Abstract: A pump feeder includes a hopper, a first mixing paddle, a second mixing paddle, a first auger, a second auger and dual outlets. The hopper receives edible material in the form of a thick, viscous base and mix-ins, and includes an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The first and second mixing paddles are located within the upper chamber and cause movement of the edible material within the upper chamber for both breaking apart and mixing of the edible material. The first and second augers are located within the lower chamber and cause movement of the edible material from a first end of the lower chamber to a second end of the lower chamber. The outlets are located at the second end of the lower chamber and connected to an inlet of a pump which further compresses the mixed edible material for delivery to an extruder die and cutting assembly.

Abstract: A processing installation for devolatilization of polymer melts comprises a first extruder and a second extruder arranged downstream thereof in a direction of conveyance. The first extruder comprises several rotatably drivable first shafts which are provided with first treatment members and several devolatilization zones with associated devolatilization ports. Correspondingly, the second extruder comprises several rotatably drivable second shafts which are provided with second treatment members and several second devolatilization zones with associated devolatilization ports. The first treatment members have an external diameter which is smaller than or equal to that of the second treatment members. A devolatilization unit is arranged in a transfer zone which interconnects the extruders. The devolatilization unit comprises a perforated plate and a clearance arranged downstream in the direction of conveyance.

Abstract: Improved single screw extruders systems (40) are provided including a single screw extruder (42, 92) as well as an upstream preconditioner (44). The extruders (42, 92) include a single, internal, elongated, helically flighted, axially rotatable screw assembly (52) having one or more improved screw sections (74, 74a, 76). The screw sections (74, 74a, 76) include specially configured flighting (86) wherein adjacent flighting portions (86a, 86b) have smoothly arcuate surfaces (88) extending between the respective flighting portion peripheries (90a, 90b). This flighting design provides smooth, substantially surge-free operation while increasing SME and cook values. The preferred preconditioner (44) has independently controlled mixing shafts (106, 108) allowing the shafts (106, 108) to be rotated at different rotational speeds and/or directions.

Abstract: A multiscrew extruder device for production of elastomeric compounds is intended for manufacturing tyres for vehicle wheels. The device includes a holding body; a mandrel inserted in the holding body extending along a longitudinal axis and delimiting an annular chamber with the holding body; and a plurality of extrusion screws disposed in the annular chamber and parallel to the longitudinal axis. A first circuit for a heat-exchange fluid for temperature control is formed in the mandrel and includes a central channel extending in the mandrel along the longitudinal axis and a plurality of parallel peripheral channels extending in a peripheral portion of the mandrel close to the annular chamber and in fluid communication with the central channel.

Abstract: A device for mixing and/or kneading food products is provided with a container having an inlet, an outlet as well as at least two counter-rotating shafts that extend substantially in the longitudinal direction of the container. Each shaft is fitted with at least one tool, which tool comprises at least one bar that helically surrounds the shaft, which bar is fixed to the shaft by means of spacers. The bar extends substantially as one whole over an operative area of the shaft.

Abstract: An extruder drive has a housing, at least two extrusion worms each having a drive shaft extending into the housing, and at least one drive motor including at least one cylindrical stator fixed in the housing and a cylindrical rotor cooperating with the stator so as to be rotatably driven by the stator. The rotor surrounds the drive shafts, and each of the drive shafts is independently connected to the rotor for driving thereby.

Abstract: A compact extruder with multiple parallel screws having a variable pitch arrangement, includes an outer casing which has at least two chambers that contain at least two screws which allow material to flow from one chamber to the other chamber through a passage, and that present a feed inlet for the material to be treated and an outlet for the material; each chamber has at least one pair of housings for the corresponding pair of screws which engage with one another, each screw presenting a long-pitch portion and a short-pitch portion.

Abstract: The manufacture of a plastic material, particularly provided with fibers, is frequently carried out in an extruder (10). Various problems have arisen in this connection. For example, problems arise in working long or endless reinforcement fibers, for example rovings (27), into the plastic. On the one hand, the fibers are so badly broken up that they have only very small lengths. On the other hand, it has proved difficult to impregnate the fibers sufficiently. According to the invention, in order to feed in fibers, the plastic is moved in batches past a pre-plastifying worm (11). This is achieved by a secondary worm (18) located next to the pre-plastifying worm (11).

Abstract: A twin shaft continuous kneading extruder has a twin kneading feeder portion provided with two passages juxtaposed to each other within a casing. The passages are cocoon-shape in cross-section and hold two kneading shafts rotatably disposed in the respective passage portions. A single screw portion substantially extends one of the passages and holds a screw shaft that substantially extends one of the kneading feeder shafts. In addition, a plurality of mixing portions are provided on the twin kneading feeder portion. A first degassing open vent communicates with the kneading feeder shafts between mixing portions while a second vacuum degassing open vent is provided on the single screw portion. The first mixing portion keeps resin fed from a material feeding port in a semi-gelled condition. Thereafter, the resin is completely melted and kneaded in a second mixing portion after degassing. The resin is then fed to the single screw portion which subjects the resin to a vacuum degassing to be further extruded.

Abstract: Side by side extruders provide an extrusion apparatus which has an imposed order of longitudinal displacement of the process material in relation to itself so that cross-shearing is directed to newly aligned material in a manner which achieves volumetric blending with little unproductive shearing. The extrusion apparatus mixes and extrudes polymer like materials with as little waste shearing as possible, so as to preserve the viscosity of the polymer materials and to produce a uniformity processed material of the highest quality possible from the starting materials.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for processing extrudable materials in such a way as to apply a controlled and predetermined degree of shear force to the materials. Typically, an extruder apparatus includes a housing having first and second screws mounted therein for rotation on a common axis, the arrangement being such that longitudinal thrust forces exerted by the first screw are at least partially compensated by corresponding forces generated by the second screw, inlet means for introducing material to be processed into the housing and a shear generating device located between said screws, said device including a restriction through which material is forced from said housing to exit from said housing. The restriction is preferably an annular gap formed by a sleeve fixed relatively to the housing and a shaft portion which extends into the sleeve.

