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US 7,906,166 B2Granted
Preconditioner having independently driven high-speed mixer shafts
AssigneeWenger Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsLaVon Wenger, Marc Wenger, Galen J. Rokey
Life of this patent
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AssigneeWenger Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsLaVon Wenger, Marc Wenger, Galen J. Rokey
Estimating the term…
An improved, dual-shaft preconditioner (10, 70, 102) is provided having independent drive mechanism (18, 20, 78, 80) operatively coupled with a corresponding preconditioner shaft (14, 16, 74, 76, 106, 108) and permitting selective rotation of the shafts (14, 16, 74, 76, 106, 108) at rotational speeds and directions independent of each other. Preferably, the speed differential between the shafts (14, 16, 74, 76, 106, 108) is at least about 5:1. The mechanisms (18, 20, 78, 80) are operatively coupled with a digital control device (60) to allow rotational speed and direction control. Preferably, the preconditioner (10, 70, 102) is supported on load cells (62, 100) also coupled with control device (60) to permit on-the-go changes in material retention time within the preconditioner (10, 70, 102). The preconditioner (10, 70, 102) is particularly useful for the preconditioning and partial gelatinization of starch-bearing feed or food materials, to an extent to achieve at least about 50% cook in the preconditioned feed or food materials.
In a method of preconditioning a food or feed mixture including respective quantities of protein and starch and comprising the steps of passing the mixture into and through a preconditioning vessel equipped with a pair of elongated, axially rotatable shafts each having a plurality of outwardly extending mixing elements with the mixing elements of the shafts being axially offset and intercalated, and rotating said shafts during said passage of said material through the vessel, the improvement which comprises the step ofprocessing the mixture to achieve a specific mechanical energy (SME) imparted to said food or feed mixture of from 1.7-5.0 kW-Hr/Ton of said food or feed mixture, said processing step comprising the steps of rotating said shafts at different speeds respectively, with the rotational speed differential between the shafts ranging from 3:1 to 18:1, and heating the food or feed mixture within the vessel to a temperature of from about 100-212° F.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.