Abstract A pair of conveyor screws located in side-by-side relationship on fixed, substantially horizontal axes at the bottom of a vessel such as a feed hopper are adapted to be rotated, preferably toward each other, to provide mixing action, and are preferably located peripherally of such bottom to provide a peripheral conveying path to a discharge outlet. One of the screws serves to transfer material to the other screw, whose discharge end is substantially coincident with the discharge outlet of the vessel. In material-processing equipment, wherein the vessel constitutes a feed hopper, a passage leads from the discharge outlet and communicates with material-processing mechanism, such as a grinder, meat or fish deboner, etc. A pump may be interposed in such passage for advancing the discharge material from the hopper under pressure to the processing mechanism. A preferred aspect of the invention is to provide respective troughs at the bottom of the hopper for the conveyor screws, and to provide a materialtransferring means at the discharge end of the transfer screw and a by-pass from the discharge end of the trough of the discharge screw to the trough of the transfer screw, so the material will idly circulate within the vessel if the discharge outlet is obstructed for any reason.
A twin screw, continuous, processing machine, comprising a vessel adapted to receive material to be processed; a pair of conveyor screws arranged side-by-side in fixed relationship at the bottom of said vessel, said bottom being formed as twin troughs for receiving the respective conveyor screws, said troughs being separated by a ridge; a discharge outlet in a wall of said vessel and substantially in axial alignment with one of said screws at one end thereof, the other of said screws being arranged to convey material toward the opposite end of said one screw and to transfer material to the said one screw at said opposite end thereof, said one screw being arranged to convey material toward and to force it through said discharge outlet; material by-pass means in the form of a notch in said ridge in the bottom of the vessel at the said one end of the said one screw; and means for rotating said screws.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
158 words
A twin screw, continuous, processing machine, comprising a vessel adapted to receive material to be processed; a pair of conveyor screws arranged side-by-side in fixed relationship at the bottom of said vessel, said bottom being formed as twin troughs for receiving the respective conveyor screws, said troughs being separated by a ridge; a discharge outlet in a wall of said vessel and substantially in axial alignment with one of said screws at one end thereof, the other of said screws being arranged to convey material toward the opposite end of said one screw and to transfer material to the said one screw at said opposite end thereof, said one screw being arranged to convey material toward and to force it through said discharge outlet; material by-pass means in the form of a notch in said ridge in the bottom of the vessel at the said one end of the said one screw; and means for rotating said screws.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
A twin screw, processing machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein a paddle member is secured to the end of the specified other screw at the specified opposite end of the one screw.