With Cutting, Severing Or Comminuting Means Patents (Class 425/202)
  • Patent number: 5208050
    Abstract: A frozen yoghurt or ice cream dispensing system is presented. This system costs a small fraction that of the state of the art dispensing system, yet it is more versatile and puts out a better product, than the state of the art systems. A pre-formed "hard" frozen single serving of the base confection and fresh flavoring additives are loaded into an extrusion cup. At the actuation of a hand crank, or a power drive switch, a rotating cutter/sweeper on a retractable shaft, penetrates the confection charge and chops, softens, and mixes it. After this cutter engages the bottom of said cup, a piston traverses the loading cup bore, and the charge is extruded through a multi-aperture orifice, at the bottom of the extrusion cup. Shearing and additional mixing occurs, during the interaction of the rotating cutter and the multi-aperture orifice. An automatic rinse cycle is also built into the device, to eliminate flavor mixing between various batches of confections, and to save labor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1993
    Inventor: Robert J. Ney
  • Patent number: 5180593
    Abstract: A sheeter machine for processing dough into food products. A pair of rollers are mounted on offset shafts. A cutter mold is supported on pivotal arms. A wedge adjustment apparatus is provided for adjusting the position of the back roller relative to the front roller. A pivotal discharge arm is provided having a spring loaded tensioning assembly. First and second stripper wires are associated with the front roller to allow the cut and molded dough to be stripped from the front roller as it is moving downward toward the discharge arm. Collar assemblies are provided on the ends of the respective roller shafts. A release handle assembly is provided for moving the rear roller away from the front roller. The hopper saddle and the rollers are adapted for mating engagement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1993
    Assignee: Meyer Tempco, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph L. Mistretta, Jesus E. Reyes
  • Patent number: 5156794
    Abstract: A pulverizing/kneading apparatus for pulverizing and kneading a material such as a soap compound. The material is supplied in a barrel in which are provided a pair of shafts respectively having feeding helical gears and returning helical gears. The material supplied is kneaded and the fine particles contained in the material pulverized by the gears. The forward driving force of the feeding gears is larger than the backward driving force of the returning gears so that the material advances forwardly toward the discharge opening of the barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1992
    Assignee: Kao Corporation
    Inventors: Nozomu Nakanishi, Hironobu Otani, Takeshi Hasegawa, Shinichi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5153008
    Abstract: The invention is directed to an extruder 1, particularly a small extruder for transferring plastics material in strand form to a plasticized state. In order to improve the homogeneity, it is provided that the screw portion 7 serving for drawing in be constructed simultaneously for granulating the plastics material which is then melted in the further plasticizing portion 6. The special arrangement of the draw-in channel 12 in relation to the configuration of the screw profile of the granulating screw portion 7 causes the separation and granulation of the drawn in plastics strand, so that material which is already granulated is fed into the plasticizing screw portion 6 projecting into the cylindrical bore hole 10 of the housing portion 9 and can then be transferred into the desired state along a short distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1992
    Assignee: Heinrich Koch Plastmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Heinrich Koch
  • Patent number: 5149551
    Abstract: Apparatus for automatically dispensing food product such as hard food product, having a refrigerated container for holding a supply of food product, a chamber adjacent the container for receiving food product and for delivery therefrom of a serving portion of food product, and a mechanism in the container for removing food product from the supply for delivery to the chamber thereby to pack the chamber with food product. A method of dispensing food product such as hard ice cream is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1992
    Assignee: Quixpenser, Inc.
