Abstract: A continuous process for turning food waste into nutritionally balanced animal feed. A production system is disclosed which includes a series of pipes and tanks through which food waste is processed and dehydrated so that the food waste is ultimately converted into nutritionally balanced animal feed. The system includes, inter alia, a blending tank in which ground food waste is agitated, suspended, and drawn off with a food pump. The food waste is then metered to a precise level so that it may be blended with a precise amount of dry feed stock. Excess food waste is returned to the blending tank to be recirculated. The food waste mixed with the dry feed stock is then converted into moist pellets which are then dried and packaged to be distributed.

Abstract: A system for treating human waste in remote or portable toilet facilities, including a holding tank that stores waste; a heat reservoir that receives waste from the holding tank, heats the waste to kill fecal coliform bacteria therein present, and routes the heated bacteria-free waste back through the holding tank. The holding tank maintains the heated bacteria-free waste separate from the contaminated waste but passes residual heat from the bacteria-free waste to the untreated waste. In one embodiment, a centrifuge receives the bacteria-free waste from the holding tank, separates the liquid waste from the solid waste, and discharges the liquid waste from the system. In one embodiment, the waste is pumped through the system to be heated in incremental portions.

Abstract: A device for manufacturing paint by mixing a dry paint powder with water has a paste mixing zone for mixing dry paint powder with water to a paint paste. The paste mixing zone has an inlet for the dry paint powder. The paste mixing zone further has a mixing and conveying member and a water inlet for supplying water to the dry paint powder. A grinding zone is positioned downstream of the paste mixing zone for grinding the dry paint powder contained in the paint paste and producing finished paint from the paint paste. An exit zone is positioned downstream of the grinding zone for removing the finished paint.

Abstract: A cheese processing vat of the type having a pair of interconnected wall portions each having a compound frustoconical shape, with agitator panels rotating therein to sweep volumes which correspond to the frustoconical wall portions, said agitator panels having radially inner edge portions spaced radially outwardly from the axis of panel rotation, and the axes of rotation of the two panels are spaced at a distance less than the radius of the volumes swept by the panels. In this manner, the overlap in the volumes swept by the respective panels permits the radially outer edge portion of one panel to pass through the normally quiescent space at and beyond the axis of rotation of the other panel. A unique divergent cutting blade orientation positions a framework of outwardly extending blades and intersecting longitudinally extending blades so that the blades are neither parallel to nor perpendicular to the axis of panel rotation. This provides beneficial cross cutting of the cheese mass during processing.

Abstract: A cheese processing vat of the type having a pair of interconnected generally cylindrical wall portions with agitator panels rotating therein to sweep generally cylindrical volumes includes agitator panels which have radially inner edge portions spaced radially outwardly from the axis of panel rotation, and the axes of rotation of the two panels are spaced at a distance less than the radius of the volumes swept by the panels. In this manner, the overlap in the volumes swept by the respective panels permits the radially outer edge portion of one panel to pass through the normally quiescent space at and beyond the axis of rotation of the other panel. A unique divergent cutting blade orientation provides beneficial cross cutting of the cheese mass during processing.

Abstract: An improved food processing vat including an outer shell, and a vessel to contain a food product, such as curds and whey, is spaced inwardly of the shell and is composed of a pair of generally cylindrical sections which intersect along vertical apices. Each apex is generally curved and has a radius in the range of 1:6 to 1:12 with respect to the radius of the cylindrical sections. A heating medium, such as steam, is introduced into the area beneath the vessel and the outer shell at locations diposed outwardly of each apex. An agitator unit is disposed in each cylindrical section and each unit includes a rotatable vertical shaft and a frame extends radially from each shaft. Each frame consists of a series of vertical and horizontal blades and a swinging blade is mounted on the outer end of each frame and is freely swingable from a cutting position where the sharp edge of the blade leads in the direction of rotation to an angular stirring position where the side of the blade faces in the direction of rotation.

