Abstract: A granular material grinder and method of use includes a hammer mill for reducing incoming granular material into particulate material, a microgrinder for reducing the particulate matter into microground powder by particulate matter to particulate matter collisions, and a product collector to collect the microground powder portion. The granular material grinder having the feature of being operated in a closed system to facilitate efficient recovery of grain into microground powder and operable in a cooled inert gas to prevent any compound degradation due to temperature or oxygen.

Abstract: A process for milling corn comprises mixing water and corn kernels to provide a tempering mixture; holding the tempering mixture for a time and temperature effective for lifting hull off from the endosperm of the corn kernels, but a time and temperature which is not effective for moisture to substantially penetrate into the endosperm of the corn kernels; and abrasively removing germ and bran from the moistened tempered corn of the corn kernels. In one embodiment, whole corn kernels are separated into large kernel and small corn components and the large and small corn components are milled separately.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process to remove the germ from the endosperm of a corn kernel. The apparatus of the present invention comprises frictional cylindrical rollers, each roller rotating about an axis, the axis of the rollers substantially parallel, and the direction of rotation being opposing. The roller bodies having a rubberized covering, rotate with differing surface velocities and are tensioned such as to impart low-impact friction forces to corn kernels drawn between the roller covers. The process of the present invention includes a tempering step comprising adding an amount of moisture to the corn by wetting and soaking the corn; a polishing step for removing bran layers from the corn; a second tempering step comprising adding an additional amount of moisture to the corn by wetting and soaking the corn; and a friction step to remove germ from the endosperm.

Abstract: A method of saving water, wastewater, lime, and energy while increasing productivity and enhancing product quality in a nixtamalization process. More specifically, during the grain cook and steep process, the phase-separated supernate is retained for a subsequent batch of grain. In addition, a fresh water rinse stream is recycled as push water.

Abstract: A food ingredient grinding assembly (10) with a removable ingredient hopper (32, 34) made of translucent material to enable viewing the ingredient within the hopper through a window opening (40, 42) and carries a closure assembly (FIGS. 4A and 4B) that automatically closes an outlet opening (112) when the hopper is removed from the housing (12) and when installed is controlled by a solenoid (118) that when energized pushes a plate (116) to align an opening (126) in the plate with the outlet opening (112) of the hopper. When the solenoid is not energized or when the hopper is removed, a spring (118) automatically returns the plate to a closed position. Because the closure assembly (114) is carried by the hopper and the solenoid is not attached to the closure assembly by fasteners the hopper may be removed without the use of any tools simply by lifting it out of the housing.

Abstract: A method for commercial production and use of heterologous protein from plant seed in commercial processes is shown. The method comprises degerminating the germ portion of the seed and using the germ as the source of the protein in a commercial process. Increased concentration of the protein on a dry weight basis is achieved. Increased cost recovery is obtained in the process. In an embodiment heterologous laccase protein is expressed in a plant and the germ of the plant seed used in commercial processes.

Abstract: A method for producing nanometer of natural materials from animals, plants or minerals containing active ingredients, the method including the steps of: obtaining raw materials from animals, plants or minerals; selecting raw materials; cleaning the raw materials; removing water from the raw materials; drying the raw materials; chopping the raw materials; crushing the raw materials; grinding the raw materials into nanometer micro-powder; and grading the nanometer micro-powder for packaging. In this method, each step is established according to different properties of the raw materials and operated at low temperature and low relative humidity to ensure the nanometer micro-powder has long preservation time and excellent efficiency to release active ingredients.

Abstract: A plant and a process for crushing and mash production is provided wherein the raw material to be processed is broken up and mashed in a mill system. Prior to the mill system (1) being filled with the material (6) to be crushed the mill system is filled with an inert gas from a gas reservoir (13) so that the atmospheric oxygen in the mill system (1) is substantially displaced. After the mill system (1) has been filled, the latter is sealed in substantially gas-tight manner and the raw material (6) is ground and mashed in, subject to exclusion of atmospheric oxygen.

Abstract: The present invention is an improved rotary granular material cutting apparatus and knife blade assembly. The apparatus comprises a perforated drum that may receive granular material into its interior. The grains of material extend through perforations in the spinning drum where they encounter a series of knife blades. The blades are arranged to form angles of contact with tangents to the spinning drum. Those angles of contact are steeper on the side regions of the spinning drum than on the bottom regions. The apparatus also includes a grooved interior baffle to disburse input material within the drum, and knife-mounting wedges that include toe or base stops to help secure knife blades in arrangement about the drum.

