Apparatus and methods for food production including a food preconditioner (228) operable to heat and partially pre-cook food ingredients, and a twin screw extruder (20) operable to further cook the preconditioned ingredients to create final food products. The extruder (20) includes a pair of hollow core extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) having elongated hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192) equipped with helical fighting (56, 132, 134, 194) along the lengths thereof. The fighting (132, 134, 194) is also of hollow construction which communicates with the hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192). The flighting (56, 132, 134, 194) also includes forward, reverse pitch sections (64, 162, 216). The extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) are designed to impart high levels of thermal energy into materials being processed in the extruders (20), without adding additional moisture.

A horizontal mixer for mixing bulk material, such as agricultural material, is provided. The horizontal mixer includes a mixing container for accommodating bulk agricultural material to be mixed. The mixing container includes side walls connected at their bottom edges by a trough; a front wall spanning a front side of the container; a rear wall spanning a rear side of the container; and an exit door through which mixed agricultural material can exit. Further, one or more bottom augers situated longitudinally in the trough, wherein at least one of the one or more bottom augers is a ribbon auger; and one or more top augers situated longitudinally in the mixing container stacked above the one or more bottom ribbon augers. The trough has a shape to accommodate the one or more bottom ribbon augers.

High thermal transfer, hollow core extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) include elongated hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192) equipped with helical fighting (56, 132, 134, 194) along the lengths thereof. The fighting (132, 134, 194) may also be of hollow construction which communicates with the hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192). Structure (88, 90) is provided for delivery of heat exchange media (e.g., steam) into the hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192) and the hollow fighting (132, 134, 194). The fighting (56, 132, 134, 194) also includes a forward, reverse pitch section (64, 162, 216). The extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) are designed to be used as complemental pairs as a part of twin screw processing devices (20), and are designed to impart high levels of thermal energy into materials being processed in the devices (20), without adding additional moisture.

The invention provides a method of operating a batch mixer for producing first and second numbers of mixtures from first and second numbers of batches of materials to be mixed in the batch mixer, the batch mixer comprising a mixing chamber, a mixing element disposed within the mixing chamber, the mixing element and the mixing chamber being configured for providing an identical flow of the materials to be mixed within the mixing chamber and around the mixing element regardless of in which of the first and second opposite directions the mixing element is rotated, and a motor assembly coupled to the mixing element for rotating the mixing element for mixing the first and second numbers of batches of materials to be mixed for producing the first and second numbers of mixtures. The method comprises the steps of energizing said motor assembly for rotating said mixing element in said first direction, for each one of the first number of batches of the materials to be mixed: loading the one of the first number of batches of materials to be mixed into the mixing chamber, mixing the one of the first number of batches of materials for producing one of the first number of mixtures, and removing the one of the first number of mixtures from the mixing chamber, energizing the motor assembly for rotating the mixing element in the second direction, and for each one of the second number of batches of the materials to be mixed loading the one of the second number of batches of materials to be mixed into the mixing chamber, mixing the one of the second number of batches of materials for producing one of the second number of mixtures, and removing the one of the second number of mixtures from the mixing chamber.

A system for driving a reel mixing tool, including a unit structure, a bottom output shaft, an output gearbox, a reel mixer driveshaft, a reel mixer gearbox, a flexible coupling, and a reel mixing tool, is provided. The unit structure supports the bottom output shaft which is connected to the output gearbox, the output gearbox is connected to the reel mixer driveshaft, the reel mixer driveshaft is connected to the reel mixer gearbox, the reel mixer gearbox is directly coupled to the reel mixing tool by the flexible coupling, allowing the bottom output shaft to transfer power through to the reel mixing tool.

Fodder mixing wagon with a mixing container and at least one mixing member arranged rotatable therein for fodder components and a sensor system arranged to co-rotate on the mixing member for examining at least one of the fodder components and/or a fodder mixture formed therefrom. A data transmission system with a transmitter a receiver which are associated with one another in a co-rotating and not co-rotating arrangement for wireless data transmission to and/or from the sensor system; and/or an electrical generator for supplying power to the sensor system. The transmitter and receiver are arranged such that the wireless data transmission is within the mixing container; and the generator is arranged on the stator side to co-rotate with the mixing member and on the rotor side is coupled not to co-rotate. Data transmission is provided with a low transmission power. Inductive data and power transmission may be used.

Embodiments of a feed additive delivery device, a system comprising a micro weigh machine and the feed additive delivery device, and a method for using the device and system are disclosed. A particular exemplary feed additive delivery device comprised a feed additive hopper for suppling feed additive to a rotary valve that meters feed additive from the hopper to a blow through assembly having an assembly inlet that receives feed additive from the rotary valve, an assembly outlet through which feed additive is dispensed, and an air port for drawing air into the assembly to facilitate feed additive dispensation through the assembly outlet. The system is useful for batching a composition comprising an animal feed and at least one coated animal feed additive, a delicate animal feed additive, or combinations thereof. For certain embodiments the animals are ruminants and the coated feed additive is a coated methionine product.

A feed-mixing device for receiving, mixing and dispensing animal feed includes a frame with a mixing bin for receiving and mixing the animal feed therein and dispensing it therefrom, at least one mixing device rotatably drivable in the mixing bin using a drive, in particular a vertical mixing auger, for mixing the received animal feed, and a weighing device for determining the weight of the animal feed received in the mixing bin, comprising N weighing elements, with N?2, each of which emits a weighing signal, and a control system for controlling the feed-mixing device and for processing the weighing signals from the weighing elements to produce the determined weight. The control system is configured to perform an, in particular fully automatic, calibration action of the weighing elements. The calibration action includes driving the at least one mixing device, reading out the respective weighing signal of each of the N weighing elements in each of M different positions of the mixing device, with M?N, calibrating the weighing elements on the basis of the read-out weighing signals, wherein the calibrating at least includes determining a respective correction factor for the weighing signal of each weighing element by analysing the read-out weighing signals of all weighing elements. Thus, all weighing elements may be calibrated without having to detach the weighing elements, which provides very reliable weight measurements in a very simple manner.

An elevating feed mixing system and method are provided. The system includes a support frame and a raisable platform raisable relative to the support frame. A mixing tub disposed on the raisable platform is configured to receive constituent ingredients of a feed and further configured to raise to release the feed after it is mixed.

High Specific Mechanical Energy extruder screw assemblies (14, 88, 98) and complete extruders (10, 86, 96) are provided, which include wide-flight intermediate screw sections (104) having axial flight widths greater than the flight widths of the inlet and outlet screw sections (102, 106) on opposite sides of the intermediate sections (104). The intermediate sections (104) provide increased friction and shear serving to enhance the SMEs imparted to comestible food materials during processing thereof.