# US 9,038,811 B2 · Arrangement of tight-fitting screw conveyors > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,038,811 B2 - Document ID: US9038811B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/189,314 - Filed: 2014-02-25 - Published: 2014-08-28 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2013-02-26 - Assignees: VEMAG Maschinenbau GmbH - Applicants: VEMAG Maschinenbau GmbH - Inventors: Kersten Nilsson; Gert Bär - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9038811B2 ## CPC - B65G 33/18: with multiple screws in parallel arrangements {, e.g. concentric} - A21C 1/065: {Worm or screw mixers, e.g. with consecutive mixing receptacles} - A22C 11/08: with pressing-worm or other rotary-mounted pressing-members - B01F 27/1143: screw-shaped, e.g. worms - B01F 27/722: the helices closely surrounded by a casing - B01F 27/723: the helices intermeshing to knead the mixture - B65G 33/06: conveyed and guided by parallel screws - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - A21C: MACHINES OR EQUIPMENT FOR MAKING OR PROCESSING DOUGHS; HANDLING BAKED ARTICLES MADE FROM DOUGH - A22C: PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH (preserving A23B; obtaining protein compositions for foodstuffs A23J1/00; fish, meat or poultry preparations A23L; disintegrating, e.g. chopping meat, B02C18/00; preparation of proteins C07K1/00) - B01F: MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING (mixing paints B44D3/06) ## Abstract An arrangement including two conveyor screws which are arranged rotatably moveably relative to each other for processing a pasty material like a foodstuff product or the like, having a first conveyor screw and a second conveyor screw which have interengaging helical flights and which in particular are drivable in opposite relationship. The conveyor screws are of different size diameters and/or the conveyor screws have a different number of flights. In addition, the surfaces of the interengaging flights are so shaped and matched to each other that they are in contact with each other along a substantially continuous contact line extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of both conveyor screws to hinder, preferably prevent a return flow of the pasty material. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for processing a foodstuff, the apparatus comprising: first and second conveyor screws that are arranged to be rotatably movable relative to each other to process the foodstuff, the first and second conveyor screws including respective helical flights that are interengaged and drivable in opposite relative directions, and the first and second conveyor screws have different outside diameters, a different number of helical flights, or both, wherein the helical flights of the first and second conveyor screws each have an outer surface, the outer surfaces being respectively shaped and matched relative to each other, and the outer surfaces being in contact with each other along a substantially continuous contact line extending substantially in a longitudinal direction of the first and second conveyor screws so that a return flow of the foodstuff is hindered. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the number of helical flights for the first conveyor screw is two and the number of helical flights for the second conveyor screw is three. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the outside diameter of the second conveyor screw is less than the outside diameter of the first conveyor screw. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outside diameter of the second conveyor screw is less than the outside diameter of the first conveyor screw. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the contact line is composed of a plurality of line portions arranged in a row, and the line portions extend relative to respective axes of rotation of the first and second conveyor screws alternately at least approximately in an axial direction and substantially in a radial direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the line portions of the contact line lie on a connecting plane defined by the axes of rotation of the first and second conveyor screws. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the line portions that extend in the axial direction are adapted to extend over surface regions of the outer surfaces of the helical flights and a bottom between adjacent pairs of the helical flights. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the line portions that extend in the radial direction are alternately displaced relative to both sides of the line portions that extend in the axial direction in such a way that the line portions that extend in the radial direction include an acute angle relative to each other with respect to the axes of rotation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the line portions that extend in the radial direction extend over a surface region approximately transversely relative to the direction in which a flight flank extends. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the line portions that extend in the axial direction and the line portions that extend in the radial direction are respectively provided in a displaced relationship, and the line portions that extend in the axial direction are connected to each other by approximately tangentially-extending line portions of the contact line. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the tangentially-extending line portions extend region-wise at least parallel along an outside edge of each flight to subdivide the outer surface of each flight from a flight flank and along an inside edge of each flight flank that delimits a bottom between adjacent helical flights from the flight flank. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the helical flight of the first conveyor screw includes a plurality of flight flanks having a convex curvature with respect to a longitudinal section through the first conveyor screw. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the helical flight of the second conveyor screw includes a plurality of flight flanks having a concave curvature in a longitudinal section along a connecting plane extending in the longitudinal direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 comprising: an inlet, an outlet, and a conveyor path extending between the inlet and the outlet; and a conveyor device arranged in the conveyor path, the conveyor device configured to convey the foodstuff from the inlet toward the outlet. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14 comprising: a filling hopper configured to receive the foodstuff; an extrusion head configured to produce a string of the foodstuff covered with a casing material; and at least one dividing device for dividing the string into individual portions and a division location between adjacent portions. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second conveyor screws have different outside diameters and a different number of helical flights.