    Inventor: David B. Anderson
  • Patent number: 5129588
    Abstract: An apparatus according to the invention is for treating waste materials of foam resin products having been used mainly as packing or wrapping materials, which is provided with a crushing room furnishing stationary cutting edges and rotatably moving cutting edges at the lower part of a hopper into which the waste foam resin materials are thrown, and at the outside of the crushing room, a cylindrical volume shrinking mechanism which receives the destroyed resin products and send them in succession, heats to soften and fuse them one another, and effecting heat and pressure thereto so as to de-foam and extrude the resin like a hot chewing cake or a hot birdlime. The cylindrical volume shrinking mechanism has an extruding nozzle opening upward, from which the resin is charged into a metal mold cylinder and when this charging amount reaches to a certain level, the operation of the cylindrical volume shrinking mechanism is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1992
    Assignee: Suruga Seiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ikeda Toshio, Sugiyama Katsuhiko
  • Patent number: 5114331
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for shrinking volumes of waste foamed plastics which have been used as packing materials. The waste plastic materials are thrown into a hopper provided on a crushing room having an opening in an upper part and tapering towards its lower part. A plurality of crushing vanes having a radius of gyration of length reaching within said hopper rotate in said crushing room, to break the foamed plastics into shreds. The broken plastics flow into a sending cylinder through a receipt opening toward the side wall of the crushing room, and are sent forward by screw vanes within the sending cylinder. Subsequently, the waste plastics are compressed in a compression cylinder connected in series to the sending cylinder and further softened and de-foamed by a heating cylinder and exhausted through a nozzle provided at the end of the housing cylinder. Extruded bar like shrinked resins are cut into chips by a rotating cutter and exhausted from the apparatus by air flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1992
    Assignee: Suruga Seiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Umehara, Toshio Ikeda, Kazuhisa Urata
  • Patent number: 5102326
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing thermoplastic synthetic plastic material includes a receptacle in which a rotating tool circulates around an axis. The axis of rotation may be offset with respect to the axis of the receptacle by a predetermined amount. From the receptacle, the comminuted material is conveyed by the rotating tool into the inlet opening of a screw-type extruder which has an axis that is offset relative to a parallel radius of the receptacle. The offset arrangement allows the rotating tool improves the flow of the processed material into the screw-type extruder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1992
    Inventors: Helmut Bacher, Helmuth Schulz, Georg Wendelin
  • Patent number: 5088910
    Abstract: A system for making synthetic wood products from waste wood fiber and recycled plastic material by mixing waste wood fiber having a moisture content of less than about 15% with dry waste plastic material, including low density and/or high density polyethylene; heating and kneading the mixture to form a homogeneous mass; sizing the mass into discrete chunks suitable for use as an extruder feed material; extruding the material to form products having predetermined cross sections; and rolling and cooling the product to prevent deformation of the product shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1992
    Assignee: Advanced Environmental Recycling Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Billy D. Goforth, Charles L. Goforth, Joe G. Brooks
  • Patent number: 5019310
    Abstract: A molded solid body of incinerated waste material and a method of making the same, which is formed by binding ash-like incinerated waste material with solidifiable molten plastic waste material and extruding a mixture of the same into a bar-like shape. The molded solid body is dense and rigid having a high rate of specific gravity so that it can consistently remain at a particular location regardless of environmental pollution when disposed in the sea and also, be used as a structural material for concrete and asphalt construction. According to the making method, two kinds of waste materials are processed at one time and reduced in volume to a rate ranging from 1/10 to 1/20, whereby the efficiency for transportation and disposal can be improved greatly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1991
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Miike Tekkosho
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 5000900
    Abstract: A twin screw extruder with a material homogenizing unit is the subject of this disclosure. Two extruder screws are located within a housing positioned and configured so that screw turns and screw lands of a first screw mesh with respective screw lands and screw turns of a second screw. A homogenizing zone housing is connected to the dual cylinder housing. Two cell rotors are connected to respective extruder screws and are located within the homogenizing zone housing. A plurality of radially distributed cell walls may be disposed on each cell rotor defining a plurality of open conveyor cells where the cell rotors and cell walls of each rotor are configured to mesh a cell wall with an opposing conveyor cell. The cell walls may be arranged with a slope differing from a slope of the extruder screws. The cell walls may be arranged parallel to or at an angle to an axis of said cell rotors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1991
    Assignee: Krauss-Maffei A.G.
