Abstract: The present disclosure generally pertains to a dispensing system comprising an upper chamber capable of receiving a bulk material to be dispensed, a first set of finned shafts positioned within the upper chamber and capable of feeding bulk material into a lower chamber, and a second set of finned shafts positioned within the lower chamber and capable of dispensing a controlled dose of bulk material from the lower chamber.

Abstract: A material-bed roller mill including two adjacently arranged rollers which are oriented in an axially parallel manner and which rotate in opposite directions and between which a roller gap is formed, a foundation, two roller mountings, in each of which a roller is rotatably mounted, each roller mounting being secured to the foundation in a pivotal manner; and a clamping device. The clamping device is arranged outside of the roller gap and connects the two roller mountings. Each roller mounting has two rockers which are designed as separate components and each of which is arranged at an end of a roller and can be deflected independently of the other.

Abstract: The device comprises: a measurement cell, configured for receiving a sample of porous medium containing a fluid comprising one or more phases; a X-ray source, configured for illuminating the measurement cell with X-rays; a detector, placed opposite the X-ray source with regards to the measurement cell, the detector being configured for receiving X-rays arising from the sample contained in the measurement cell. The X-ray source is configured for illuminating simultaneously at least a surface of the sample without relative movement between the X-ray source and the sample, the detector comprising a plurality of sensing areas configured for selectively detecting X-rays arising from different points on the surface of the sample.

Abstract: A mixing assembly includes a container having a wall that defines an interior chamber within which a product to be mixed is received. A mixing structure is received within the interior chamber and mixes the product. The mixing structure has a body portion that extends along a body axis between a first end of the body portion and a second end of the body portion. The first end of the body portion has a first cross-sectional size. The second end of the body has a second cross-sectional size that is larger than the first cross-sectional size. The body portion has a wall that extends helically about the body axis between the first end and the second end. The wall defines a channel that extends helically about the body axis between the first end and the second end.

Abstract: Powder feeding apparatuses (100; 200) and methods. The powder feeding apparatus (100; 200) can include first and second cylindrical rollers (106, 107; 206, 207) adjacent to each other and spaced apart by a gap (108; 208). The first roller (106; 206) can rotate intermittently and independently of the second roller (107; 207). The second roller can rotate intermittently and independently of the first roller. Powder from a hopper (102; 202) is fed through the gap as one or both rollers rotate. The powder feeding method may include a method of feeding powder by intermittently and alternately advancing a first and second roller to dispense powder from the hopper.

Abstract: A filtration apparatus for filtering and separating solids from liquids is provided that includes at least one liquid-permeable, continuously or intermittently drivable filter belt, an intake for charging the liquid/solid mixture to be filtered onto the filter belt in a charging zone and a belt cleaner for removing the solids deposited at the filter belt from a belt section conveyed out of the charging zone in an expulsion zone. The belt cleaner has at least one rotatingly drivable brush with which a brush cleaner having a scraper is associated which is arranged in the path of the bristles of the rotating brush. The rotating brush efficiently removes the deposited solids from the filter belt, while the scraper of the brush cleaner simultaneously ensures that the dissolved solids do not settle at the brush and clog it.

Abstract: A method for producing a single-phase phase-stable liquid is provided, in which, in an embodiment: in a first step, a lipophilic liquid is mixed with a hydrophilic liquid, so that a mixture of the liquids is obtained; in a second step, the static pressure of the mixture is brought below the vapor pressure of at least one of the liquids, so that cavitation bubbles occur, for example, as a result of what is known as hard cavitation; and in a third step, the cavitation bubbles are caused to implode, a single-phase phase-stable liquid being obtained.

Abstract: A lateral wall arrangement for laterally bounding the roller gap of a roller press having rollers supported in a machine frame, driven in opposite directions, and forming a roller gap, comprising a lateral wall, an assembly device, and a suspension for the lateral wall, wherein the lateral wall is supported in a spring-loaded manner by the suspension. The suspension is a linkage in the simplest case. It is thus achieved in an advantageous manner that the lateral wall is both easy to dismantle and is able to follow deflection motions of the rollers.

