Abstract: A process for preparing "quick-cooking" food products which comprises introducing particulate food material selected from the group consisting of rice, cereal, grain, pasta, or mixtures thereof into a fluidized bed; fluidizing said particulate food material utilizing steam as the fluidizing medium until the moisture content of said particulate food material is increased to a first predetermined level; drying said particulate food materials until a second predetermined moisture level is achieved, said second predetermined moisture level being effective to render said food material stable and nonfermenting during subsequent storage.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a means for isolating a fan drive means within a chamber from the fan driven fluid. An enclosure is provided which isolates the fan drive means from the driven fluid. The enclosure having multiple opening to the exterior of the chamber and allowing naturally occurring convection to help maintain ambient conditions around the fan drive means.

Abstract: A heat treating apparatus particularly useful for the drying/heat-setting and cooling of synthetic tow comprises first and second elongated housings with separate conveyors longitudinally positioned in said housings, the housings being at different temperatures. Means are provided to deposit a continuous length of tow on the conveyor of the first housing in an undulating pattern to define a substantially straight bed of tow having substantially uniform maximum thickness and width dimensions. A transfer device is provided between the first and second housings including a flat plate adapted to pick up the tow from the conveyor of the first housing, and integral therewith, an enclosed chute adapted to deposit the tow on the conveyor of the second housing, the chute having height and width dimensions substantially the same as the maximum thickness and width dimensions of the bed of tow. The transfer chute is adapted to air seal the first housing from the second housing.

Abstract: In a large high temperature industrial dryer or other such heated enclosure, a structural heat-insulation panel including opposed metallic sheets in generally parallel, spaced-apart planes, one of said sheets being exposed to a higher temperature than the other sheet, and insulation means between such sheets, wherein the improvement comprises panel ends formed of stainless steel of low heat conductivity. Particularly low heat transfer to the lower temperature sheet is obtained by employing embossed stainless steel pieces as said panel ends.