Rendering apparatus

Claim 1

IN A HIGH CAPACITY RENDERING APPARATUS OF THE TYPE WHICH INCLUDES A CLOSED CYLINDRICAL HOUSING, A DRIVEN ROTARY PRESSURE-RETAINING FEED VALVE AT ONE END OF SAID HOUSING FOR DIRECTING MATERIAL TO BE RENDERED INTO SAID HOUSING, A DRIVEN ROTARY PRESSURE-RETAINING DISCHARGE VALVE AT THE OTHER END OF SAID HOUSING HAVING AN INLET OPENING FOR RECEIVING THE MEAL FROM SAID HOUSING AND A DISCHARGE OPENING FOR DISCHARGING MEAL, MEANS FOR DIRECTING A RENDERING MEDIUM UNDER PRESSURE INTO SAID HOUSING, AND A DRIVEN SCREW CONVEYOR IN SAID HOUSING FOR CONVEYING MATERIAL FROM SAID FEED VALVE TO SAID DISCHARGE VALVE; THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES AN ELONGATED FEED NECK DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID ROTARY FEED VALVE AND SAID CYLINDRICAL HOUSING AND HAVING AN OPENING COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING THAT IS APPROXIMATELY ONE AND THREE TENTHS TIMES AS GREAT IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID SCREW CONVEYOR AS THE DIAMETER OF SAID HOUSING FOR CAUSING THE MATERIAL TO SPREAD IN AN EVEN LAYER BELOW SAID NECK, A RIFLING STRIP WELDED TO AND PROJECTION INWARDLY FROM THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID CYLINDRICAL HOUSING FOR PREVENTING THE LAYER OF MATERIAL FROM ROTATING IN SAID HOUSING WITH SAID SCREW CONVEYOR ADJACENT ITS PERIPHERY FOR STIRRING THE MATERIAL BEING RENDERED TO EXPOSE DIFFERENT SURFACES TO THE RENDERING MEDIUM, A DISCHARGE PASSAGE CONNECTED TO THE DISCHARGE OPENING OF SAID DISCHARGE VALVE, AND MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID DISCHARGE VALVE BETWEEN SAID INLET OPENING AND SAID DISCHARGE OPENING FOR VENTING STEAM AND ENTRAINED PARTICLES OF MEAL FROM SAID DISCHARGE VALVE AND FOR DIRECTING THE ENTRAINED PARTICLES OF MEAL INTO SAID DISCHARGES PASSAGE FOR SUBSEQUENT INTERMIXING WITH THE BULK OF THE DISCHARGE MEAL.