Soy bean processing machine

Claim 2

A machine for cooking material, comprising, an elongated hollow housing having opposite ends and an interior wall surface, a screw conveyer means including a shaft with flighting thereon rotatably mounted in said housing, said screw conveyer means including a spiral flighting means for conveying material along the interior of said housing upon the rotation of said shaft, said housing having a material inlet opening adjacent its said one end, means for supplying material to said material inlet opening, said housing having fluting means provided on its interior wall surface, an end plate closing the other end of said housing, said end plate having a discharge opening formed therein which rotatably receives one end of said drive shaft extending therethrough, said discharge opening having a larger diameter than said shaft to permit material to be discharged from said housing outwardly therethrough around said shaft, a washer means on said shaft outwardly of said end plate and having a diameter substantially greater than the diameter of said discharge opening, and means maintaining said washer means on said shaft, said material being heated and cooked by heat and pressure applied thereto which is generated as the material is conveyed along the interior of said housing, forced against said end plate, discharged outwardly through said discharge opening, and passed between said end plate and said washer means, means on said shaft and said housing for selectively adjusting the longitudinal position of said shaft to adjust to space between said end plate and said washer means.

Claim 3

A machine for cooking material, comprising, an elongated hollow housing having opposite ends and an interior wall surface, a screw conveyer means including a shaft with flighting thereon rotatably mounted in said housing, said screw conveyor means including a spiral flighting means for conveying material along the interior of said housing upon the rotation of said shaft, said housing having a material inlet opening adjacent its said one end, means for supplying material to said material inlet opening, said housing having fluting means provided on its interior wall surface, an end plate closing the other end of said housing, said end plate having a discharge opening formed therein which rotatably receives one end of said drive shaft extending therethrough, said discharge opening having a larger diameter than said shaft to permit material to be discharged from said housing outwardly therethrough around said shaft, a washer means on said shaft outwardly of said end plate and having a diameter substantially greater than the diameter of said discharge opening, and means maintaining said washer means on said shaft, said material being heated and cooked by heat and pressure applied thereto which is generated as the material is conveyed along the interior of said housing, forced against said end plate, discharged outwardly through said discharge opening, and passed between said end plate and said washer means, said shaft having a progressively increased diameter as it extends from the material inlet opening to the other end of said housing, said shaft being rotatably connected to said housing by a bearing assembly including a bearing element and a lock nut on said shaft, whereby removal of said lock nut will permit said shaft to be withdrawn through said bearing element and through the end of said housing opposite to said material input end.

Claim 4

A machine for cooking material, comprising, an elongated hollow housing having opposite ends and an interior wall surface, a screw conveyer means including a shaft with flighting thereon rotatably mounted in said housing, said screw conveyor means including a spiral flighting means for conveying material along the interior of said housing upon the rotation of said shaft, said housing having a material inlet opening adjacent its said one end, means for supplying material to said material inlet opening, said housing having fluting means provided on its interior wall surface, an end plate closing the other end of said housing, said end plate having a discharge opening formed therein which rotatably receives one end of said drive shaft extending therethrough, said discharge opening having a larger diameter than said shaft to permit material to be discharged from said housing outwardly therethrough around said shaft, a washer means on said shaft outwardly of said end plate and having a diameter substantially greater than the diameter of said discharge opening, and means maintaining said washer means on said shaft, said material being heated and cooked by heat and pressure applied thereto which is generated as the material is conveyed along the interior of said housing, forced against said end plate, discharged outwardly through said discharge opening, and passed between said end plate and said washer means, said shaft having a progressively increased diameter as it extends from the material inlet opening to the other end of said housing, said shaft being rotatably connected to said housing by a bearing assembly including a bearing element and a lock nut on said shaft, whereby removal of said lock nut will permit said shaft to be withdrawn through said bearing element and through the end of said housing opposite to said material input end.

Claim 5

A machine for cooking material, comprising an elongated hollow housing having opposite ends and an interior wall surface, a screw conveyer means including a shaft with flighting thereon rotatably mounted in said housing, said screw conveyer means including a spiral flighting means for conveying material along the interior of said housing upon the rotation of said shaft, said housing having a material inlet opening adjacent one end, means for supplying material to said material inlet opening, said housing having fluting means provided on its interior wall surface extending inwardly therefrom and terminating at a point spaced radially outwardly of the outer periphery of said flighting thereby creating restricted clearance between said flighting means and said fluting means, an end plate at the other end of said housing, said end plate having a discharge opening formed therein adjacent one end of said shaft, said discharge opening having a larger diameter than said shaft to permit material to be discharged from said housing outwardly therethrough around said shaft, a washer means outwardly of said end plate with restricted clearance between said end plate and said washer means and having a diameter substantially greater than the diameter of said discharge opening, the restricted clearances being such that material is heated and cooked by heat and pressure generated as the material is conveyed along the interior of said housing, forced against said end plate, discharged outwardly through said discharge opening, and passed between said end plate and said washer means, and a tapered wedge means mounted on said screw conveyer means adjacent the inner surface of said end plate, said wedge means extending around said conveyer means and having a progressively increasing thickness to progressively compress the material between it and the interior wall surface of said housing as said conveyer means is rotated.