Abstract: A fresh grass-fermented liquid fertilizer and a method for manufacturing a fresh grass-fermented liquid fertilizer that is produced by grinding fresh grass into fine particles, without any maturity, and naturally fermenting the fine particles through the cellulose in the fine particles as a substrate, thereby reducing the raw material cost of the fertilizer and the management cost and preventing the oxidization or destruction of various nutrients contained in organic matters, are provided. Further, the use of the fresh grass-fermented liquid fertilizer makes the soil activated, allows the growth of the plants to be accelerated, prevents all damages from disease and harmful insects, and treats all amount of fresh grass collected, without having secondary waste.

Abstract: This invention relates to a paper shredder. A first stage shredder accepts paper from a hopper. The first stage shredder includes two knife shaft assemblies with a plurality of sequentially oriented knives and spacers on hexagonal shafts. A second stage shredder accepts the output of the first stage shredder. The second stage shredder has two counter rotating shafts with saw tooth disk knives and separating spacers and cuts the paper finer than that of the first stage shredder. A third stage shredder may be connected to the second stage shredder providing even further paper size reduction.

Abstract: A food processor includes a base, a container having a side wall and an open end including a rim, and a lid for engaging the open end of the container in an operating position and a storage position. The lid has a top wall with a first and second principal surface, an annular ledge with a first and second side, and a food chute extending from the first principal surface generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the top wall. The food chute has a length and extends away from the container with the second side of the annular ledge contacting the rim of the container when the lid is in the operating position. When the lid is in the storage position, the food chute extends into an interior of the container with the first side of the annular ledge contacting the rim of the container.

Abstract: A system and method for extracting an inner layer (e.g., an inner gypsum layer) from a multi-layered construction panel (e.g., gypsum board, plaster board, drywall, etc.) and utilizing the extracted layer to construct a recycled construction panel is presented. In particular, the present invention comprises an extraction assembly structured to cut or otherwise remove the outer, paper layers from the construction panel, leaving the inner, gypsum layer. The inner layer is then fed into a crashing assembly structured to break the layer into a plurality of pieces. The plurality of pieces are transported or fed into a milling assembly where a smaller or powdery substance is obtained. From that substance, a new construction panel (or inner, gypsum layer) can be constructed.

Abstract: The invention discloses a system for processing bone product comprising at least a mincer and a comminuter (10), a method to operate such a system and a comminuter (10) for use in such a system and method.

Abstract: A device for breaking up compressed masses of fibers into pieces of fiber and transporting the pieces of fiber, comprising: an intake chute; a plurality of break-up implements mounted on a plurality of shafts rotatably mounted within the intake chute; a plurality of devices with protrusions, where the plurality of devices are mounted on a plurality of shafts rotatably mounted within the intake chute; and a transportation device. A compressed mass of fibers may be placed within the intake chute, the compressed mass of fibers may come into contact with the plurality of break-up implements, the compressed mass of fibers may be broken into large pieces of fiber by the break-up implements, the larger pieces of fiber may come into contact with the plurality of devices, the larger pieces of fiber may be broken into small pieces of fiber by the devices, and the small pieces of fiber may fall onto the transportation device.

Abstract: A grinder for grinding a material. The grinder may include a number of first rollers for grinding the material to a grind of substantially a first predetermined particle size and a number of adjustable second rollers for grinding a portion of the grind of the first predetermined particle size to a grind of substantially a second predetermined particle size.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for crushing material, particularly mined material, are disclosed. In one embodiment two or more pairs of crushing rolls successively crush mined material. The pairs of crushing rolls are arranged and operated so that an upstream pair of rolls produces a feed, preferably a pressurized feed, for a downstream pair of rolls. In another embodiment, at least an upstream pair of rolls is driven intermittently, for example, by means of a stepping motor to provide stepped rotational movement of the rolls.