Abstract: The invention relates to mixing apparatus in which the drive motor and the stirrers are each coupled to the three revolving elements of a planetary gear. In such apparatus the speed of the two stirrers is automatically adapted to the prevailing counter-moment.

Abstract: A pinned mill for a mixer having a mixing mechanism has a motor outside the mixer container and a rotor inside the container and spaced apart from its walls. The rotor is rotationally drivable by the motor and is at least partly surrounded at a tangent by a stator having pins arranged concentrically with the rotor axis, the rotor being arranged inside the pins. The rotor is provided with elements defining a grinding gap with respect to the pins. In order to improved the grind performance without notably increasing the drive power, the rotor elements defining the grinding gap with respect to the stator pins are embodied only by vanes extending approximately radially to the rotor axis. The radially outer ends of the vanes have a cutting edge. The stator pins have an edge associated with the radially outer vane edges. The rotor is also embodied as substantialy open, inside the stator.

Abstract: A container and built-in mill construction includes a hollow container with a conical guide supported in a lower part of the container. The conical guide has an opening. A cylinder is provided connected to the conical guide extending downward about the periphery of the opening. The inner periphery of the cylinder is provided with a plurality of teeth. A second plurality of teeth are provided inserted within the cylinder for rotation therein to provide a grinding action between the first plurality of teeth and second plurality of teeth. A rod is provided extending from the second plurality of teeth to an upper portion of the hollow container body. A cylindrical partition wall is provided mounted eccentrically with respect to the cylinder. A horizontal partition plate is provided above the cylindrical partition wall. A whole opening is provided in the horizontal partition plate. An agitating member is provided above the partition plate connected to the rod for rotation therewith.

Abstract: A mixing and/or comminution apparatus is described in which a nozzle arrangement which can be supplied with suckable and/or pumpable media is provided in the region of a stirrer member which rotates within the apparatus around the wall thereof. The nozzle arrangement extends over the axial length of the stirrer member and rotates together with the stirrer member.

Abstract: An industrial and feed mixing system including a mixing tank being supplied in part by a hammermill. A pair of vertical augers rotatably mounted in the tank convey feed upwardly. A bottom horizontal auger includes inner and outer auger flights of opposite hand that move feed inwardly to the pair of vertical augers. A horizontal agitator agitates feed at its ends and moves feed inwardly toward the pair of vertical augers. A top horizontal auger has top flights of opposite hand that convey feed outwardly from the pair of vertical augers.

Abstract: In a comminution and mixing apparatus, comprising a cylindrical container (1) for receiving the material to be treated and at least one drivable stirrer which is concentrically journalled relative to the axis (20) of the container and which extends substantially up to the inner wall region of the container, there is provided at least one tool which is eccentrically and rotatably journalled relative to the container axis (20) and is mounted on the stirrer (5) for rotation together therewith. The tool can be driven either at the same rotational speeds or at a different rotational speed from the stirrer (5) and its direction of rotation can also differ from that of the stirrer. As a result of this construction of the comminution and mixing apparatus it is possible to ensure ideal conditions for mixing and comminution in which encrustations of the material being treated and the formation of lumps are avoided.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for separating clumps of resilient fibers such as aramid polymer fiber agglomerates. Rotating blades throw the fiber clumps outwardly against a surrounding resilient "cushion" of fibers of the material. Rather than physically cutting or chopping the fibers, the blade tips exert a rubbing or dissecting action on the clumps. The separated fibers are swept to an outlet by an airstream, while unseparated fibers in the cushion are urged toward the blades for further separation. It is an important advantage of the invention that the average length of the fibers is not substantially reduced as the clumps are being separated by the blades.

