An automated production system is disclosed herein. One aspect of the present technology, for example, is directed toward an automated system for the continuous production of baked bread. The system can include a priming assembly having a dry ingredients priming unit and a wet ingredients priming unit. The dry ingredients priming unit can include a vertically-oriented hopper and a screw positioned within an interior region of the hopper, wherein the first screw extends along the central longitudinal axis of the hopper and is configured to rotate about its own central longitudinal axis. The system can also include a mixing assembly, a forming assembly, an oven, and a controller. The controller can be coupled to the priming assembly and configured to adjust the amount of dry ingredients delivered from the hopper to the mixing chamber by controlling rotation of the screw.

The disclosure provides a bulk material unloading system and method. The system includes a bulk material container containing a bulk material and an unloading device. The unloading device is configured to engage the bulk material container and at least partially invert the bulk material container. The method includes engaging a bulk material container containing a bulk material with an unloading device and emptying the bulk material container. Emptying the bulk material into the hopper includes lifting the bulk material container using the unloading device and rotating the bulk material container using the unloading device.

A toilet apparatus has a waste material receiving bowl with an opening to receive an absorbent media and indicator and a sensor to detect a presence of the indicator in the material receiving bowl when the indicator is present in the material receiving bowl and transmit a signal indicating the indicator is present in the material receiving bowl. A control circuit receives the signal from the sensor, processes the signal to determine the indicator is present in the material receiving bowl, and causes one or more actions to be taken by the toilet apparatus based on determining the indicator is present in the material receiving bowl.

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe a mixing nozzle, system implementing the mixing nozzle, and corresponding method of use. The mixing nozzle includes a housing defining a mixing chamber that has a sidewall separating a first end from a second end. A set of tangential feed conduits, which are oriented tangentially to the mixing chamber, extend outwardly from the mixing chamber, through the housing. An outlet orifice is located in the second end, which is one end of an exit channel extending through the housing.

The invention relates generally to a mixing system for mixing a dry material with a liquid. The mixing system includes a supply of dry material and a supply of liquid. An infinitely variable metering device meters the dry material into the liquid. A sensor senses the ratio of dry material to liquid. The sensor is operatively connected to the metering device to control the metering device to obtain a desired ratio of dry material to liquid. The dry material is dispensed volumetrically by volume of liquid to form the desired ratio of dry material to liquid.

A container for accommodating high-viscosity materials, such as liquid concrete. The container has at least one bearing sleeve, which extends through a wall opening and is fastened in the container wall in a liquid-tight manner. A shaft extends through the bearing sleeve in such a way that an annular gap is left open. A shaft seal, which bridges the annular gap and is made of elastomeric material, is located at the container-interior end of the bearing sleeve. A lubricant is applied to the annular gap from the container exterior. The invention is characterized in that the shaft seal has, on the side thereof radially facing the shaft, a conveying thread that supports the conveying of the lubricant in the direction of the container interior, which conveying thread advantageously communicates with the container interior via a check valve open to the container interior.

A device for continuously mixing a first powder and a second powder, includes a first metering device for continuously metering the first powder, and a second metering device for continuously metering the second powder, a mixer designed to mix the first powder metered by the first metering device and the second powder metered by the second metering device so as to supply a continuous stream of powder mixed according to a determined ratio, and a sampling device designed to sample a fraction of the stream of mixed powder.

An oilfield material reservoir comprises a body and a base connected to and positioned beneath the body. The body has an upper end, a lower end, a sidewall having a first side and a second side extending between the upper end and the lower end forming a recess, and a partition positioned within the recess adjacent to the lower end and extending between the first and second sides of the sidewall. The base has a discharge opening formed within the lower side, and a plurality of augers extending between the first and second ends. The plurality of augers have opposing-hand flights configured to drive an oilfield material toward the discharge opening of the base.

The invention relates generally to a mixing system for mixing a dry material with a liquid. The mixing system includes a supply of dry material and a supply of liquid. An infinitely variable metering device meters the dry material into the liquid. A sensor senses the ratio of dry material to liquid. The sensor is operatively connected to the metering device to control the metering device to obtain a desired ratio of dry material to liquid. The dry material is dispensed volumetrically by volume of liquid to form the desired ratio of dry material to liquid.

A method in which a stream of dry cementitious powder from a dry powder feeder passes through a dry cementitious powder inlet conduit to feed a first feed section of a fiber-slurry mixer. An aqueous medium stream passes through at least one aqueous medium stream conduit to feed a first mixing section the fiber-slurry mixer. A stream of reinforcing fibers passes from a fiber feeder through a reinforcing fibers stream conduit to feed a second mixing section of the fiber-slurry mixer. The stream of dry cementitious powder, aqueous medium stream, and stream of reinforcing fibers combine in the fiber-slurry mixer to make a stream of fiber-cement mixture which discharges through a discharge conduit at a downstream end of the mixer.