Claim 6

A machine for cooking material, comprising an elongated hollow housing having opposite ends and an interior wall surface, a screw conveyer means including a shaft with flighting thereon rotatably mounted in said housing, said screw conveyer means including a spiral flighting means for conveying material along the interior of said housing upon the rotation of said shaft, said housing having a material inlet opening adjacent one end, means for supplying material to said material inlet opening, said housing having fluting means provided on its interior wall surface extending inwardly therefrom and terminating at a point spaced radially outwardly of the outer periphery of said flighting thereby creating restricted clearance between said flighting means and said fluting means, an end plate at the other end of said housing, said end plate having a discharge opening formed therein adjacent one end of said shaft, said discharge opening having a larger diameter than said shaft to permit material to be discharged from said housing outwardly therethrough around said shaft, a washer means outwardly of said end plate with restricted clearance between said end plate and said washer means and having a diameter substantially greater than the diameter of said discharge opening, the restricted clearances being such that material is heated and cooked by heat and pressure generated as the material is conveyed along the interior of said housing, forced against said end plate, discharged outwardly through said discharge opening, and passed between said end plate and said washer means, and a tapered wedge means mounted on said screw conveyer means adjacent the inner surface of said end plate, said wedge means extending around said conveyer means and having a progressively increasing thickness to progressively compress the material between it and the interior wall surface of said housing as said conveyer means is rotated.

Claim 7

The machine of claim 3 wherein said wedge means is ring-shaped and also has a progressively decreasing width so as to provide a wedge means which progresses from a relatively narrow and thick end portion to a relatively wide and thin end portion.

Claim 8

The machine of claim 2 wherein said screw conveyer means includes a cylindrical portion having the said spiral flighting means protruding therefrom, said wedge means being secured to said cylindrical portion and having a maximum thickness substantially equal to the distance said spiral flighting means protrudes from said cylindrical portion.

Claim 9

A machine for cooking grain, comprising an elongated hollow housing assembly having a longitudinal axis, opposite ends and an interior wall surface, a screw conveyer means including a shaft assembly extending longitudinally of, and rotatably mounted in said housing assembly, said screw conveyer means including a spiral flighting means for conveying grain along the interior of said housing assembly upon the rotation of said shaft assembly with restricted clearance between said flighting means and said surface, said housing assembly having grain inlet and discharge openings adjacent its opposite ends, means for supplying grain to said grain inlet opening, cooking control means comprising adjustable blocking means for adjustably restricting and adjustably partially blocking said discharge opening, said adjustable blocking means including a first metering surface on said shaft assembly, said first metering surface cooperating with a second metering surface on said housing assembly and defining therewith said discharge openinG, the restrictive action provided by the restricted clearance and blocking means being such that grain is heated and cooked by heat and pressure generated as the grain is conveyed along the interior of said housing assembly, discharged outwardly through said discharge opening and past said blocking means, and said cooking control means operable to selectively adjust the restrictive action provided by said restricted clearance and said blocking means and cause selective regulation of said heating and cooking of said grain.

Claim 10

A machine for cooking grain, comprising an elongated hollow housing assembly having a longitudinal axis, opposite ends and an interior wall surface, a screw conveyer means including a shaft assembly extending longitudinally of, and rotatably mounted in said housing assembly, said screw conveyer means including a spiral flighting means for conveying grain along the interior of said housing assembly upon the rotation of said shaft assembly with restricted clearance between said flighting means and said surface, said housing assembly having grain inlet and discharge openings adjacent its opposite ends, means for supplying grain to said grain inlet opening, cooking control means comprising adjustable blocking means for adjustably restricting and adjustably partially blocking said discharge opening, said adjustable blocking means including a first metering surface on said shaft assembly, said first metering surface cooperating with a second metering surface on said housing assembly and defining therewith said discharge openinG, the restrictive action provided by the restricted clearance and blocking means being such that grain is heated and cooked by heat and pressure generated as the grain is conveyed along the interior of said housing assembly, discharged outwardly through said discharge opening and past said blocking means, and said cooking control means operable to selectively adjust the restrictive action provided by said restricted clearance and said blocking means and cause selective regulation of said heating and cooking of said grain.

Claim 11

A machine according to claim 6, wherein said adjustable blocking means includes a projecting portion projecting from said shaft assembly adjacent said discharge opening, said projecting portion bearing said first metering surface and being adjustably mounted on said shaft assembly for adjustment relative thereto, and retainer means adjustable retaining said projecting portion on said shaft assembly, said housing assembly including an end portion about said discharge opening, said end portion bearing said second metering surface.

Claim 12

A machine according to claim 6 wherein said adjustable blocking means includes an increased diameter portion of said shaft assembly fixedly projecting from said shaft assembly adjacent said discharge opening.

Claim 13

A machine according to claim 8 wherein said shaft assembly is axially movable relative to said housing assembly to adjust said adjustable blocking means, said increased diameter portion bearing said first metering surface, said housing assembly including an end portion about said discharge opening, said end portion bearing said second metering surface.