US 4,381,184 AGranted

Extruder apparatus

OwnerSamuel Hurni, Hans R. Weberinventors

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Abstract

For producing a hydrolized food product a stream of product is conveyed to a nozzle head (4) by means of a worm (1) and discharged via nozzles (8). Processed pieces of product are cut off from the stream of product one after another. The interrupter serving for this purpose displays a rotating element (5) that is arranged rigidly on the nozzle head side end of the worm (1) and rotates together with this latter. The rotating element (5) has recesses (10) that intermittently feed the stream of stock to the nozzle inlets (9) and sealing faces (12) that are arranged between the recesses (10) and seal the nozzle inlets (9) against the stream of stock between the feed phases. The edges (14) of the sealing faces (12), leading in the direction of rotation (13), guarantee the intermittent interruption of the stream of stock effecting cut-off of the pieces of product one after another.

Claims15

Dependent claims

Apparatus for extruding pieces of an extrudable stock, comprising:

(a) a housing having a nozzle head;
(b) a tubular bore in said housing;
(c) a rotatable worm mounted in said bore having an outlet end located at said nozzle head;
(d) an interrupter mounted on said worm at said outlet end for rotation therewith;
(e) at least one nozzle in said nozzle head;
(f) at least one recess in said interrupter, formed and positioned to provide intermittent communication between said worm and said nozzle during rotation of said worm and interrupter;
(g) said interrupter further having a sealing face adjacent each recess to intermittently close said nozzle during rotation of said worm and interrupter, said recess and sealing face being so arranged as to alternately open and close said nozzler once per rotation of said worm and interrupter;
and
(h) a nozzle construction wherein an axially extending slot is formed in the nozzle head and has a base surface at an end thereof, said nozzle construction having an axially moveable wedge with an end surface positioned within the slot, and means for firmly and adjustably holding the wedge in the slot at a selected distance from the base surface of the slot, said nozzle being formed between the end surface of said wedge and the base surface of said slot, said selected distance determining the nozzle size and being adjustable to vary the latter;
(i) said wedge being attached to the periphery of a piston that is axially displaceable in the tubular bore, said piston having a piston rod extending in a direction away from said worm, wherein the piston rod extends through an axial bore of a threaded ring which is threaded into the bore of said housing, and wherein means are provided to prevent movement of said rod relative to said threaded ring, said ring being axially adjustable to permit positioning of said wedge in said slot.

7 more elements

Extruder installation for the production of a product, more particularly but not necessarily belonging to the group of expanded starch products or structured protein products, by action of pressure, friction, and possibly heat on an introduced material, said installation having a worm rotatably mounted in a housing to process the material and convey it to a nozzle head at an outlet end of said worm which has at least one nozzle by way of which the product issues from said nozzle head, said at least one nozzle being arranged so that the product issues from said nozzle head radially outwardly with respect to the axis of rotation of said worm, said at least one nozzle having variable cross sectional area, said nozzle head being a tube and having at least one slot extending in the axial direction of the tubular nozzle head, a key being disposed in said at least one slot so as to be displaceable in the axial direction of said tube and to be fixable relatively to said slot at a spacing from the end of said slot nearest said worm so that the spacing determines the nozzle cross-section and is variable to vary the latter.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.