# US 10,863,765 B2 · High-fat and high-protein animal feed supplement and process of manufacture

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- Number: US 10,863,765 B2
- Document ID: US10863765B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/607,288
- Filed: 2017-05-26
- Published: 2017-09-14
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2012-10-24
- Assignees: Nationwide 5, LLC
- Applicants: Nationwide 5, LLC
- Inventors: Michael Ray Thomas
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10863765B2

## CPC

- A23N 17/005: {for shaping by moulding, extrusion, pressing, e.g. pellet-mills (processes A23K40/00; presses in general B30B)}
- A23K 20/147: Polymeric derivatives, e.g. peptides or proteins
- A23K 20/158: Fatty acids; Fats; Products containing oils or fats
- A23K 40/20: by moulding, e.g. making cakes or briquettes
- A23K 40/25: by extrusion
- A23K 50/10: for ruminants
- A23P 30/20: Extruding
- B29B 7/485: {with three or more shafts provided with screws}
- B29B 7/488: {Parts, e.g. casings, sealings; Accessories, e.g. flow controlling or throttling devices (discharging B29B7/582; feeding B29B7/60)}
- B29B 7/489: {Screws (B29B7/482 takes precedence)}
- B29B 7/72: Measuring, controlling or regulating
- B29B 7/823: {Temperature control}
- B29B 7/826: {Apparatus therefor}
- B29B 7/845: {Venting, degassing or removing evaporated components in devices with rotary stirrers}
- B29C 48/05: Filamentary, e.g. strands
- B29C 48/06: Rod-shaped
- B29C 48/30: Extrusion nozzles or dies (extrusion characterised by the shape or cross-section of the extruded article B29C48/03)
- B29C 48/32: with annular openings, e.g. for forming tubular articles
- B29C 48/345: Extrusion nozzles comprising two or more adjacently arranged ports, for simultaneously extruding multiple strands, e.g. for pelletising
- B29C 48/402: {the screws having intermeshing parts}
- B29C 48/505: Screws
- B29C 48/60: Thread tops
- B29C 48/605: the thread being discontinuous
- B29C 48/911: {Cooling}
- B29C 48/92: Measuring, controlling or regulating
- F26B 17/20: the axis of rotation being horizontal or slightly inclined
- A23N 17/00: Apparatus specially adapted for preparing animal feeding-stuffs {(automatic devices for the distribution of liquid fodder for stock or game A01K5/0216; sucking apparatus for young stock A01K9/00)}
- B29C 48/04: Particle-shaped (making granules B29B9/00)
- B29C 2948/92: Measuring, controlling or regulating
- B29C 2948/92019: Pressure
- B29C 2948/92209: Temperature
- B29C 2948/92428: Calibration, after-treatment, or cooling zone
- B29C 2948/926: Flow or feed rate
- B29C 2948/92704: Temperature
- B29C 2948/92923: Calibration, after-treatment or cooling zone
- A23N: MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR TREATING HARVESTED FRUIT, VEGETABLES OR FLOWER BULBS IN BULK, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PEELING VEGETABLES OR FRUIT IN BULK; APPARATUS FOR PREPARING ANIMAL FEEDING- STUFFS (machines for cutting straw or fodder A01F29/00; disintegrating, e.g. shredding, B02C; severing, e.g. cutting, splitting, slicing B26B, B26D)
- A23K: FODDER
- A23P: SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS
- B29B: PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- F26B: DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM (drying devices for combines A01D41/133; racks for drying fruit or vegetables A01F25/12; drying foodstuffs A23; drying hair A45D20/00; body-drying implements A47K10/00; drying household articles A47L; drying gases or vapours B01D; chemical or physical processes for dewatering or like separating liquids from solids B01D43/00; centrifugal apparatus B04; drying ceramics C04B33/30; drying yarns or fabrics in association with some other form of treatment D06C; drying frames for laundry without heating or positive air circulation, domestic laundry-or spin-driers, wringing or hot pressing laundry D06F; furnaces, kilns, ovens F27)

## Abstract

A system according to various embodiments can include a source for supplying a material to be treated, an extruder, at least two screws, and a drive coupled to the screws for axially rotating the screws. The extruder includes an inlet for receiving the material, which is fed therein in a controlled manner. The screws are provided within the housing of the extruder. The screws have a plurality of compression and release stages that create mechanical heat which is directly applied to the material to change the mechanical properties of the material thereby facilitating a conversion of a physical state of the material from a non-compactable state to a compactable state as the screws rotate and move the material longitudinally along the screws to produce a final product, for example, a feed tub for use as an animal feed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for producing a feed product, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a material to be treated, the treated material having an initial composition of a first nutritional value, the initial composition comprising at least (a) a first protein content and (b) a first fat/oil content;
advancing the treated material through an extruder comprising a plurality of alternating stages of compression and release;
dispensing the treated material from the extruder into an expandable container comprising a housing, the housing having a top portion, a bottom portion, side walls defining an initial shape having a centerline in a circumferential direction of the expandable container, and at least one expandable panel disposed within at least one side wall of the housing;
compressing a volume of the treated material within the expandable container to produce a final product comprising a final composition formed as a solid having a substantially uniform density throughout;
producing, without adding any nutritional additives or binders to the treated material, the final product having a second nutritional value comprising a second fat/oil content, on a dry basis, within a range of about 112% to 116% of the first fat/oil content; and
expanding the at least one expandable panel and the side walls of the expandable container to define a configuration of the expandable container, without expanding the top portion, by compressing the volume of the treated material within the expandable container such that a shape of the housing changes from an initial shape so that a centerline expands approximately within a range of 40%-65% to define the configuration of the expandable container having a substantially parabolic shape; and
forming a water seal between the final product and an inside portion of the side walls of the housing by compressing the volume of the treated material such that the treated material bonds to the inside portion of the side walls to form the water seal for preventing water from entering the housing in the configuration of the expandable container.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the final product is formed in a shape of a block form, wherein the block form is a solid, rigid form that remains solid once formed.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the final product is formed in a shape of a tub.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the final product is formed in a shape of a plurality of pellets.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the final product is formed in a shape of a cube.

### Claim 6

A method for producing animal feed, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a material to be treated, the treated material having an initial composition of a first nutritional value, the initial composition comprising at least (a) a first protein content and (b) a first fat/oil content;
advancing the treated material through a plurality of alternating stages of compression and release;
creating heat generated by advancing the treated material through the plurality of alternating stages of compression and release;
applying the heat directly to the material to change mechanical properties of the treated material to convert a physical state of the material from a non-compactable state to a compactable state to produce a compactable material;
dispensing the compactable material into a container;
overflowing the container, during the dispensing of the compactable material, causing the compactable material to overflow into an internal volume of the container and further dispense into an overflow container positioned on top of the container, wherein the overflow container provides an extra volume to the internal volume of the container; and
compressing the compactable material into the container to produce a final product comprising a final composition formed as a solid within the container and having a substantially uniform density throughout; and
producing, without adding any nutritional additives or binders to the treated material, the final product having a second nutritional value comprising a second fat/oil content, on a dry basis, within a range of about 112% to 116% of the first fat/oil content.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein the final product is formed in a shape of a block form within the container, wherein the block form is a solid, rigid form that remains solid once formed.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein the final product is formed in a shape of a tub.