    Inventor: Siegfried Baumgartner
  • Patent number: 4976904
    Abstract: Electrode materials containing active material in a fibrillated polymer binder are formed continuously into a cohesive electrode component by utilizing a barrel for processing the electrode materials. A mechanism is provided in the barrel for axially advancing the electrode materials, while mixing and kneading the materials to fibrillate the polymer binder. A forming means at the end of the barrel receives the resultant mixture and continuously forms a cohesive component of fibrillated polymer binder and active material as other electrode materials continue to be advanced and processed in the barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 11, 1990
    Assignee: Energy Research Corporation
    Inventor: John M. Bilhorn
  • Patent number: 4976907
    Abstract: An improved roll and method for mixing, shearing and pelletizing materials utilizing a pair of conical-shaped rollers positioned adjacent to one another with one of the rollers having a plurality of perforations in its narrow end and the other of the rollers, in one embodiment, heated, with material positioned in the nip at the wider end of the rollers moving during operation of the rollers to the narrow end where the material is forced through the perforations and cutt off inside the roller forming pellets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 11, 1990
    Inventor: Gregory R. Brotz
  • Patent number: 4971540
    Abstract: An apparatus for laying a mat of fibrous material which includes an upwardly inclined belt onto which the fibrous material is fed, one or more combing roller located above the belt, a stripping roller at the upper end of the belt for removing the material from the belt and passing it into a mechanism for laying the material into a mat. The angle of inclination of the incline belt and the position of the first combing roller as such that the material can build up to reach a critical angle of repose and then slide back down. A second combing roller located upstream of the first combing roller serves to comb the material to a constant depth, and the speed of the incline belt is adjustable to determine the amount of material leaving the incline belt and thus regulate the thickness of the formed mat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1990
    Assignee: Compak Systems Limited
    Inventor: Michael C. Barnes
  • Patent number: 4970040
    Abstract: In a case of a process for producing pourable spherical-segment-shaped packing material particles made of a plastic material which have an external convex and an internal concave surface, the plastic material is fed in by means of a feeding funnel through an opening in a bush surrounding the extrusion screw. The plastic material is plasticized and, because of the difference in speed existing over the cross section of the mass, comes out of an opening in the die with a bent surface. The extruded plastic material is cut off directly at the opening of the die and before any considerable expansion has taken place. In this case, the plastic material is pulled into a space between the extrusion screw and a bush (28) provided with longitudinal grooves (35) in the material pull-in zone (13). The result is a possibility for some of the plastic granules to escape into the longitudinal grooves (35) and an increased and steadier transport of material through the extruder (FIG. 1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1990
    Assignee: Storopack, Hans Reichenecker GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Gerd Voss
  • Patent number: 4957675
    Abstract: In a method for preparing caseinates, including the introduction of casein, alkaline solutions or basic salts and water into an extruder, the constituents being thoroughly mixed together and then subjected to an increase in pressure and temperature under the influence of return elements, it is provided, to achieve a finished basic product while avoiding a separate comminuting stage following the extrusion process, that the pressure built-up under the influence of return elements or kneading units takes place directly in front of the discharge end of the extruder and the product be discharged freely through this end of the extruder. An apparatus is used to carry out the method, this apparatus being characterised in that the return elemnts or return kneading units are arranged directly in front of the discharge end of the extruder and the discharge end of the extruder is open essentially without any reduction in cross-section relative to the free cross-section of the extruder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 18, 1990
    Assignee: Werner & Pfleiderer GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Oelsner
  • Patent number: 4942842
    Abstract: A conveyor roller (8) has circular-saw-shaped teeth (28) on its circumference. By means of the conveyor roller set in rotation, shavings are pared off cubes of fat (9) and uniformly fill up the tooth gaps (27). The fat is conveyed along a cylindrical housing part (29) to a nozzle space (36). The nozzle space is bounded by an adjustable end portion (30) of the housing part and an adjustable stripper (32). At the end of the nozzle space, a homogeneous strip of fat is discharged through a nozzle orifice (40). The stripper has a control portion which is actuated by the teeth on the circumference of the conveyor roller. Another stripper portion (37) continually removes the fat in each tooth gap. Fats of very different consistencies can be processed. Optimum plasticization takes place during transformation of the cubes of fat into a strip of fat. The fat is warmed only a very little during the transformation operation. Thin strips of fat having great homogeneity can be produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 24, 1990
