Rice bran processing apparatus

A rice bran extruding apparatus comprising a high pressure extruder adapted to receive powdery rice bran in one end and to progressively transfer said bran under increasing compression and extruding the bran through a restricted extrusion cone defining an extrusion opening, said powdery rice bran being rapidly raised in temperature to a temperature of at least approximately 130.degree. C. to completely neutralize the lipase and reduce bacterial count to a count of the order of less than 10, a multi-voltage and multi-frequency motor operable over a wide range of frequencies and a wide range of voltages, a direct drive coupling between said motor and said extruder, said extruder having a flighted member rotatably mounted and having an outwardly projected rigid shaft projecting from said extruder, said motor having an integral rigid driven motor shaft, said direct drive coupling including a slip clutch mechanism having a torque transmitting characteristic in excess of all normal torque created by extrusion of bran from said extrusion cone, whereby said direct drive operates to continuously extrude bran, said slip clutch means being responsive to abnormal loads on said flighted rotor to operatively disengage the rotor from said motor and permit operation of the motor without rotation of said flighted member.

A rice bran extruding processor for extruding powdery rice bran and thereby heating said rice bran, said heat functioning to inactivate the lipase, destroy the bacteria and stablize the free fatty acid in said rice bran, comprising an extruder having a flighted rotor rotatably mounted within a tubular shell and terminating in an extrusion nozzle, said rotor having a spiral flight including a plurality of flight turns in excess of four and defining a spiral passageway extending backwardly from said extrusion nozzle, a plurality of at least twelve agitator bar elements secured within the final four spiral turns defined by said spiral flight, said agitator bars being angularly oriented to define a reverse flight construction between said spiral turns, said agitator bars being substantially at a smaller angle to the horizontal axis than said spiral flight to extrude the powdery rice bran.

A rice bran extruding processor for extruding powdery rice bran and thereby heating said rice bran, said heating of said bran functioning to inactivate the lipase, destroy the bacteria and stablize the free fatty acid in said rice bran, comprising an extruder having a flighted rotor rotatably mounted within a tubular shell and terminating in an extrusion nozzle, said rotor having a spiral flight which with said shell defines a spiral passageway extending backwardly from said extrusion nozzle, an electric motor mounted in alignment with said rotor, a direct drive connection unit connecting said motor and said rotor and establishing a direct one-to-one drive between said motor and said rotor, said rotor being operable to move said rice bran in a continuous manner through said shell and said extrusion nozzle, and a releasable connection unit in said direct drive connection unit and operably disengaging said flighted rotor from said motor in response to a predetermined differential pressure across said connection unit.

A rice bran extruding apparatus comprising a high pressure extruder adapted to receive rice bran in one end and to progressively transfer said rice bran under increasing compression and extruding the rice bran through a restricted opening in an extrusion cone, said rice bran being rapidly raised in temperature to a temperature of at least approximately 130.degree. C. to completely neutralize the lipase and reduce bacteria count to a count of the order of less than 10, a multi-voltage and multi-frequency A.C. motor connected to operate said extruder and operable over a wide range of frequencies and a wide range of voltages, said A.C. motor having a horsepower rating of less than 100 horsepower and a through-put of 40 to 45 horsepower and rotating in the range of 850 to 900 RPM.