Abstract: A composition and method for preparing a food supplement. The composition consisting essentially of at least 70% by weight of an oil seed constituent, at least 8% by weight of an additional plant constituent and at least 4% by weight of yeast wherein oil seed constituent, additional plant constituent and yeast are prepared by blending and cutting for less than about 20 minutes at a temperature of less than about 100.degree. F. and in the presence of light of a wavelength not greater than that of red light and of an intensity not greater than that of a darkroom light to thereby inhibit oxidation of the components of the composition.

Abstract: A composition and method for preparing a food supplement. The composition consisting essentially of at least 70% by weight of an oil seed constituent, at least 8% by weight of an additional plant constituent and at least 4% by weight of yeast wherein oil seed constituent, additional plant constituent and yeast are prepared by blending and cutting for less than about 20 minutes at a temperature of less than about 100.degree. F. and in the presence of light of a wavelength not greater than that of red light and of an intensity not greater than that of a darkroom light to thereby inhibit oxidation of the components of the composition.

Abstract: A composition and method for preparing a food supplement. The composition consisting essentially of at least 70% by weight of an oil seed constituent, at least 8% by weight of an additional plant constituent and at least 4% by weight of yeast wherein oil seed constituent, additional plant constituent and yeast are prepared by blending and cutting for less than about 20 minutes at a temperature of less than about 100.degree. F. and in the presence of light of a wavelength not greater than that of red light and of an intensity not greater than that of a darkroom light to thereby inhibit oxidation of the components of the composition.

Abstract: A composition and method for preparing a food supplement. The composition consisting essentially of at least 70% by weight of an oil seed constituent, at least 8% by weight of an additional plant constituent and at least 4% by weight of yeast wherein oil seed constituent, additional plant constituent and yeast are prepared by blending and cutting for less than about 20 minutes at a temperature of less than about 100.degree. F. and in the presence of light of a wavelength not greater than that of red light and of an intensity not greater than that of a darkroom light to thereby inhibit oxidation of the components of the composition.

Abstract: A method for preparing a food supplement. The food supplement consisting essentially of at least 70% by weight of an oil seed constituent, at least 8% by weight of an additional plant constituent and at least 4% by weight of yeast wherein oil seed constituent, additional plant constituent and yeast are prepared by blending and cutting for less than about 20 minutes at a temperature of less than about 100.degree. F. and in the presence of light of a wavelength not greater than that of red light and of an intensity not greater than that of a darkroom light to thereby inhibit oxidation of the components of the composition.

Abstract: The fineness of bulk material, particularly of material to be ground, is determined by means of a flow measurement (DIN 66126) and by using a calibration correlation between medium particle size and permeability of the sample.The medium fineness of a continuous flow of bulk material determined in such a way at predetermined intervals of time may be used for adjusting roll mill parameters. In the same way, it is possible to calculate the bulk density, so that a compacting procedure subsequently to a milling procedure can be adjusted accordingly.

Abstract: A coffee grinding apparatus which includes a coffee bean grinding mechanism and a weighing device associated with the grinding mechanism to weigh ground coffee. A receptacle is associated with the weighing device and positioned below the grinding mechanism for receiving ground coffee from the grinding mechanism. The weighing device generates an actual weight signal corresponding to the weight of the ground coffee dispensed into the receptacle. A selecting device is provided to allow a user to select a weight of ground coffee to be produced by the apparatus. A dispensing assembly may be associated with a whole bean hopper, the selecting device and weighing device are coupled to a control circuit which controls the grinding apparatus. The control circuit operates the dispensing assembly and/or the grinding mechanism as a function of a comparison of the actual weight signal and the selected weight signal.

Abstract: To form a binder from naturally occurring products without extraction or purification steps, the binder utilizes proteins from the germ or endosperm of cereal grasses or from the seed of buckwheat, oil seed plants, Amaranthus or leguminous plants or from leaves. The protein has a thermoplastic microstructure with linear polymers of moleculer weight of at least 2,000 linked with peptide linkages of at least 50 in number. The naturally occurring product is ground or milled without further processing and thus includes carbohydrates, particularly as cellulose, and possibly fats, yeast or materials yielding ash upon burning, with the carbohydrates being at least 5 percent of the proteins by weight. The binder may include some initiators or catalysts to polymerize fats or other initiators or catalysts to polymerize proteins.

Abstract: The fineness of bulk material, particularly of material to be ground, is determined by means of a flow measurement (DIN 66126) and by using a calibration correlation between medium particle size and permeability of the sample.The medium fineness of a continuous flow of bulk material determined in such a way at predetermined intervals of time may be used for adjusting roll mill parameters. In the same way, it is possible to calculate the bulk density, so that a compacting procedure subsequently to a milling procedure can be adjusted accordingly.

