Separably-driven rotor portions for a combine harvester and a method for threshing grain using separably-driven rotor portions are provided. The combine harvester is moved through harvest material comprising grain material and material-other-than-grain (MOG). The grain material is separated from the MOG using multiple processing areas. The auger portion may be stopped or rotated at a slower speed with respect to rotation of the threshing portion to simulate the gathering of a large amount of crop material even when small plots are involved, thereby providing the benefits of large-plot harvesting to small-plot applications.

Separably-driven rotor portions for a combine harvester and a method for threshing grain using separably-driven rotor portions are provided. The combine harvester is moved through harvest material comprising grain material and material-other-than-grain (MOG). The grain material is separated from the MOG using multiple processing areas. The auger portion may be stopped or rotated at a slower speed with respect to rotation of the threshing portion to simulate the gathering of a large amount of crop material even when small plots are involved, thereby providing the benefits of large-plot harvesting to small-plot applications.

A system for processing material for a gasifier. The system comprises an auger feeder adapted to receive material to be gasified. The auger feeder is adapted to feed the material. A tube is connected to the auger feeder such that the tube is adapted to receive the material from the auger feeder. The tube is also connected to a gasifier, which is adapted to receive the material from the tube.

A conveying device is provided for a pasty food product such as meat or pasta products. The conveying device includes a housing having a food inlet and a food outlet and a conveying chamber, a first conveying screw rotatably arranged in the conveying chamber and a second conveying screw rotatably arranged in the conveying chamber. The first and the second conveying screws are arranged with their axes of rotation substantially parallel with each other and have intermeshing helical coils. The pitch of the coils of the conveying screws becomes continuously smaller in at least one section between the inlet and the outlet, thereby to precisely portion the food product while avoiding smearing or gas bubble formations.

A conveying device is provided for a pasty food product such as meat or pasta products. The conveying device includes a housing having a food inlet and a food outlet and a conveying chamber, a first conveying screw rotatably arranged in the conveying chamber and a second conveying screw rotatably arranged in the conveying chamber. The first and the second conveying screws are arranged with their axes of rotation substantially parallel with each other and have intermeshing helical coils. The pitch of the coils of the conveying screws becomes continuously smaller in at least one section between the inlet and the outlet, thereby to precisely portion the food product while avoiding smearing or gas bubble formations.

A granular material conveyance apparatus [100] comprises a discharge conduit [102] comprising a proximal end [102a] configured to receive granular material from a granular material source and a distal end [102b] separated from the proximal end [102a] along a longitudinal direction of the conduit [102]. The discharge conduit [102] is movable with respect to the granular material source. An end effector [110] is engaged externally with respect to the discharge conduit [102] so as to be translatable along the longitudinal direction of the discharge conduit [102]. The discharge conduit [102] further comprises a conveyor [106] configured to move the granular material along a conveyance path [108] disposed within the discharge conduit [102] from the proximal end [102a] towards the distal end [102b] of the discharge conduit [102]. The end effector [110] has an inlet [112] in communication with the conveyance path [108] at least at a plurality of positions of the end effector [110] with respect to the discharge conduit [102] to allow the granular material to be conveyed from the discharge conduit [102] and into the end effector [110]. Also disclosed is a method and apparatus for transferring granular material between a filling module [202] and a receiving module [204].

A granular material conveyance apparatus [100] comprises a discharge conduit [102] comprising a proximal end [102a] configured to receive granular material from a granular material source and a distal end [102b] separated from the proximal end [102a] along a longitudinal direction of the conduit [102]. The discharge conduit [102] is movable with respect to the granular material source. An end effector [110] is engaged externally with respect to the discharge conduit [102] so as to be translatable along the longitudinal direction of the discharge conduit [102]. The discharge conduit [102] further comprises a conveyor [106] configured to move the granular material along a conveyance path [108] disposed within the discharge conduit [102] from the proximal end [102a] towards the distal end [102b] of the discharge conduit [102]. The end effector [110] has an inlet [112] in communication with the conveyance path [108] at least at a plurality of positions of the end effector [110] with respect to the discharge conduit [102] to allow the granular material to be conveyed from the discharge conduit [102] and into the end effector [110]. Also disclosed is a method and apparatus for transferring granular material between a filling module [202] and a receiving module [204].