Abstract: A surface-worked granular product is produced by supplying raw granular material to a cylindrical retainer having apertures and retaining sites, floating the granular material by suctioning air from the cylindrical retainer, rotating a rotary working device installed in the cylindrical retainer, and contacting working protrusion protruding from the working device with the granular material to remove foreign substances and to perform surface-working of the granular material so as to form a rough surface without causing degeneration, denaturation or substantial removal of useful ingredients, wherein the surface-worked granular product has surface characteristics different from raw granular material.

Abstract: A feedstock granular substance (7) is fed into a cylindrical retention tube (3) provided with a multiplicity of retention parts (8) for retaining a granular substance (7) moving along the inner circumference thereof. In the state of having the feedstock granular substance (7) retained by the retention parts (8) of the retention tube (3), a grinding device (4) having multiple flexible long grinding materials (6) radially extending from the rotational axis extending along the axial center of the retention tube (3) is rotated to thereby realize rotation with the distal ends of the long grinding materials (6) brought into contact with the surface of the granular substance (7) and surface treats the granular substance (7). Thus, production of a surface-treated granular substance is attained.

Abstract: A raw material is fed through a raw material supply channel into a raw material introduction part between a fixed grinding disc and a moving grinding disc. The moving grinding disc is provided on a drive shaft and the gap between the same and the fixed grinding disc is adjusted by means of a gap adjusting mechanism. Heat transfer from the drive unit is prevented while power is transmitted to the drive shaft to rotate the moving grinding disc. The raw material while being transferred through the coarse grinding distributing channel is coarsely ground and any raw material of low grindability is crushed by the crushing part, distributed to the microgrinding part and microground to thereby attain the production of ground matter.

Abstract: An apparatus for securing, analyzing and sorting materials, which allows such procedures as analysis and sorting of materials present as independent pieces at a high efficiency and a high accuracy, by securing individual pieces 5 of materials in receptacles 4 of a holder 1 at a definite posture using a light-hardenable adhesive at a uniform hardening strength and a uniform but brief hardening time by cold hardening under identical hardening conditions without causing denaturation of the material, wherein the receptacles 4 are arranged on the holder 1 in a definite arrangement and a definite posture, whereby it is able to process each individual material piece after the hardening of the adhesive, by, for example, cutting and so on, to uniformly form on each material piece an analyzing surface for which the analysis is performed.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing a processed organic product containing organic matters having a superior nutrient balance and exhibiting high performances in water retention and gas permeation. The process involves supplying the raw material 26 containing organic fibrous substance to a reactor 1 provided therein with a plurality of main screws 6, 7 arranged side by side so as to confront the peripheral edges of the screw threads of neighboring screws with each other such that each acts to forward the reaction mixture in substantially the same direction at a velocity different from each other, effecting a biological or biochemical reaction therein while subjecting the organic fibrous substance to axial splitting and breaking by the main screws 6, 7 and taking out a processed organic product via a processed product exit port 31, which is then dewatered in a dewatering means 35 before being dried in a dryer 38 to obtain the processed product in a dried solid form.

Abstract: A process for producing a freeze-dried product in a bonded or stratified state by a simple apparatus and by simple operations, without suffering from denaturation by oxygen, enzymes, heat and so on, while maintaining the original quality, properties and so on, by bonding or stratifying materials to be treated before being subjected to freeze-drying; an apparatus therefor; and a freeze-dried product obtained therefrom are provided. The freeze-dried product is obtained by stratifying materials 7a, 7b and 7c of the same or a different kind to be treated into a multilayer under interposition of dry ice 6b, 6c partly in between the layers; pressing the multilayer from both sides by pressurizing elements 13 and 16 under intermediation by dry ice 6a and 6d to effect bonding of the materials to be treated with each other, while, at the same time, freezing the multilayer; and subjecting the frozen product to vacuum drying.

Abstract: A crushing apparatus for crushing, blending, homogenizing and transferring materials is made up of a first pressing element having a first pressing face with protrusions provided thereon in the form of isolated islands surrounded by depressed marginal spaces and a second pressing element to be held in engagement with the first pressing element and having a second pressing face with protrusions provided thereon in a similar pattern to the first pressing face. The protrusions of the first and second pressing faces are disposed in relation to each other such that the protrusions of the first or the second pressing element will engage with corresponding depressed marginal spaces on the second or first pressing face of the respective pressing element.