Apparatus and method for variable sizing of particulates
AssigneeGeneral Mills, Inc.
InventorsAdam Fiegen, David Ray Marks, Rodney McCalley, Ralph A Stenvik
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Abstract
A particulate sizer includes an infeed for receiving a plurality of particulates, a first roller, and a second roller. The first and second rollers break down the plurality of particulates as the plurality of particulates passes through a gap between the first and second rollers. The width of the gap varies along a length of the first and second rollers. Accordingly, the first and second rollers compress some particulates to a first size and compress other particulates to a second smaller size. In addition, each of the first and second rollers has a textured outer surface for carrying the plurality of particulates through the gap.
Claims20
A particulate sizer comprising:
- an infeed configured to receive a plurality of particulates;
- a first roller;
- and
- a second roller, wherein the first and second rollers are configured to break down at least some of the plurality of particulates to create at least first and second particulates from the plurality of particulates as the plurality of particulates passes through a gap between the first and second rollers, the first particulates having a first size distribution and the second particulates having a second size distribution distinct from the first size distribution, with a mode of the first size distribution being less than a mode of the second size distribution, and the first and second rollers are configured such that a width of the gap varies along a length of the first and second rollers.
A method of sizing a plurality of particulates with a particulate sizer including an infeed, a first roller and a second roller, the method comprising:
- receiving the plurality of particulates with the infeed;
- and
- breaking down the plurality of particulates with the first and second rollers as the plurality of particulates passes through a gap between the first and second rollers, with the first and second rollers being configured such that a width of the gap varies along a length of the first and second rollers;
- and
- creating at least first and second particulates from the plurality of particulates, the first particulates having a first size distribution and the second particulates having a second size distribution distinct from the first size distribution, with a mode of the first size distribution being less than a mode of the second size distribution.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.