    Assignee: Seewer AG
    Inventors: Peter Siegenthaler, Andreas Zwahlen
  • Patent number: 4938605
    Abstract: An apparatus for the mixing and continuous extrusion of a plastic mass having a first stage in which an intermittently operating mixer receives the starting materials batchwise and a second stage having a screw extruder which is supplied at periodic intervals, with material from the intermittent mixer. In order to provide a simple, inexpensive apparatus for two-stage mixing and extruding in which the full output of the first stage can be used and, independently of the state of the intermediate product, a continuous feed of material into the screw extruder of the second stage is effected. The second stage has mixing and kneading blades continuously rotating within a trough and an extrusion screw which extends along the bottom of the trough into an extrusion cylinder. A continuous drive motor for the extrusion screw is controlled so that the trough is always filled at least to 25% of its volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1990
    Assignee: Werner & Pfleiderer GmbH
    Inventor: Reinhard Friedrich
  • Patent number: 4929086
    Abstract: The apparatus is for the continuous mixing of rubber like polymers with chemical additives to form a homogeneous compound, using minimum unproductive work, such as mixing already mixed material, or massive batch blending to correct lean and rich mixtures previously produced. The apparatus consists of a feeding means adapted to continuously and uniformly advance baled polymer into a machine hopper provided with a multi-purpose rotor, adapted to cut the advancing bale into shreds, in the presence of the chemical additives, mix the shredded polymer with the chemical additives and advance the resulting compound into a continuous mixing means. Mixing with minimum waste motion is expected to produce a superior compound not possible to obtain with present day production equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1990
    Inventor: Paul Geyer
  • Patent number: 4890996
    Abstract: A continuous granulator of the double-screw type includes a mechanism by which the degree of kneading can be controlled, and prevents lateral communication between the screw ends. A gear pump connected after the screw cylinders delivers the material to the cutting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1982
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1990
    Assignee: The Japan Steel Works, Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuaki Shimizu
  • Patent number: 4861255
    Abstract: An apparatus for converting hard frozen confection to soft frozen confection, by single servings, flavoring and extruding it, is described. A super fresh product with outstanding flavor and consistency is produced. Fruit additions remain soft and flavorful, not frozen; cookie additions remain crisp, not soggy as in ordinary ice cream. Hundreds of flavor combinations become practical to make. The invention utilizes a piston and cylinder to pressurize the product for extrusion, and a special rotating wheel, on a retractable shaft thru the piston, that performs the mixing, cutting, milling, and sweeping functions. Aggregates are swept into a central extrusion orifice by this wheel. The commercial version of the apparatus requires 1/10 HP to operate, and weighs 62 pounds. The "household" version of this machine weighs 30 pounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1989
    Inventor: Robert J. Ney
  • Patent number: 4839120
    Abstract: A method of extruding a ceramic batch supplied from a vacuum auger machine into a formed body by a plunger molding machine, included the steps of loosening and crushing a supplied ceramic batch in the vacuum auger machine, extruding the loosened and crushed ceramic batch from the vacuum auger machine into a formed columnar body which is of a size able to be inserted into a cylinder of the plunger molding machine, and extruding the formed columnar body from the plunger molding machine to form a formed body of a predetermined shape. An apparatus for extruding a ceramic batch includes a vacuum auger machine having of a vacuum kneading section for kneading a ceramic material to produce a ceramic batch, a columnar body forming section for forming the kneaded ceramic material into a columnar body, and a batch transfer section having an auger for transferring the ceramic batch to the columnar body forming section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1989
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Baba, Hajime Matsushita, Yasuji Katsuragawa
  • Patent number: 4838980
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of introducing and joining diaphragms in slotted walls. The slotted inner connecting pipe of one diaphragm is introduced into the slotted outer connecting pipe of another diaphragm. An apparatus for fusing together the two connecting pipes is placed within the interior of the inner pipe and can move through the latter. The apparatus has a heating device for heating and fusing the two connecting pipes together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1989
    Assignee: Ed. Zublin Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Eberhard Glaser, Eberhard Beitinger, Manfred Nussbaumer
  • Patent number: 4834913
    Abstract: A series of preferably superimposed low inclination troughs containing serial inclined blade rotating mixers and transporters is provided to react dry materials and liquids, and in particular borax with water and acid, in a manner which avoids the formation of refractory lumps and the like. Those are at least two series of rotating blades to both mix and lift the materials into a gas drying stream passing along the troughs. A shearing type grinder or hammer mill is positioned intermediate of the troughs to grind or break up the material part way through the apparatus. Material is discharged from the apparatus in a dry finely comminuted form which does not form lumps upon standing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1989