Abstract: A machine for obtaining rubber pellets from used tires is described comprising: a frame; a first pair of cutting rollers, which cuts the tire segment in strips as said tire segment passes through both cutting rollers. The machine further comprises feeders, which receive the strips coming from the first pair of cutting rollers and align them one following the other; and a second pair of cutting rollers, which receive the strips coming from said feeding means and which cut the strips in the form of pellets. The tires fibers and cords remain at the surface level or encapsulated inside the obtained pellets.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a material processing apparatus. The apparatus includes a frame including a pair of laterally opposed parallel sides and a base, and at least a first pair of substantially cylindrical material processing rolling assemblies, wherein each pair of rolling assemblies are driven by a hydraulic drive motor assembly, such that using the hydraulic drive motors, the rolling assemblies can be driven at a variable friction ratio.

Abstract: A grinder for grinding a material. The grinder may include a number of first rollers for grinding the material to a grind of substantially a first predetermined particle size and a number of adjustable second rollers for grinding a portion of the grind of the first predetermined particle size to a grind of substantially a second predetermined particle size.

Abstract: A waste food processor has a housing with an upper room and a lower room communicated with each other, a first grinding assembly and a second grinding assembly respectively received within the upper and lower rooms, and a cleaning assembly connected to the first grinding assembly for cleaning residues remained on the first grinding assembly to make the removed residues further processed by the second grinding assembly. Particularly, the first grinding assembly is composed of a first toothed drum and second toothed drum respectively with different sharp teeth and cutouts to make engaging gaps in different sizes so that solid residues in large sizes also can be introduced between the first and second drums for grinding. Thereby, grinding capability and efficiency of the waste food processor are significantly improved.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards an apparatus for guiding continuous materials. In one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus comprises first and second conveyors, each comprising a continuous conveyor belt carried by a set of pulleys including a drive pulley and an idler pulley. The conveyor belts have opposing inner surfaces that are oriented to travel substantially parallel to one another to sandwich continuous materials therebetween. The ratio of the diameters of the idler pulleys to the drive pulleys is greater than about 8:1. In another embodiment of the invention, a chopper is provided. The chopper comprises a cutting roll and a cot member defining a nip region therebetween. The cutting roll has an axis of rotation that is aligned substantially parallel to an axis of rotation of a cot member. The small turning radii permit the conveyor belts to extend within the nip region.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to diminish the sizes of most disintegrated material effectively, said sizes being determined by the box seats made on the surface of the under roll (7). In a disintegrator (1) having a case (4) with an upper hopper 2 and under exit (3), a pair of upper rolls (5, 6), an under roll (7) located below the upper rolls, and knives (8,9) projecting from inner surface of the case (4) toward the under roll (7) comprising a number of annular grooves (25) formed on the under roll (7), each groove (25) being coupled by a rotative disk cutter (27) at under side of the knives (8, 9). The under roll (7) is provided with polygonal installation seats (13), between adjoining installation seats (13) each attached by a number of cutting edge blocks (14) on a same circumference, said annular grooves (25) are formed between the adjoining installation seats (13).

Abstract: A used-can processing system includes a shredder for cutting a used drum can, and a pelletizer for pelletizing cut pieces of the used can. The shredder includes a pair of rotary blade units which rotate with their blades meshing each other so as to cut a used drum can thrown from above the shredder, and a pair of auxiliary rotary blade units which face the respective rotary blade units and rotate in the same direction as do the corresponding rotary blade units, to thereby urge the used drum can toward the pair of rotary blade units. Each of the blades of the rotary blade units and the auxiliary rotary blade units has projecting portions and depressed portions formed alternately along the circumferential direction. Moreover, a screen having cut-pieces removal holes is disposed below and along the pair of rotary blade units and the pair of auxiliary rotary blade units.

