A modified kneading element for a screw extruder, peripherally congruent, aligned, and contiguous with a cross-sectional profile of a modified conveying element, includes a central portion defining a root diameter having a shaft receiving bore defined therein; and at least one lobe extending radially from the central portion, each lobe having an outer periphery ridge and first and second lateral sidewalls, wherein one of the lateral sidewalls of each lobe is concave between the outer periphery ridge and the central portion. Kneading blocks including such kneading elements and screw extruders including such kneading blocks are also provided.

Kneading element and related articles

A continuous method and system for processing whole muscle meat employs a mixer housing having a pair of parallel rotating shafts located therein. The parallel rotating shafts have a plurality of mixing elements thereon, such as frustoconical elements, blocking elements, or ellipsoid elements. The mixer housing has an input end to receive the meat ingredients, such as meat pieces, salt solution, water, preservatives, and other additives such as spices. The mixer housing has an output, which is separated a distance from the input, such that the output discharges the whole muscle meat product. As the ingredients including the meat move from the input to the output along the shafts, the mixing elements work the meat with the other ingredients thereby increasing ingredient incorporation including diffusion of the salt solution into the whole muscle meat pieces.

Method and apparatus for continuous processing of whole muscle meat products

An agitator for providing uniform and rapid material mixing is provided comprising a first sweep blade mechanically coupled to a second sweep blade. The first sweep blade extends from a first sweep blade origin to a first sweep blade terminus along a first substantially helical path defined about a first helical axis. The second sweep blade extends from a second sweep blade origin to a second sweep blade terminus along a second substantially helical path defined about a second helical axis. The respective orientations of the first sweep blade along the first substantially helical path and the second sweep blade along the second substantially helical path define a first flow direction extending from the first sweep blade origin to the second sweep blade terminus. An agitator assembly is provided comprising a first agitator, a second agitator, a mixing bowl enclosing the first and second agitators, and a driving assembly coupled to the first and second agitators. The second agitator is oriented substantially parallel to the first agitator. The first agitator defines a first flow direction extending from the first sweep blade origin to the second sweep blade terminus. The second agitator defines a return flow direction extending from the third sweep blade origin to the fourth sweep blade terminus. The return flow direction is opposite the first flow direction.

Agitator and agitator assembly

A continuous granulator comprises a longitudinal granulation chamber having a first end with an inlet for powder material and a binder feed port and a second end with an outlet for granulated product. The granulation chamber comprises at least two parallel rotary shafts provided with granulating elements and forming an angle of from 0 to 70 degrees with the vertical. Each granulating element on a shaft comprises at least one lobe having limited extent in the circumferential direction of the shaft and interleaving with a lobe of a granulating element on another shaft. A plurality of such separate granulating elements are distributed from the inlet to the outlet, and successive granulating elements on a shaft are mutually angled.

Continuous Granulator and Method of Continuous Granulation of Powder Material

An apparatus for degassing plastic materials, e.g., high molecular weight polycarbonate solutions, is described. The apparatus includes a double-shaft extruder having a length-to-diameter ratio of less than or equal to 40, which comprises: (i) two co-rotating and meshing shafts; (ii) an intake opening; and (iii) upstream and downstream portions relative to the intake opening. The shafts of the extruder are designed with a double lead in a degassing zone, and with a triple lead in a pressure build-up zone. Each of the degassing and the pressure build-up zones are down-stream from the intake opening, and the pressure build-up zone is further down-stream than the degassing zone. Also described is a process for degassing plastic materials, which involves providing the described double-shaft co-rotating extruder, into which plastic material is fed, processed and degassed. Entraining agents, such as nitrogen, and other processing additives may be introduced into an extruder during the process of the present invention.

Device and method for degassing plastics

A continuous kneading machine capable of achieving selfcleaning, improvement in kneading efficiency, and reduction in abrasion of paddles is provided. This continuous kneading machine is characterized in that sectional shape of one paddle in a section perpendicular to a rotation shaft is formed of n (where n is an integer, and n≧2) pairs of major radius parts and minor radius parts which are alternately arranged with equal angle and formed by a gentle curve, and that sectional shape of another paddle is formed of m (where m is an integer, m≧2, and n≠m) pairs of major radius parts and minor radius parts which are formed by an escribed envelope curve drawn by rotation in cooperation with the one paddle, and in which rotation of another paddle is performed in a direction different from the one paddle at a different ratio of rotation frequency.

Akira Toyomi

Papers

Continuous kneading machine