    Inventors: Leroy G. Aseltine, Gary F. Longenbach
  • Patent number: 4820463
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for degassing and pelletizing polyolefin particles produced by a gas phase polymerization. The polyolefin particles are submitted to a primary degassing, preferably at the outlet of a reactor for catalytic polymerization in the gas phase. Then the polyolefin particles are subjected to a secondary degassing step comprising agitating the particles by a mechanical stirrer and converting the mechanical energy therefrom into heat such that the temperature of the particles is brought to between 80.degree. and 120.degree. C. which is close to minimum sintering temperature Ts so that the polyolefin particles are substantially freed from the gases accompanying them. The heated degassed polyolefin particles are then pelletized in an extruder of a pelleting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1989
    Assignee: BP Chemicals Limited
    Inventor: Charles Raufast
  • Patent number: 4813860
    Abstract: An equipment for portioning out pieces of a doughy product, which pieces have a weight, which, to a great accuracy, is equivalent to a certain desired, predetermined weight. The equipment includes a pump having a feeding device and a discharge duct as well as means in a feeding unit to feed said doughy product through said feeding duct into said pump. The equipment also includes means to cut off said pieces of the product, which is discharged by the pump through said discharge duct. The pump is a lobe rotor pump. The doughy product is fed to the lobe rotor pump by a device, which provides a flow, which is somewhat larger than the discharge flow of the pump, a certain amount of the product being recirculated in said feeding unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1989
    Assignee: Albin Pump Aktiebolag
    Inventors: Olov T. Jonsson, Sune R. Carlsson
  • Patent number: 4770622
    Abstract: Apparatus for pressing, dividing and kneading pieces of dough, the apparatus being adapted to be installed in a continuous and automatic dough processing plant, the pressure plate, dividing knives and dough holder ring being combined to form a unitary processing head which receives a revolving kneading movement while a kneading belt having kneading recesses remains stationary with respect to the processing head. The kneading belt conveys the undivided pieces of dough into the pressing, dividing and kneading zone and also conveys the discrete pieces of dough out of the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1988
    Assignee: Fr. Winkler KG Spezialfabrik fur Backereimaschinen und Backofen
    Inventors: Walter Schnee, Hans Sulzmann, Georg Fischer
  • Patent number: 4759824
    Abstract: Shaped ammunication for tubular weapons in the form of nitrocellulose-based combustible cartridge cases are continuously produced in a screw extruder from an aqueous suspension, stabilizers, flammable fibrous material, binders and optionally plasticizers being supplied to the suspension. The fibre-like constituents are matted in kneading and pressing zones, accompanied by the simultaneous squeezing out of the water, being shaped to an endless tubular structure, which is then cut to the length of the individual cartridge cases and is optionally also pressed to the desired dimensions and shape. Advantageously use is made of a double shaft screw extruder with kneading and pressing segments, as well as a water outlet, which is provided at its end with a tubular die. A following pressing and cutting to length means is arranged behind the extruder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1988
    Inventors: Dietmar Muller, Fred Volk
  • Patent number: 4708055
    Abstract: An apparatus for continuously processing fish flesh comprising a first continuous force-out feeder in which dewatered fish flesh is continuously fed from the rear end thereof so that the fish flesh is further dewatered and thereafter continuously extruded in a pressurized state from the front end thereof; a continuous kneader connected to the front end of the first continuous force-out feeder, in which the dewatered fish flesh is kneaded and incorporated with a mixture of auxiliary ingredients such as sugar and sorbitol in predetermined quantities to obtain surimi paste and from which the surimi paste is continuously discharged; an auxilliary ingredient pressure adding device for adding the mixture to the continuous kneader; a second continuous force-out feeder connected to the kneader for continuously forcing out the continuously discharged surimi paste and thereafter extruding the surimi paste as a continuum from the front end thereof; a continuous packer for continuously packing surimi blocks after cutting
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1987
    Assignee: Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadao Matsumoto, Sunao Inazuma
  • Patent number: 4708623
    Abstract: An improved process and apparatus for producing a uniform organic-filler-blended resin composition from a mixed material of a thermoplastic resin and a coarse organic filler raw material such as waste paper by the use of a specified extruder, without the necessity of fine-grinding of the organic filler raw material prior to feeding it into the extruder are provided, which process and apparatus are characterized by providing many projections and grooves surrounding them on the surface of an intermediate part of the screw in the extruder and specifying the size of the gap between the outer surface of the screw part and the inner surface of the cylinder opposed thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1987