Abstract: To crush products and/or semi-manufactured products of plastic material, for example polypropylene comprising fiberglass or another armoring fiber or from a non-armored plastic material, a supporting frame of a crushing device has a shared space for a first crushing section including a pair of parallel first crushing rolls each fitted with teeth and a second crushing section including a pair of parallel second crushing rolls fitted with teeth. The second section is positioned below the first section and the axes of the second crush rolls of the second crushing section are in the floor projection positioned approximately perpendicular to the axes of the first crush rolls of the first crushing section. The shared space is interconnected with a vacuum source through a filtering device. A feed hopper has a crushed material conveyor.

Abstract: An improved two roll sugarcane crushing mill is provided by the present invention comprising a plurality of improved two roll mill modules in tandem, each comprising a pair of main crushing rolls consisting of bottom and top roll. The bottom and the top rolls are rotatingly mounted in a pair of main frames/head stock and a pair of top beams/lever arms at the two end respectively. One end of each of the top beams is pivotally attached near upper end of the head stocks towards feed side for swinging top beams along with top roll. At least one feeder roller is provided with a scrapper cum deflector with juice drainage means in the close proximity of the main crushing rolls. The feeder rollers are mounted on an auxiliary frame which is rigidly/pivotally mounted on main frame to adjust the loading/setting the feeder roller in desired position.

Abstract: A method for recovering elastomeric material such as rubber from tires comprising the steps of soaking the tires in a mixture of an oil and a volatile solvent to soften the rubber, subjecting the softened tires to shear conditions in a separator having at least two pairs of counter rotating rollers mounted one above the other. The recovered rubber can be carbonized in a microwave chamber to produce carbon and oil.

Abstract: The unit for processing industrial rubber and plastic waste consists of a gasproof chamber (1), in which upper rollers (2) and lower rollers (3) are located in rows. The processed waste (4) passes between them, between the input and the output of the chamber (1). The lower rollers (3) are fixed in their position and the upper rollers are movable and attached by means of springs (5), which press them on the waste (4). The rollers (2 and 3) counter-rotate and the upper rollers (2) have projections (8) on their surface. The input area (10) with the input lifting closure (12) is placed on one front outer wall of the chamber (1) and the output area (14) with the output lifting closure (16) is placed on the opposite front outer wall of the chamber (1). Each area (10 and 14) is provided with a gas pipe (13) is located on the outer bottom wall of the chamber (1) and is separated from the chamber (1) by the inner lifting closure (11).

Abstract: An apparatus for and method of recycling the edge portion of a chopped strand mat are disclosed. The method includes the steps of trimming an edge portion of the chopped strand mat, transporting the edge portion to a shredder assembly, and shredding the edge portion into individual strands or filaments. The separated strands are introduced with new chopped strands into the chopped strand mat forming process. The apparatus for recycling the edge portion of the mat includes a shredder assembly for separating the edge portion into individual strands. The shredder assembly includes two pairs of rollers that engage the trimmed edge portion. The first and second pairs of rollers are driven at first and second rotational speeds, respectively. Preferably, the second speed is greater than the first speed. The mat is pinched between each pair of rollers and is thereby placed under tension due to the different rotational speeds.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating and condensing wet garbage and/or food garbage includes a housing having a garbage inlet and a garbage outlet associated therewith and defining a treatment path along which wet garbage passes for treatment, a pair of primary comminuting gears disposed along the treatment path downstream of the garbage inlet for providing a primary comminuting action on the wet garbage, and a pair of secondary comminuting gears disposed along the treatment path downstream of the primary comminuting gear for providing a secondary comminuting action on the wet garbage. The primary or secondary comminuting gears are preferably helical gears with intermeshing teeth, and may include transverse grooves extending at least partially through their teeth to facilitate passage of the garbage material between the gears.

Abstract: An apparatus for threshing tobacco includes a rotatable stripper and a feeder which includes a pair of cooperating counter-rotatable elements for delivering tobacco leaves to the stripper. The feeder and the stripper are arranged such that, in use, the tobacco leaves experience shearing forces as they pass from between the counter-rotating elements to the rotating stripper. These forces at least partially strip the lamina from the stems.

