Abstract: Disclosed is a diagnostic device for use in a color sorting apparatus. A scanner circuit (1-6) successively selects one of a plurality of sorting channels (Q1-Qn) each having a plurality of measuring points (a1-an, b1-bn, c1-cn, d1-dn). A comparator circuit (Ma-Md, Wa-Wd, W'a-W'd, Ha-Hd, G) compares output signals measured at the measuring points and reference signals preset for the respective measuring points. An alarm (8, 9) is provided to indicate a malfunctioning sorting channel and a malfunctioning portion therein. A feeder control (7) may also be provided to interrupt the feeding of grains to a malfunctioning sorting channel.

Abstract: A grain handling system comprises a valve device for controlling a flow rate discharged from a downstream end of at least one flow passage. A volumetric weight measuring device measures the weight per unit volume of the grain delivered toward the valve device to generate a volumetric weight signal. A computer generates a control signal on the basis of the volumetric weight signal. A drive device drivingly connected to the valve device is operative in response to the control signal to drive the valve device so as to allow the grain discharged from the valve device to be controlled in terms of weight unit.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuously measuring the degree of milling of rice grains wherein there is provided a grain passage unit, one wall of which is positioned angularly so that the grains in contact therewith slide down with their lengthwise axes generally parallel to this wall and another wall of which is positioned so that the grains introduced in the grain passage unit flow without a gap between this wall and the grains, and wherein there are provided integrated data take-up units, the inputs of which are connected to amplifiers and the outputs of which are coupled to a degree of milling meter through an arithmetic unit so that the integrated data obtained in a given period divided into a number of divisions is averaged to calculate the degree of milling sought.

Abstract: A rice polishing machine comprises a rotatable shaft, a polishing roll mounted on the shaft for rotation therewith, and a perforated cylindrical polishing assembly disposed in substantially concentric relation to the shaft. The cylindrical polishing assembly has its inner circumferential surface which cooperates with an outer circumferential surface of the polishing roll to define therebetween a polishing chamber. Partition wall members engage with an outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical polishing assembly at a location below an axis of the shaft for dividing the outer circumferential surface into an arcuate bottom surface section and the remaining arcuate surface section and for defining an upper space to which the bottom surface section is exposed and a lower space to which the remaining surface section is exposed.

Abstract: A sorter for grains, pulses and the like having a perforated sorting plate mounted on a frame and both longitudinally and laterally inclined with respect to the horizontal plane and adapted to be vibrated in the longitudinal direction while being intermittently lifted toward the upper side. The perforated sorting plate overlies an air chamber into which pressurized air is introduced by a blower through an air duct. The perforated sorting plate is provided with a corrugated upper surface to define a multiplicity of ribs oriented in the direction perpendicular to the direction of vibration of the sorting plate and in parallel rows at a pitch not less than the size of the material to be sorted. A set of discharge openings for receiving the sorted material is provided at the lower end of the perforated sorting plate where the ribs terminate.

Abstract: A method of producing rice of superhigh gloss wherein rice grains which have been polished to a yield of below 96% with respect to brown rice are cooled below 25.degree. C. by supplying to the rice grains a current of cooling and humidifying air of a humidity capable of maintaining the rice grains at an equilibrium moisture content, and then the rice grains are polished while being humidified and exposed to an air current. An apparatus for producing rice of superhigh gloss comprising rice grain cooling and humidifying means, and rice polishing means connected to the rice grain cooling and humidifying means for polishing the rice grains by rubbing while humidifying and applying air current to the rice grains.

Abstract: Disclosed is a rice whitening apparatus which is capable of indicating a degree of milling. The rice whitening apparatus comprises a first sensor means (1), a second sensor means (1'), a calculating means (20a) and an indicating means (23). The first sensor means (1) includes a first reflected light receiving sensor (6) for measuring a degree of reflected light from the brown rice, while the second sensor means (1') includes a second reflected light receiving sensor (6') for measuring a degree of reflected light from the milled rice. The first sensor means (1) may include a first transmitted light receiving sensor (5) for measuring a degree of transmitted light from the brown rice, while the second sensor means (1') a second transmitted light receiving sensor (5') for measuring a degree of transmitted light from the milled rice.