    Assignee: Chisso Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Aoki, Tsutomu Moteki
  • Patent number: 4685878
    Abstract: Dough pieces are produced in high volume by a plurality of dual extruders spaced across a conveyor and each having a pair of extrusion nozzles aligned in the direction of conveyor travel. A cut-off mechanism severs the dough extrusions to deposit dough pieces on the conveyor. The speed of the conveyor is related to the speed of the cut-off mechanism so that the dough pieces produced by each extruder form a single uniformly spaced line. The extruders are fed from a common supply through individual inlets and means are provided to balance the flow through the nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1987
    Assignee: Nabisco Brands
    Inventor: Albert A. Pinto
  • Patent number: 4668561
    Abstract: Apparatus for converting a serving of hard ice cream to soft ice cream with additions of fruit, flavoring, nuts, etc. as desired. The apparatus includes a cup having an extrusion nozzle and containing rotatable cutting and mixing means rotated by retractable pins of a rotatable and retractible piston which not only rotates the cutter but also forces the ice cream from the nozzle of the cup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1987
    Inventor: Robert J. Ney
  • Patent number: 4632795
    Abstract: An improved, low cost, energy efficient extrusion device and method for processing of cellulose- or fiber-bearing materials (e.g., wood chips, crop residues, whole or ground soybeans) is described which includes a transition screw section designed to smooth out material flow through the extruder and allow creation of increased barrel pressure and temperature levels. The transition section includes first and second alternating flights, with the depth of the first flight being less than that of the second flight and preferably gradually increasing until it equals the second flight depth. The overall extruder apparatus also advantageously includes a single flighted inlet screw section and a double flighted compression screw section respectively disposed on opposite sides of the transition section; in addition, the extruder has a pressure responsive adjustable die so that the effective dimensions of the die opening can be varied during the extrusion operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1986
    Assignee: Wenger Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Gordon R. Huber, Bobbie W. Hauck
  • Patent number: 4606873
    Abstract: A process for the production of expandable granules of thermoplastic polymers comprising: (a) the extrusion of the polymer in which an expanding agent is incorporated, through a die-head in order to obtain an expandable polymer; (b) immediate cooling of this polymer in water, kept at a temperature at which the polymer remains in the non-expanded state, but not lower than the Tg of the expandable polymer; (c) cutting of the polymer to granules in water immediately at the outlet of the die-head, and (d) annealing of the thus obtained granules, by slow cooling in a temperature range comprised between at least +5.degree. C. and at least -5.degree. C. the Tg of the expandable polymer, wherein the cooling and the cutting of the polymer to granules and the annealing thereof are carried out under pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 19, 1986
    Assignee: Montedison S.p.A.
    Inventors: Gianfranco Biglione, Giuseppe Cigna, Roberto Rinaldi
  • Patent number: 4556379
    Abstract: A food shaping apparatus is disclosed which is capable of automatically forming boiled rice into a shaped food such as oval-shaped sushi or the like with good repeatability and reliability. The apparatus comprises a transfer mechanism capable of forcedly downwardly carrying boiled rice while compressing, a dividing mechanism capable of dividing boiled rice to form rice blocks of a fixed quantity and allowing the rice blocks to be received in forming cylinders without deflecting, a turntable capable of readily forming a shaped food different in size and/or configuration and easily cleaning the forming cylinders incorporated therein, a pressing mechanism capable of forming the rice block into a finsihed shaped food, and a control mechanism capable of controlling the linked actions among the transfer mechanism, dividing mechanism and turntable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1985
    Inventor: Toshimasa Ikishima
  • Patent number: 4537737
    Abstract: A plasticizing screw (4) is used to feed raw material (rubber compound) in the cold state into a cylinder (2). The material is plasticized and warmed up by the screw (4). The cylinder (2) is constructed so that the raw material fed into the cylinder can by retraction of the piston flow through a non-return valve into the front of the piston. The piston then extrudes the material through a die. On leaving the die, the material is cut into blanks, using a cutting mechanism (11).Material in the cold state can be fed directly into the cylinder tanks to the plasticizing screw (4), which plasticizes and preheats the material. Volume control is achieved automatically in dependence with the advance of the piston (FIG. 1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1985
    Inventor: Anthony Crowe
  • Patent number: 4519758
    Abstract: A horizontally positioned rotating table is provided with a rotation means, a means for feeding molten material to the topside of the table as it is rotated, a means for cooling the molten material, and a means for scraping the cooled material from the table. This table is especially useful in continuously receiving a molten salt containing molten metal, cooling it to a friable solid, and scraping the friable solid from the table for further processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1983