Abstract: In a method for disposing of waste matter such as waste tire pieces by using first and second shredding members each having shredding blades, the waste matter is introduced into a space between the shredding blades of the first and second shredding members and shredded or torn off into fine chips by operating the first and second shredding members, while partially caught by grooves formed in opposite faces of the shredding blades of the respective shredding members. By moving the first and second shredding members relative to each other in opposite directions to impart a shearing force to the waste matter in the space between the shredding blades, the waste matter is effectively torn off into pieces. When a waste tire is processed in an apparatus for practicing the method, it is successfully separated into rubber parts and wires with high efficiency.

Abstract: The present invention is designed to perform a primary crushing operation including hooking and crushing of the top face part of waste through cooperation of a supporting projection and a first crushing roller. The first crushing roller also conveys the waste. A secondary crushing operation includes crushing of a bottom face part and the top face part of the waste W, while lifting the waste is performed by the first crushing roller and a second crushing roller. And, a tertiary crushing operation including crushing of the object material, that is to be crushed, into small pieces and discharging of these pieces separately from the materials that are unfit for crushing is performed by the second crushing roller and a third crushing roller.

Abstract: Device for milling food products, including two separate milling passages and a sifting member (18, 19) interposed between the two milling passages. The sifting member (18, 19) includes a rotating member (18) which affects the product that leaves the first milling passage so as to propel it against a screening surface (19). The apparatus uses a plurality of devices and the method uses the device.

Abstract: A flour milling method and a flour milling system are provided, in which a plurality of milling steps whose milling degrees are different from one another are performed sequentially from an upperstream to a downstream, each of the milling steps including a breaking step and a grading step. The steps are carried out by sorting the raw wheat grains into regular wheat grains and material other than the regular wheat grains, forwarding the sorted regular wheat grains to the uppermost-stream milling step, and forwarding the sorted material other than the regular wheat grains to at least one of downstream milling steps at a downstream of the uppermost-stream milling step. The method and the system enable the production of wheat flour of better quality with better yield than that conventionally produced.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing articles such as types that include a metal reinforcement embedded in a rubber-based material. The apparatus continuously and sequentially disintegrates the rubber-based material in order to separate it from the metal reinforcement and forms a powder consisting of a mixture of rubber and metal or fabric particles.

Abstract: A new dual motor drive system for a roller grinder. The inventive device includes a roller grinder having top and bottom sets of rollers extending between the sides of the roller grinder. Each set of rollers has a front roller and a back roller. Each roller of each set of rollers has a shaft having a pair of opposite ends. A first pulley is coupled to the end of the front roller of the top set of rollers extending from the first side of the roller grinder. A second pulley is coupled to the end of the front roller of the bottom set of rollers extending from the first side of the roller grinder. A third pulley is coupled to the end of the back roller of the top set of rollers extending from the second side of the roller grinder. A fourth pulley is coupled to the end of the back roller of the bottom set of rollers extending from the second side of the roller grinder. First and second motors are provided each having a rotating shaft extending therefrom.

Abstract: An apparatus for crushing sugar cane to extract the juice has opposed crushing rolls at least one of which is formed with juice channels which are temporarily plugged by bagasse after the juice has entered into the channel. Further rotation of the rolls removes the trapped juice away from the cane blanket and the bagasse plug is then scraped out of the top of the channel to allow the juice to drain. The juice is drained away from the cane blanket and is not reabsorbed thereby. Efficiency of juice removal is improved. Further efficiency improvements are obtained by having pairs of crushing rolls positioned above each other such that the cane blanket moves in a generally vertical direction.