Abstract: A feeder assembly for particulate matter blowing machines including a cylindrical member with an opening along its upper surface through which particulate matter is inserted. A drive shaft is positioned longitudinally through the member and a cylindrical drum mounted around the drive shaft. A vane assembly attached to the drum engages the inner surface of the member at a plurality of locations thereby defining a plurality of airlocks. An inlet cover is attached to one end of the member and it has an inlet opening through which gases are forced into the airlocks. An outlet cover is attached to the opposite end of the cylindrical member and the outlet cover has an outlet opening aligned with the inlet opening through which the particulate matter is blown out of the airlocks. A motor turns the drive shaft whereby the airlocks pass adjacent the opening and particulate matter fills the airlocks, and then the airlocks are rotated until adjacent the openings when the material is blown out.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing particulate material from compact masses of materials such as that used for insulation and then pneumatically dispensing the material in a uniform flow and with a preselected and consistent density. The apparatus includes a hopper for receiving the compact masses, an outlet positioned in the bottom of the hopper and a shredding zone located within the upper portion of the hopper for shredding large compact masses into smaller masses or nodules. An auger is positioned below the shredding zone and above the outlet for moving the material along the hopper. Below the auger is a tearing and separating zone that receives the material from the outlet and operates to tear and separate any of the nodules of the material into particulate material. The particulate material is then received and dispensed by a pneumatic transport means. The transport means includes a rotating air lock having an inlet at one end and an end plate at the other or exhaust end of the air lock.

Abstract: A cheese making vat comprising a closed vessel having a vertical shaft mounted for rotation within the vessel. The shaft carries a frame that extends radially outward from the shaft, and a series of vertical blades are mounted on the frame and are designed so that when the shaft is rotated in one direction, the blades act to cut the cheese curds and when the shaft is rotated in the opposite direction the blades act to stir or agitate the curds. During the agitation cycle, whey is continuously withdrawn from the upper end of the vessel and circulated through a heat exchanger to increase the temperature of the whey. The heated whey is then re-introduced into the lower end of the vessel. The circulation of whey, in combination with the movement of the agitator blades, provides a gentle agitation for the curds.

Abstract: A closed food processing vat particularly for use as a cheese curd vat where at least one rotatable vertical shaft within the vat has a pivotally associated cutter frame stopped so the frame when the shaft is rotated in one direction is moved to a cutting position extending as a radius from the shaft with the cutting edge of the blades in the frame leading to a stirring position when the shaft is rotated in the opposite direction with the frame automatically moved as a reaction against the product in the vat to a position at an angle to the radius so that the projection of blades in the frame relative to the direction of rotation is increased to stir the product.The present invention relates to food processing apparatus which has been particularly although not solely designed for use in cheese making.

Abstract: A continuous mixer or kneader, particularly for explosive, potentially explosive, and other critical materials, wherein longitudinally split barrel sections are maintained closed by a mechanism which is actuated to instantly split the barrel sections under emergency conditions to permit the material inside to be treated to prevent or inhibit ignition of the material. The machine includes an extruding die and a cutter, for cutting extruded strands to lengths, which is coupled to the mixer shaft in the barrel, and in addition includes mechanism for interrupting the cutting of strands when the barrel sections are split.

Abstract: A comminuting and/or mixing machine having a plurality of alternately aligned blades each one having plural step-like leading edges lying in a plane angularly disposed to the direction of movement of the blades. The angular disposition of the step-like edges, the relative orientation of the plural blades, the length and spacing of the blades and the speed of rotation of the unit produces a combined chopping, grinding and mixing of the materials resulting in a product of controlled particle size and of intimately mixed conglomerate.

Abstract: A food processing vat comprising a closed vessel that includes a pair of partially cylindrical, intersecting sections. A vertical shaft is disposed centrally within each vat section and the distance between the shafts is slightly greater than the radius of the cylindrical sections. Each shaft carries an agitator frame that extends radially outward from the shaft, and a series of vertical blades are mounted on each frame and are designed so that when the shaft is rotated in one direction the blades act to stir the food product and when the shaft is rotated in the opposite direction, the blades act to cut or slice the food product.