupled to the first and second roll second ends.

Abstract: A quick die change capability is provided to a pellet mill by means of a fixture spider which can be attached to the pelleting die and to the rollers for a unitized roller/die cartridge. By employment of quick acting captive die clamps, as well as push-pull jacks, assembly and dismantling of the die/roller cartridge in the mill is simplified. Three axis adjustability of the fixture spider enhances ease of alignment.

Abstract: A pellet mill for pelleting feed product, has a pelleting die with a plurality of extrusion holes for extruding the feed product; rollers, rotatable relative to the pelleting die, for forcing feed product through the extrusion holes; provision for intensively mixing and shearing the feed product before introducing the feed product to the pelleting die; and a device for positively conveying the feed product into the provision for intensively mixing and shearing.

Abstract: A pelleting line incorporates a flash dryer in order to permit processing of coarsely ground particulate feed material under optimum conditions at all stages of processing. By conditioning using steam having higher than normally optimum moisture content and temperature, an increased gradient of moisture and temperature can be maintained from surface of the feed material particle to its center. The conditioning can be accomplished in approximately the same time as that required for finely ground feed material. Thus starch conversion, salmonella destruction, and shear strength adjustment are each optimized for the pellet production process. Because it permits processing of coarsely ground feed material, incorporation of the flash dryer in the pelleting line reduces grinding costs and eliminates down time of the pelleting line caused by plugging of the pelletizing mill and/or the necessity to purge the feed material conditioner.

Abstract: An apparatus provides separate coarse rate and fine rate adjustability of spacing between extrusion rolls and a surrounding extrusion die in a pellet mill, including a roller tire, for each extrusion roll, mounted on bearings which are supported on a hollow shaft having a cylindrical eccentric bore; a solid axle shaft disposed within each hollow shaft and having eccentric bearing-journaled extensions and an axial length greater than that of the hollow shaft; a rigidly mounted front roller support plate having a bore for supporting said bearing-journaled eccentric extension at a front end of said solid axle shaft for each said roll, the bore being aligned with a matching bore for supporting a bearing-journaled eccentric extension at a rear end of each solid axle shaft for each said roll. Attached to each hollow shaft is a provision for rotating the hollow shaft to adjust a spacing distance between the roller tire and the extrusion die and for holding the shaft in a desired rotated position.

Abstract: A feed device for low-density particulate materials is disclosed for a pelletizing machine. A fin (25) forming a helicoidal spiral on the outer surface of a tubular dome (24) connected to a drive shaft (23) carries the material to one end of the dome, where the volume of air contained in the bulk material is diverted toward the interior of the dome (24) without causing a flow contrary to the displacement of the material, thus eliminating the problem of flow interruptions caused by air entrapment.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device for automatically adjusting the roll gap between the rolls of a roll mill including simultaneously operated screw jacks which adjust the gap and a shaft mounted geared box drive to accomplish the drive of the secondary roll from the primary roll further including a drive tensioning device which permits automatic adjustment of the roll gap while maintaining tension between the drive belts utilized for driving the shaft mounted gear box. The combination permits the automatic selection and adjustment of roll gap without further adjustment to accommodate the drive to the different roll gap settings.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the sterilization of animal feed, wherein a bactericidal agent is mixed with steam for contacting and conditioning animal feed prior to a compaction process as, for instance, a pelletizing process. In one embodiment, chlorine gas is introduced in the burner of a direct fired steam generator to produce a mixture of steam, chlorine, and products of combustion which are introduced to a feed mixture in a blending unit prior to pelletizing, resulting in sterilization of the animal feed.

Abstract: An apparatus is offered for controlling the discharge of granular or pelletized material from a tank, consisting of a movable grate (35) between two perforated stationary grates (27, 31), the openings (30, 34) of which are not in alignment. A plurality of scrapers (36) driven back and forth in essentially opposite directions scrapes off the material that has passed through the openings (30) of the first grate (27) and accumulated on the second grate (31) for its controlled discharge while permitting the complete emptying of the tank for easy and rapid cleaning.

Abstract: An energy efficient steam rolled grain mill includes a preheater chamber, a steam chest, a roller mill and a cooler and dryer chamber. The cooler and dryer chamber is in direct head exchange relationship with the preheater chamber.