Abstract: A device for cleaning transparent plates mounted in the detecting sections of a color sorting apparatus adapted to sort granular materials such as rice according to their colors. The device has a guide rail extended in parallel with each transparent plate, a cleaning plate assembly having a wiper making a close contact with the surface of the transparent plate and movably mounted on the guide rail, and means for reciprocatingly driving the cleaning plate assembly along the guide rail. The driving means may incorporate a reversible motor fixed to the cleaning plate assembly and a roller drivingly connected to the shaft of the motor and adapted to roll on the guide rail. As the driving means operates, the wiper of the cleaning plate assembly wipes off the contaminants on the surface of the transparent plate to clean the latter, thereby to ensure stable sorting operation of the apparatus.

Abstract: A color sorting apparatus has a chute from which grains come out in the form of a linear flux, a photoelectric detection device surrounding the flux and including light sources, light-receiving units each having a lens barrel having a filter unit and adapted to receive the light reflected by or transmitted through the flux of grains, and a jet nozzle which provides a jet of air in accordance with the signal from the light receiving units thereby to blow unwanted grains of different colors away from the flux, so that the desired grains and unwanted grains are separated from each other according to their colors. The filter unit consists of a plurality of filters carried by a plate member which is movably mounted on the lens barrel.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improvement in a pressure plate adjusting device for grain whitening apparatus which is capable of automatically and precisely adjusting the pressure of a pressure plate disposed at a rice outlet of a whitening chamber. The automatic adjustment has been made possible by the provision of reversible electric motor mounted on one end wall of a casing enclosing a pressure control screw shaft, a weight mounted on said screw shaft and a guide rod for guiding the movement of said weight, and a control unit producing a control signal having relation to the conditions of whitening action of grains within the whitening chamber and controlling the direction and the amount of rotation of said motor.

Abstract: A method of humidifying polished rice wherein moisture is added continuously to the same polished rice and caused to be absorbed thereby by adding moisture proportionally in the amount of moisture with respect to time such that the amount does not exceed 0.3% by weight of the polished rice treated per one hour.

Abstract: A particle scattering prevention device for use in a color sorting apparatus for sorting particles according to their colors, the apparatus being of the type having a photoelectric sorting chamber accommodating a photoelectric detectors; and a blowing nozzle device adapted to operate in response to the detection output from the photoelectric detector to selectively blow air to the flow of particles to sort out the particles of the different color. The device has a scattering prevention wall disposed between the photoelectric detector and the blowing nozzle device and having a passage bore to permit the flowing particles to pass therethrough, thereby to divide the space in the photoelectric sorting chamber into a light detecting section and a blowing sorting section.

Abstract: A cereal grain moisture content measuring apparatus including a vessel for containing a sample of cereal grains to be measured for its moisture content formed with a discharge valve at its bottom, an electrostatic capacity sensor mounted on an inner wall surface of the vessel, a weighing device connected to the vessel and a grain feeding device mounted above the vessel. Electric circuits of the weighing device and the grain feeding device are operatively connected to an electric circuit of the sensor through a control circuit. The weighing device is adapted either to measure the weight of a predetermined volume of cereal grains, or to measure the weight of a predetermined weight of cereal grains and produce a signal to actuate a volume measuring section provided to said vessel to determine the volume of the cereal grains of the predetermined weight.

