Eggshell processing methods and apparatus
AssigneeMFI Food Canada, Ltd.
InventorJohn H. Thoroski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of processing eggshells to separate outer eggshell portions and the membrane portions. The eggshells are dried to remove moisture content and cause at least some separation of the membrane portions from the outer eggshell portions. A first amount of the membrane portions is separated by sieving from the eggshells. The remaining eggshell component is directed to a processing chamber with an impacting zone, where the remaining eggshell component is impacted to reduce the particle size of at least the outer eggshell material to form smaller particles. The outer eggshell particles are collected to a valve, and the membrane portion is pneumatically removed.
Claims6
An apparatus particularly adapted for processing eggshells which comprise outer portions and membrane portions, said apparatus comprising:
- a) a housing which comprises a section and positioned sections, which define a processing chamber;
- b) an portion to direct the into the chamber;
- c) an impacting portion positioned in an impacting zone of said chamber and comprising at one impacting member which is mounted in said chamber to a circumferential path to impact said eggshells, to break up the eggshells and to reduce particle size of at the outer eggshell portions to form smaller outer particles that are separated from said membrane portions;
- d) said apparatus having an eggshell particle collecting area positioned below said impact zone to said outer particles at in part by gravity;
- e) a pneumatic portion to pneumatically remove membrane portion particles from said chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.