Abstract: An extrusion apparatus having a rotor member rotatable within a barrel member longitudinal and cross-sectionally mixes and extrudes thermo-plastic and thermo-setting materials. The apparatus is articulated into sections including a barrel entrance and forcing section, a blending section, and an end discharge section. The barrel entrance and forcing section consists of helical extrusion grooves which terminate at an abrupt rotor to barrel and barrel to rotor material transfers. The blending section recognizes that blending is volumetric i.e. three-dimensional and therefore longitudinal displacement of the material in relation to itself is one of the dimensions. Longitudinal displacement is accomplished in the blending section by providing a double extrusion capacity main extrusion rotor and a single capacity backfeed rotor arranged to recirculate half of the material processed by the main stream rotor.

Abstract: A method for the continuous preparation of a chewing gum mass is disclosed which includes reducing the agglomerations of the solid ingredients contained in the gum mass in minimum time. The method includes introducing powdered chewing gum ingredients and a first portion of a liquid gum base into an extruder and forming a premix and thereafter combining the premix with a second portion of gum base. The premix and second portion of gum base are then extruded over a distance and in a unidirectional flow to provide a substantially homogeneous chewing gum mass having minimal agglomerations of powdered chewing gum ingredients. In a preferred embodiment, the chewing gum mass is cooled during the unidirectional flow to the exit port to allow rolling, scoring and wrapping of the exiting chewing gum without requiring a separate cooling step.

Abstract: A method for continuous production of a chewing gum slab in the absence of separate cooling is disclosed. The method includes introducing chewing gum ingredients and gum base into an extruder and extrusion mixing the ingredients with the gum base over a distance to provide a substantially homogeneous chewing gum mass. The mass is also cooled over the distance so that the chewing gum slab is provided which is suitable for rolling and scoring is extruding into a rope without a separate cooling step.

Abstract: In the case of the extruder, the thread of the screw, or that of the screws, is partly left-handed and partly right-handed, so that one part of the material to be processed is conveyed in direction A, while the other part is conveyed in the opposite direction B. The process is a degasifying-extrusion-process and the extruder is a degasifying extruder. The apparatus includes a reverse-degasifying assembly (7,22) at the end (8,19) of the screw (1,16), or screws (1,16), if the material to be processed is carried away from this end, and/or a reverse-degasifying assembly (41,52) at the location between the threaded sections of the screw (1,16) or screws (1,16), so that the material to be processed is carried away in opposite directions B and A.

Abstract: An extruder feeds a thermoplastified flow of synthetic resin to at least one mixing unit which is driven independently of the extruder and has a rotor and stator with mutually facing pockets and defining a gap between them traversed by the thermoplastified flow and into which an additive is pumped at an upstream end so as to obtain an especially homogenius distribution of the additive in the thermoplastified flow.

Abstract: A series of preferably superimposed low inclination troughs containing serial inclined blade rotating mixers and transporters is provided to react dry materials and liquids, and in particular borax with water and acid, in a manner which avoids the formation of refractory lumps and the like. Those are at least two series of rotating blades to both mix and lift the materials into a gas drying stream passing along the troughs. A shearing type grinder or hammer mill is positioned intermediate of the troughs to grind or break up the material part way through the apparatus. Material is discharged from the apparatus in a dry finely comminuted form which does not form lumps upon standing.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for dosing and mixing solids and liquids to form a low viscosity suspension comprises at least one continuously operating mixing device and a supply device for supplying the components to the mixing device, in order to obtain a desired initial pressure. The supply device is constructed as a drag flow pump (1) which is connected to the mixing device (6) by a pressure pipe (13), at least one solids and liquid introduction device (15, 16 or 17, 18) is provided along the drag flow pump (1) and the latter is followed by at least one liquid introduction device (27), a shut-off device being provided in the pressure pipe (13).

Abstract: An automatic dough-producing system including a controllable mixing stage into which are fed flour and a dough-forming solution to produce a paste which is then supplied to a development stage yielding dough. In the development stage, the incoming paste is fed through a lateral inlet to a screw rotating within an elongated tube at a variable speed, the inlet position being adjustable along the screw to vary the length of that portion of the screw which acts to knead and develop the paste to produce the dough, this adjustment being independent of the mixing stage.

Abstract: A system for producing gluten continuously at a rapid rate, the system including a vertical tube having an inlet at its upper end to receive a flour paste, the lower end of the tube being perforated to define a separation zone surrounded by a water jacket. A rotating shaft coaxially disposed in the tube acts to drive a conveyor screw within the separation zone, the screw having nozzles therein to eject water toward the inner wall of the tube.

Abstract: Dough is dispensed from the bottom of a dough hopper with a screw conveyor that slices into the dough mass and moves the dough horizontally out of a lower opening in the hopper and through a discharge conduit and discharge nozzle. The screw conveyor divides the conveyed dough into batches and the dough is worked in the discharge conduit and air from about the batches of dough is vented from the discharge conduit prior to extruding the dough through the discharge nozzle.

Abstract: In plastics material extruding installation, a number of layout arrangements of conventional twin-screw extruders with double-feed twin-screw extruders are provided in various combinations in order to solve the problems of a thorough degassing of the plastics material and of an intimate admixture of the several compounding ingredients or raw plastics materials so as to obtain a really homogeneous extrudate.