Abstract: A husk burning furnace having a husk smoke-burning chamber formed by an inner peripheral perforated wall defining a pot-shaped primary gas burning chamber and an outer peripheral perforated wall surrounding the inner peripheral perforated wall. Means are provided to feed the husk particles into the smoke-burning chamber from the lower side of the latter in a floating manner where they are smoke-burnt to become smoke-carbonized husk particles, while generating unburnt gas. The smoke-carbonized husk particles are taken out of the furnace while the unburnt gas is introduced into the primary gas burning chamber so as to be burnt in the primary gas burning chamber. The gas together with flame is introduced further into a secondary gas burning chamber connected to the upper end of the inner peripheral perforated wall to generate colorless hot gas containing no substantial quantities of dust particles. Meanwhile, the smoke-carbonized husk particles are suitably discharged to the desired place.

Abstract: A photoelectric sorting device of a color sorting apparatus adapted to sort grains according to their colors. The photoelectric sorting device includes a pair of photoelectric chambers 9, 10 disposed within a grain sorting chamber 12 located under a grain chute 3 of the sorting apparatus, in such a manner that the photoelectric chambers 9, 10 opposes to each other across the flux 4 of flow of the grains coming down from the chute. Each of the photoelectric chambers 9, 10 is shielded from the grain sorting chamber by means of a transparent window plate 11 and accommodates a photoelectric detector 5, 6, 15, 17; 7, 8, 16, 18. At least one of the photoelectric chambers 9, 10 is rotatably mounted on the frame of the particle sorting chamber 12 to facilitate the cleaning of the transparent window plates 11.

Abstract: A downward-flow trough angle adjusting device for a color discriminating machine having a downward-flow trough mounting device for detachably mounting the trough, the device being secured to the upper surface of a frame defining a photoelectric discriminating chamber to provide a unitary structure. The photoelectric discriminating chamber frame is connected at one side to a machine frame for pivotal movement while being movably supported at the other side by the machine frame through a threaded shaft-nut assembly.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for polishing rice grains for generating super luster on rice grain surfaces which comprises means for grind-polishing rice grains from unpolished rice grains into intermediately polished rice grains whereby the yield of said intermediately polished rice grains from said unpolished rice grains is maintained equal to or not less than approximately 94%. The present invention also includes structure for feeding 2-50 kg of water per hour and 12-90 m.sup.3 air per hour to intermediately polished rice grains that are flowing at a rate of one ton per hour whereby moisture of 0.1-2.0 weight percent to the rice grains, weight is absorbed and stuck onto surfaces of the rice grains during friction-polishing. The disclosed rice polishing apparatus includes a grinding-type polishing machine provided with grinding type polishing rolls and a humidified friction-type polishing machine provided with friction type polishing rolls and humidifying device.

Abstract: Disclosed is the improvements in whitening apparatus for producing strongly glossy white rice without using any gloss additive. The improved apparatus wherein: friction between half-finished white rice grains which have been moistened while being supplied to a whitening chamber of the apparatus is caused by the rotation of a whitening roll axially disposed in a perforated bran-removing and whitening cylinder, said roll and said cylinder are defining therebetween said whitening chamber, whereby the surfaces of grains are fully cleaned of bran which is constantly discharged through the perforated wall of said cylinder, thereby enabling to expose hard portions of white rice grains devoid of bran. The ratio between the length and diameter of said cylinder experimentally substantiated for best results may be between 2:1 to 20:1.

Abstract: An automatic control apparatus of a grain separator for precisely separating a mixture of soil particles and grain having different hue and specific gravity, wherein the grain separator includes a soil discharge opening disposed at the front end of a separating plate which is inclined with a forward elevation in order to perform oscillations back and forth at a larger angle than said inclined angle, and a grain discharge opening disposed at the rear end thereof.The automatic control apparatus is equipped with a light source and a light receiving element at the front end of said separating plate to detect the intensity of the ray reflected from the mixture of soil and grain, at which said light receiving element produces a signal which actuates an electromagnetic driving means to allow or block the discharge of materials from the soil discharge opening, thus discharging only soil particles from the discharge opening.