Abstract: In order to enable grinding, with the lowest possible specific energy requirement, of brittle grinding material, in particular moist ores and/or other moist minerals, with the use of an interparticle crushing high-pressure roll press in which the roll surfaces are protected against wear by means of a grid armoring by an autogenous wear protection layer, without having to accept the risk of a premature damaging of the wear protection layer given the occurrence of rough particles/oversized particles/scattered particles, a smooth roll mill is connected upstream from the interparticle crushing high-pressure roll press, in whose nip (i.e. that of the smooth roll mill), the nip width is limited to a maximum of approximately 4 mm, such that only the oversized particles (scattered particles) contained in the feed material are coarse-crushed by means of individual particle crushing.

Abstract: A new roller alignment system for permitting quick and precise alignment of the rollers. The inventive device includes first and second side subassemblies, and an elongate linking rod. Each side subassembly comprises an adjustment bracket and threaded elongate upper and lower adjustment rods. The adjustment bracket is pivotally coupled a side of a roller grinder housing which abuts an end of a back roller of the roller grinder. The back end of the upper first adjustment rod is extended through the upper end of the first adjustment bracket while the front end of the upper first adjustment rod is positioned adjacent the front of the housing. The front end of the lower first adjustment rod is outwardly extended from the front of the housing. A adjustment nut is threaded on the front end of the lower adjustment rod and a coarse adjustment member is coupled to the front end of the upper adjustment rod. The coarse adjustment member is pivotally mounted on a side of the housing.

Abstract: A multiaxes roll type of crusher comprises four rolls. The four rolls respectively have teeth for directly crushing materials. There would be virtually 6 pairs of rolls in mathematically. There are really at least three relations given for crushing. Raw materials are crushed with a first crushing-relation to be of smaller size. Such crushed materials are secondly crushed with a second crushing-relation and a third crushing-relation to be of still smaller size. The first roll and the second roll can rotate in reversely opposite directions. The third roll and the fourth roll can rotate in reversely opposite directions. The reverse rotations cancel the crushing-relations. The flow of the crushed materials are controlled by a flow controlling means, which opens and closes the path between the third roll and the fourth roll. The opened flow controlling means does not obstruct the flow of foreign materials between the third roll and the fourth roll.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating kenaf into fiber and core uses a modified stick machine conventionally used in the cotton industry for removing trash from unginned cotton. Lengths of kenaf are delivered onto the periphery of a saw cylinder so the toothed wheels snag the fiber and draw the kenaf across a grate. Core is detached from the fiber, passes through the grate and is delivered to a core outlet. Fiber on the toothed wheels are removed by a doffing wheel and delivered to a fiber outlet. Multiple saw cylinder/doffing wheel assemblies are provided.

Abstract: A fixed roller is laterally axially supported by a movable body so as to ow an axial center line of the fixed roller to extend in parallel to a lateral direction, and driven to rotate an upper peripheral surface of the fixed roller backward, and a plurality of split press rollers respectively having the axes inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to an axial center line of the fixed roller as viewed in plan are arranged in a row in a lateral direction above the fixed roller in the manner of supporting the split press rollers by press roller frames. The split press rollers are energized to the descending side by oil-hydraulic cylinders respectively provided between a frame of the body and the press roller frames so as to bring the lower peripheral surface side of each split press roller into contact with the upper peripheral surface of the fixed roller under the action of pressure.

Abstract: An improved continuous crumbing machine for recycling rubber tires and other materials such as polyethylene containers, gypsum, hardboard, tin cans, glass jars and bottles. The device comprises a pair of rotating rolls having negative rake teeth of interlocking sprocket design formed on the outer periphery of each roll. The materials to be fragmented or crumbed are fed between pairs of rotating rollers having negative rake teeth. A plurality of stages of rotating rollers are placed in series to obtain the desired particle size.

