Apparatus for processing oilseed and grain mash products

An extruder for processing material such as oilseed products, grain mash and the like and comprising:

• an elongated housing including means defining a cylindrical bore;
• inlet conduit means in communication with said bore;
• means forming a discharge opening at one end of said bore opposite said inlet conduit means;
• and
• an elongated rotatable screw conveyor disposed in said bore and including screw thread means forming a substantially spiral flow path for said material, said screw thread means including a plurality of separate thread portions of a different pitch disposed around respective cylindrical shaft portions of said conveyor, the diameters of said respective shaft portions being different for said thread portions of different pitch, the pitch of said thread portions decreasing progressively toward said one end of said bore, and the diameter of said respective shaft portions increasing with decreasing pitch of said thread portions.

An extruder for processing material such as oilseed products, grain mash and the like and comprising:

• an elongated housing including means defining a cylindrical bore;
• inlet conduit means in communication with said bore;
• means forming a discharge opening at one end of said bore opposite said inlet conduit means;
• and
• an elongated rotatable screw conveyor disposed in said bore and including screw thread means forming a substantially spiral flow path for said material, said screw thread means including a plurality of separate thread portions of a different pitch disposed around respective cylindrical shaft portions of said conveyor, the diameter of said respective shaft portions being different for said thread portions of different pitch, said respective shaft portions of different diameter being interconnected by shaft portions forming frustoconical surfaces.

An extruder for processing material such as oilseed products, grain mash and the like and comprising:

• an elongated housing including means defining a cylindrical bore;
• inlet conduit means in communication with said bore;
• means forming a discharge opening at one end of said bore opposite said inlet conduit means;
• and
• an elongated rotatable screw conveyor disposed in said bore and including screw thread means forming a substantially sprial flow path for said material, said screw thread means including a plurality of separate thread portions of a different pitch disposed around respective cylindrical shaft portions of said screw conveyor, the diameter of said shaft portions being different for said thread portions of different pitch;
• and
• means on said shaft portions forming a plurality of spaced apart annular surfaces facing said one end of said bore.

An extruder for processing materials such as oilseed products, grain mash, and the like and comprising:

• an elongated housing including means forming a cylindrical bore therein;
• inlet conduit means in communication with said bore;
• means forming a discharge opening at one end of said bore opposite said inlet conduit means;
• an elongated rotatable screw conveyor disposed in said bore and forming a substantially spiral flow path for material through said bore, said conveyor comprising a plurality of separate thread portions of different pitch formed on respective axially spaced portions of a conveyor shaft, the pitch of the threads of said thread portions decreasing progressively toward said one end of said bore, and the diameter of said respective shaft portions increasing progressively toward said one end of said bore, and means comprising a plurality of spaced apart radially inwardly extending projections supported on said housing and extending into said bore and said flow path for causing material to mix as it passes along said flow path and to prevent clogging of said flow path by said material.

An extruder for processing material such as oilseed products, comprising:

• an elongated housing including means forming a cylindrical bore;
• inlet conduit means in communication with said bore;
• a discharge opening in said bore at one end of said bore opposite said inlet conduit means;
• an elongated screw conveyor rotatably disposed in said bore, said conveyor comprising a plurality of thread portions of different pitch, the pitch of respective ones of said thread portions decreasing progressively toward said one end of said bore to provide progressively greater compaction of material being conveyed toward said discharge opening;
• heating element means disposed on said housing for heating material as it is being conveyed through said bore by said conveyor;
• and
• passage means in said housing opening into said bore at a point on said housing between said heating element means and said one end of said bore for draining liquid extracted from said material after preheating of said material by said heating element means.