Abstract: An apparatus for grinding and precooking grain includes a housing that contains grinding disks, a hopper for input of the grain, a worm screw, and an output tube for the flour, wherein the housing defines a hermetic chamber inside which the vapor produced by friction while grinding is accumulated. A tube is provided from the hermetic chamber to capture the vapors and lead them to the tube through which the grain enters in order to precook it. The grinding disks have an alternating disposition of channels and reliefs in order to capture the vapor and lead it to the center of the disk through which the grain enters and return it to the input tube communicating with the hopper through the worm screw.

Abstract: A burner, or nozzle, especially for gaseous fuels in which the burner is formed of inner and outer members defining therebetween an annular gap from which the gas to be burned is discharged while preceding the annular gap is an annular turbulence chamber preferably having a greater cross sectional area than that of the gap. The fuel to be burned is introduced in substantially the radial direction into the turbulence chamber and then is discharged through the gap and burns. The walls defining the turbulence chamber and gap advantageously converge toward the axis of the burner in a direction outwardly from the burner and, likewise, converge with each other.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for milling grain while simultaneously cooking the grain in which the grain is introduced between coaxial relatively rotatable grinding members and advances therebetween while being milled. The milling of the grain develops heat in the grain which converts the moisture therein to steam which effects cooking of the grain. Most, if not all, of the steam thus generated is reabsorbed by the milled grain as it emerges from the apparatus. In order to enhance the cooking effect on the grain, the outer one of the conical grinding members has a heated gaseous medium supplied thereto and the mill includes an impeller for forcing the gaseous medium through the inner one of the grinding members so that both of the grinding members are heated and thereby enhance the cooking of the grain being milled in the apparatus.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for milling grain while simultaneously cooking the grain in which the grain is introduced between coaxial relatively rotatable grinding members and advances therebetween while being milled. The milling of the grain develops heat in the grain which converts the moisture therein to steam which effects cooking of the grain. Most, if not all, of the steam thus generated is reabsorbed by the milled grain as it emerges from the apparatus. In order to enhance the cooking effect on the grain, the outer one of the conical grinding members has a heated gaseous medium supplied thereto and the mill includes an impeller for forcing the gaseous medium through the inner one of the grinding members so that both of the grinding members are heated and thereby enhance the cooking of the grain being milled in the apparatus.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for converting grains, beans, and like materials into flour, as highly water absorbent starch. The material is introduced into the annular gap between a stationary outer truncated cone member and an inner rotating truncated cone member. The cone members are on a vertical axis, smaller ends uppermost, and have axial grooves on the opposed surfaces forming regions to grind the material introduced between the surfaces. The cone members taper inwardly toward the top and at about the upper half the opposed surfaces of the cone members diverge while at about the lower half the opposed surfaces are substantially parallel. The cone members are relatively adjustable in the axial direction, particularly to control the size of the gap between the lower portions thereof.