Abstract: A needle destruction device has a main frame, a lateral plate, a motor, a motor shaft extending from the motor, a drive gear connected to the motor shaft, a follower gear engaging with the drive gear, a first upper roller, a second upper roller, a first lower roller, a second lower roller, a first upper shaft extending from the first upper roller, a first upper driven gear connected to the first upper shaft, a second upper shaft extending from the second upper roller, a second upper driven gear connected to the second upper shaft, a first lower shaft extending from the first lower roller, a first lower driven gear connected to the first lower shaft, a second lower shaft extending from the second lower roller, a second lower driven gear connected to the second lower shaft, the first upper driven gear engaging with the follower gear and the second upper driven gear, the first lower driven gear engaging with the follower gear and the second lower driven gear.

Abstract: Fiberglass filaments are cut into fiberglass staple fibers having a maximum predetermined length with an apparatus comprising a cutter to cut the filaments into fiber segments; a fiber aligner to align the fiber segments in a given direction; and a chopper for cutting said fiber segments transverse to the given direction at spaced intervals having a spacing equal to the predetermined length.

Abstract: An apparatus for destroying medical waste material is provided including a transportable container member, a processor having rotatably driven roller members for breaking the medical waste materials into smaller particles, a removable receptacle for containing the medical waste particles, and a loading device for actuating an opening mechanism of the transportable container and regulating the introduction of medical waste material therein.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for recycling scrapped POLYLON which mainly includes a scrap crashing and feeding unit, a scrap melting unit and a waste gas treatment unit. The scrap crashing and feeding unit includes a top, a left, and a right rollers with toothed cutter to break the scraps into smaller pieces which are pushed onto a feeding roller located below the above three rollers and having spiral grooves to automatically carry and feed the small scrap pieces into the melting unit. The scrap melting unit has a plurality of rod-shaped electric heaters wrapped with thermo-conductive material and squarely arranged in a furnace around the feeding roller to evenly heat the furnace and quickly melt the scrapped POLYLON pieces.

Abstract: A crusher adapted to process a feedstock. The crusher includes a pair of crusher rolls for processing a feedstock, the crusher rolls being disposed in a spaced apart relationship with an axis of each crusher roll parallel to one another. Each crusher roll has a plurality of toothed sprockets spaced along the axis of the crusher roll by a spacer disposed between adjacent sprockets. The sprockets of one crusher roll are interleaved with the sprockets of the other crusher roll such that the sprockets of one crusher roll are aligned with the spacers of the other crusher roll. A lateral displacement device is operably coupled to the pair of crusher rolls and is shiftable between a first position wherein the sprockets and spacers of the pair of crusher rolls are interleaved and a second disengaged position wherein the sprockets and spacers of the pair of crusher rolls are disengaged. The lateral displacement device has a biasing member acting to urge the pair of crusher rolls into the interleaved position.

Abstract: A thermoplastic slab breaking apparatus comprising a housing with a slab receiving aperture and an exit aperture on the base of said housing; a conveyor for conveying a continuous hot melt thermoplastic slab from a hot zone to a cool zone within said housing; a first rotatable slab breaker member comprising a pinwheel or a rigid rod with a plurality of rigid tines projecting radially outward therefrom and positioned in close proximity to the end of the conveyor in the cool zone, wherein the rod axis resides approximately in a plane defined by the conveyed slab and perpendicular to a line defined by the conveyed slab; and an optional second breaker member comprising a rigid rod with a plurality of rigid tines projecting radially outward therefrom and positioned approximately axially parallel and beneath the first slab breaker member; wherein the conveyor continuously transports the slab to the rotating first slab breaker and forces the slab into contact with the rotating tines of the slab breaker whereby the s

Abstract: A ground oat-based cereal provides a nutritional, hot meal with improved flavor, textural taste, and keeping qualities. That is, the ground oat cereal maintains its consistency and heat over a longer period of time than conventional oatmeal. The oat-based cereal includes ground and sifted oat granules of which 27%-33% by weight have sizes greater than generally about 0.08 inches, and 67%-73% by weight have sizes ranging between generally about 0.04 inches and generally about 0.08 inches. Whole oat groats are roll cut and sifted to produce the oat-based cereal. The density of the oat portion of the cereal ranges between 28-34 lbs/cu. ft.