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1985
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventor: Edward J. Skach, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4495716
    Abstract: On a known peat harvesting apparatus for mounting on an agricultural tractor comprising (a) a digging chain for insertion into and movement across a bog so as to form a groove, and (b) a peat extrusion press, a roller (107) is mounted above the digging chain (104) to direct harvested peat into the press and prevent the apparatus from clogging. A single drive transmission connects both digging chain (104) and extrusion press (105) to the tractor power take-off shaft. A macerating mechanism is provided in the extrusion press (105) which allows extrusions of relatively small cross section to be produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 29, 1985
    Assignee: Ballintubber Enterprises Limited
    Inventors: Michael Finan, Peter Finan, Michael Divilly
  • Patent number: 4485060
    Abstract: A continuous process for carrying out the process for preparing substantially dust-free thermoset plastic particles from soft plastic mixtures of reactive thermoset plastic-forming materials and volatile components. These soft mixtures which quickly harden after drying are extruded under low pressure and are granulated by cutting while soft. To eliminate excessive amounts of dust the invention uses a premixer and a worm conveyor in a special housing and the conveyor flights are at a low angle of inclination to the horizontal to extrude the soft mixture at low pressure. The soft material at the outlet of the special material is pushed out of the nozzle under a worm rotation which is less than 25 r.p.m. and a pressure is of the order of one pound after which the material is conveyed pneumatically to a cooling station to harden and after cooling is cut into uniform size particles by knives without the formation of dust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1984
    Assignee: Buss AG
    Inventors: Peter Franz, Hans Seipp
  • Patent number: 4460277
    Abstract: Apparatus for processing synthetic thermoplastic material comprises a receiver having a vertical axis, a disintegrating and mixing tool which is disposed in the receiver near the bottom thereof and rotatable about the axis of the receiver, and at least one screw extruder, which extends through an opening in the shell of the receiver into the latter adjacent to the disintegrating and mixing tool. To ensure that the screw extruder can be filled uniformly and that such filling will be independent in a high degree from the level to which the receiver is filled, the screw extruder extends at least approximately radially of the axis of the receiver and that end of the screw extruder which extends into the receiver is axially spaced above the disintegrating and mixing tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1983
    Date of Patent: July 17, 1984
    Assignee: Oesterreichische Schiffswerften Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Helmuth Schulz, Helmut Bacher
  • Patent number: 4448737
    Abstract: A system and a method for the production of thermoformable plastic foam material from a mix of plastic foam selvage and a foamable virgin plastic resin. Accordingly, the present invention provides for a selvage formed during the production of thermoformed foam material articles from a plastic foam sheet stock is recycled and admixed with the virgin foamable plastic resin, in that the material components are admixed in a feed hopper and then conducted from the feed hopper into a twin-screw compressor which will impart a positive forward feed to the compressible plastic materials conveyed therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1984
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: David E. Johnson
  • Patent number: 4419014
    Abstract: An extruder mixer for the extrusion of molten plastics and rubbers. The apparatus comprises a hollow cylindrical stator member and a cylindrical rotor member rotatable within the stator. The facing cylindrical surfaces carry rows of hemispherical cavities extending peripherally around the members so that the rows of one member are axially offset from rows of the other member whereby there is an axial overlap of the cavities and rotor. The cavities in adjacent rows on the rotor and stator are also circumferentially offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1983
    Assignee: Rubber and Plastics Research Association of Great Britain
    Inventor: George M. Gale
  • Patent number: 4416606
    Abstract: Provided is a new granulator for preparing granules from a powdery material by agglomerating it through a kneading action, comprising a receptacle and two screws having screw blades disposed within the receptacle in parallel alignment to ensure intermeshing of the screw blades. The novel granulator consists of a feeding zone, a kneading zone divided into an upstream section and a downstream section, and a breaking zone. In the feeding zone, the blades on the two screws are forwardly conveying blades. In the upstream section of the kneading zone, on one screw a backwardly conveying blade is first provided and a forwardly conveying blade follows, and on the other screw, a forwardly conveying blade comes first and a backwardly conveying blade follows, said alternate arrangement occurring at least once in each screw. In the downstream section of the kneading zone, the blades on both of the screws are backwardly conveying screws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1983
