Abstract: FIG. 2 illustrates a process and an apparatus for controlling a controllable magnitude as well as the use of the process, especially for controlling the throughput of pourable or flowable material (grain or water) in a flour mill. In this connection, a servo drive, constructed as a fluidic pressure drive (5', V'), is provided for controlling a servo element. The deviation, measured by a comparator (1'), is supplied to a discriminator (10), which then gives off a first discrimination signal (+U.sub.F, -U.sub.F) when the deviation has reached a first (lower) or second (upper) threshold value, the two threshold values lying within a range of small deviations about zero. In this range of small deviations, the pressure drive (5') is acted upon by transient micropressures (rapid pressure fluctuations with small peak values), the reversal points of the microfluctuations depending on the two aforementioned threshold values.

Abstract: A process and apparatus are disclosed for continuously determining the moisture content of a spoilable foodstuff, in particular, of grain and processed products of the latter, which is moved along a production line as a product stream and passed, at least in part, through a measuring section of a housing in accordance with the process, a pourable average of the product stream is created continuously within the measuring section, and the product moisture content of this product average is measured electrically on a continuous basis. In accordance with the device, the measuring housing has a capacitor as a continuous-flow measuring section and a device for continuously controlling the creation of a pourable product average. One of the central concepts of the invention is found in the interaction of the following factors: --continuous creation of a product average, continuous trickling-type flow of the product, with simultaneous electrical measurement on a continuous basis.

Abstract: The invention addresses a new process for determination of characteristic quantities, particularly the moisture content, of a pourable food moving along a product line, particularly grain and its processing products. In this process the good is passed through the electric field of a condenser assembly, a magnitude associable with the capacity of the condenser assembly is measured, and this magnitude is converted into the desired characteristic quantity. The invention further addresses an apparatus to carry out the new process, which includes a first assembly to pass the good through a condenser assembly, a second assembly for measurement of a magnitude associable with the condenser assembly, and a conversion mechanism for conversion of the measured magnitude into the desired characteristic value.

Abstract: A process and apparatus are disclosed for continuously determining the moisture content of a spoilable grain product which is moved along a processing line as a product stream and passed, at least in part, downwardly through a measuring section of a housing in accordance with the process, a pourable average of the product stream is created continuously within the measuring section, and the product moisture content of this product average is measured electrically on a continuous basis. In accordance with the device, the measuring housing has a capacitor as a continuous-flow measuring section and a device for continuously controlling the creation of a pourable product average.

Abstract: A process and apparatus is disclosed for milling cereal in a milling plant having a control device, such as a computer device, for controlling various process elements of the plant and the operative parameters of those process elements, in which the characteristics of the material to be milled are established together with the characteristics of the required finished product and from those characteristics desired operating parameter values for one or more selected process elements are determined bearing in mind the characteristics of the process elements of the plant, and those parameter values are stored in the control device to be used as control signals for the process elements, and in which such control signals are determined and stored in groups associated with required combinations of material and finished product characteristics, and an appropriate group of parameter values is selected by means of the control device to provide process control signals for controlling the operative parameters of said pro

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the cyclical counter-scavenging of filter hoses, particularly the control thereof, is disclosed. According to the present invention, the counter-scavenging of filter hoses is accomplished by gas blasts whose timing and duration are controlled by a fluid control apparatus. The fluid control apparatus consists of a drum distributor having an arm whose position controls the timing of the counter-scavenging blasts, and a valve whose activation controls the duration of the counter-scavenging blasts. The drum distributor and the valve are independently controllable by an electronic circuit including timing signals and control circuitry receiving the timing signals and converting these signals into activating signals for the drum distributor and the valve.

Abstract: Process and apparatus for measurement of brightness of milled products, especially flour, are disclosed. The process is of the general type in which the surface of a layer of flour is illuminated, and the returned quantity of light is taken to an optical electrical transducer. A light source is used for illumination, and the light beam is optically decomposed into at least two part-beams (reference beam and measurement beam) for transmission to the transducer. At least one of the part-beams is cyclicly interrupted or broken into two essentially time-shifted measurement phases in such a way that of the two part-beams, only one of the two-part beams will strike the transducer during a first measurement phase, and during a second measurement phase at least the other part-beam will be applied to the transducer.