Abstract: A milling method for pulverizing agricultural products, minerals, etc. comprises the steps of whirling a grain material within a pulverizing chamber; and pulverizing the material by utilizing the friction due to a difference in moving speed between material particles which is generated as the material is whirled. A milling device comprises: a body frame; first and second rotary blades arranged opposite to each other within the body frame and defining, together with the inner walls of the body frame, a pulverizing chamber; a material feeding inlet formed on the body frame on the side of the first rotary blade and communicating with the pulverizing chamber; and a collection outlet provided axially in alignment with the second rotary blade and communicating with the pulverizing chamber. The collection outlet communicates with an associated suction device.

Abstract: A process for the removal of agricultural chemicals from seed grain kernels. The process includes removal of chemicals adsorbed to the surface of the seed by abrasion and removal of chemicals absorbed into the seed by extraction with organic solvents. Removal of such chemicals to a level of less than 1.0 ppm is possible.

Abstract: A stepwise process for the treatment of wheat as an adjunct to conventional milling is provided which permits recovery of substantial quantities of wheat embryo and scutellum, to thereby increase the yield of premium germ while enhancing the storability of the resultant flour by virtue of removal of the high oil germ fractions. The process involves initial temperating of wheat followed by impact scouring to remove intact embryo; thereupon, the deembryonated wheat is subjected to a second tempering step prior to milling. The break system of the mill is appropriately modified by judicious selection of milling gap so as to permit recovery of intact scutellum, especially from hard red winter wheat.

Abstract: A grain hardness tester which includes a rotating plate equipped with a plurality of openings arranged in a circle around the plate periphery, a grain feeder adapted to dispense grains singly and sequentially into the openings, the plate being equipped with a peripheral slot communicating with the openings, a disc positioned in the slot and adapted to engage the grains sequentially and a load cell and microprocessor operably associated with the disc for reporting the force of encounter of the disc with a grain kernel.

Abstract: A gun-target apparatus and method for producing silicon seed particles from silicon feed particles comprising accelerating silicon feed particles from a container and propelling them into a silicon target in a target chamber. The target is movable within said chamber so that a different portion of the silicon target is exposed to the oncoming seeds. The seeds are accumulated in a receiver and separated from silicon dust and larger feed particles.

Abstract: A milling machine particularly a disc mill for processing cereal seeds and cereal derivatives including a top disc through a central opening in which the material may be fed, and a bottom disc spaced from the top disc, both discs having mutually opposed profiled surfaces and the distance between the discs and the offset of the axes being adjustable to obtain optimum milling of the materials.

Abstract: Storage-stable, discrete free-flowing flakes of a hydrophilic or water-soluble polymer gel, such flakes comprising a thin adherent film coating of a processing aid powder, are facilely produced by comminuting a larger shaped article of said polymer gel, e.g., a block, sheet, strip or layer thereof, in the presence of said processing aid powder, and said powder being present during comminution in an amount in excess of that required for otherwise complete coating of the flakes which result.

Abstract: Embodiments of this invention include methods and apparatus for the production of flour from which products such as corn tortillas, tortilla chips, "taco shells", and the like, may be produced, in a continuous process, by pre-cooking the grain, stabilizing its moisture content, milling it to particulate form for suspension in a super-heated stream of air, replacing the ambient air with air which has lower moisture content and is cooler, and segregating out the flour-size particles from larger particles which are further processed into flour.

Abstract: Much better control of the grind of a rotary mill and much more uniformity of grind of the mill is achieved by better control of air flow through the mill, provided by making the milled product collecting pan of the mill air-tight and regulating the amount of in allowed to escape from the pan. The apparatus of the invention includes a housing in which are mounted two discs in spaced, confronting axial alignment, each disc having extending therefrom toward the other disc concentric rows of teeth. The rows of teeth overlap so that alternating rows of radially spaced, interposed teeth are formed. One of the discs is adapted to be rotated in relation to the other disc and grain to be milled, along with any air flow through the mill, is introduced through an inlet to the area between the discs inwardly of the innermost rows of teeth. An outlet into a substantially air tight collecting pan is provided for the milled material after it passes radially outwardly through the interposed row of teeth.

Abstract: Raw food materials, having a 10-65% water content, are ground between two opposing disc grinding members. The opposing discs are concave to form a central hollow portion therebetween having a nearly trapezoidal cross section.

Abstract: A novel roasted and ground coffee product having a unique appearance is produced by roasting a first coffee fraction to a first roast color and water quenching said roasted beans to a relatively high moisture level, separately roasting a second coffee fraction to a second, discernibly different roast color and water quenching said roasted beans to a relatively low moisture level. The two roasted coffee bean fractions are then blended together and ground, producing a coffee product having a speckled appearance wherein the average particle size of the high-moisture fraction is at least 300 microns larger than the average particle size of the low-moisture fraction.

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.