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Junichiro Sugano, Shuichi Kobayashi, Tomoyuki Yui, Tsuneo Fujimoto, Minoru Kubota
  • Patent number: 4408725
    Abstract: An improved extruder screw section and barrel assembly is provided which is especially designed for effective extrusion processing of whole or cracked grains or cellulosic materials which can subsequently be converted to alcohol. The overall assembly includes an elongated, tubular head section presenting on the interior thereof at least one relatively sharp cutting edge (preferably in the form of a spiral rib), along with an elongated, axially rotatable screw section disposed within the head section. The screw section is characterized by a series of separate, elongated, circumferentially spaced grooves generally along the length of the section which progressively decrease in depth from one side margin of the grooves to the other, in the direction of screw rotation; thus, the material being processed is, by virtue of screw rotation and the groove configuration, pushed radially outwardly against the cutting edge presented by the surrounding barrel section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1983
    Assignee: Wenger Manufacturing
    Inventors: Lavon G. Wenger, Bobbie W. Hauck
  • Patent number: 4384837
    Abstract: This invention pertains to a field of the art for producing crude oil from rice bran, and it relates to a pretreatment method for extracting crude oil from rice bran and an apparatus used therefor.The object of this invention is to obtain an extremely high-quality and light-colored crude oil from rice bran while eliminating any risk of environmental pollution in the pretreatment process for the extraction. In order to accomplish this object, as the pretreatment for extracting crude oil from rice bran, said rice bran is compressed in a screw extruder to break the cells in said rice bran and mold it into a form suited for the extraction of crude oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1983
    Assignee: Oryza Oil & Fat Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Saburo Murai, Kiyoshi Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 4381184
    Abstract: For producing a hydrolized food product a stream of product is conveyed to a nozzle head (4) by means of a worm (1) and discharged via nozzles (8). Processed pieces of product are cut off from the stream of product one after another. The interrupter serving for this purpose displays a rotating element (5) that is arranged rigidly on the nozzle head side end of the worm (1) and rotates together with this latter. The rotating element (5) has recesses (10) that intermittently feed the stream of stock to the nozzle inlets (9) and sealing faces (12) that are arranged between the recesses (10) and seal the nozzle inlets (9) against the stream of stock between the feed phases. The edges (14) of the sealing faces (12), leading in the direction of rotation (13), guarantee the intermittent interruption of the stream of stock effecting cut-off of the pieces of product one after another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1980
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1983
    Inventors: Samuel Hurni, Hans R. Weber
  • Patent number: 4340342
    Abstract: The processing of thermoplastic materials by working the thermoplastic materials into a hot flat sheet. The sheet material is first deformed or scored into a series of parallel strands that are interconnected by thin ribbons of the thermoplastic material thereby retaining integrity of the sheet material. The sheet material is then severed along the score line of the thin ribbons to form parallel strands which are cooled and guided to a fly cutter which cubes the strand material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1982
    Assignee: The B. F. Goodrich Company
    Inventor: Heung T. Kim
  • Patent number: 4256581
    Abstract: An apparatus for the preparation of granulate from hot-melting mixes comprises a pourer connected by a filter-containing conduit to at least one mixing and melting device. The strip pourer is disposed above a cooling conveyor which feeds to a crushing device. The pourer comprises a heated tubular body provided on its under side with discharge nozzles arranged in at least one row. A filter is disposed within the tubular body across the discharge nozzles to prevent unwanted particles from reaching the nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1979
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1981
    Assignee: Sandvik Conveyor GmbH
    Inventors: Karl G. Boman, Konrad Schermutzki
  • Patent number: 4233016
    Abstract: A forming device for providing a substantially cylindrical side wall on the exteriors of each one of successive food product mixtures or slurries discharged from a nozzle orifice in a food product apparatus. The device is mountable on the nozzle and enables a liquid substance to be uniformly directed against each of the formed slurries to envelop them and to aid their release from the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1980
    Assignee: DCA Food Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph T. Chin, Arthur M. Hochhauser, John P. McCarthy
  • Patent number: 4218222
    Abstract: An extruder for feeding finely divided solids. And, in combination therewith, means for using gas in various ways to repulverize the finely divided solids. It lends itself to a procedure for continuously charging finely divided solids with water into a high pressure reactor. The high pressure is inherently contained, and the solids are repulverized for use in a reaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1978
    Date of Patent: August 19, 1980
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: John T. Nolan, Jr., Matthew A. McMahon, Richard V. Kessler, Roger J. Corbeels