An agitator rotor includes a shaft, rails, and a rod. The shaft defines a longitudinal axis. The rails extend radially from and are coupled to the shaft. The rails are separated from each other along a length of the shaft. Each rail includes a surface defining a non-zero angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The rod includes a first end coupled to a first one of the rails. The rod includes a second end coupled to a second one of the rails. A projection of the first end and the second end of the rod in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft defines a minor arc about a portion of the shaft.

A brine machine comprises a salt hopper, a source of water for wetting salt in the salt hopper, a brine hopper positioned in side-by-side relation relative to the salt hopper, a filter providing fluid communication between the salt hopper and the brine hopper, a generally horizontal auger positioned in a base of the salt hopper, and an upwardly directed lift auger having a first end in operable association with an end of the horizontal auger and a second discharge end positioned above a level of brine in the brine hopper. The augers convey solid material from the base of the salt hopper and discharge the material from the machine.

A portable mixer that has a first auger, a second auger, a motor, a material loading location, where material may be loaded into the mixer, and a dispensing conduit. The motor powers both the first auger and second auger. Further, the second auger may rotate in a first rotational direction and a second rotational direction and the second auger substantially prevents material from exiting a dispensing conduit when the second auger rotates in the first rotational direction and the second auger distributes material through the dispensing conduit when the second auger rotates in the second rotational direction.

This disclosure relates to a processing that includes a first shell and a second shell disposed within the first shell. The second shell includes a first end, a second end, and a wall extending between the first end and the second end. The second shell also defines a cavity and a longitudinal axis extending between the first end and the second end. A cross section of the second shell transverse to the longitudinal axis includes a first arcuate inner wall portion having a first radius of curvature and a second arcuate inner wall portion having a second radius of curvature. The first radius of curvature is larger than the second radius of curvature.

The apparatus for manufacturing carbon nanotube pellets according to the present invention provides carbon nanotube pellets with increased apparent density by using only a small amount of solvent. The carbon nanotube pellets produced by the apparatus according to the present invention can improve various problems generated by scattering of powders. And since the density of the pellet form is high, transport, transfer and improvement become easier. Therefore, it can be more effectively applied to the manufacturing of composite materials.

A pump feeder includes a hopper, a first mixing paddle, a second mixing paddle, a first auger, a second auger and dual outlets. The hopper receives edible material in the form of a thick, viscous base and mix-ins, and includes an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The first and second mixing paddles are located within the upper chamber and cause movement of the edible material within the upper chamber for both breaking apart and mixing of the edible material. The first and second augers are located within the lower chamber and cause movement of the edible material from a first end of the lower chamber to a second end of the lower chamber. The outlets are located at the second end of the lower chamber and connected to an inlet of a pump which further compresses the mixed edible material for delivery to an extruder die and cutting assembly.

The invention relates to a food processing system (100) for preparing an edible mass of a food product starting from a raw food material, the system comprising: one or a plurality of food containers (20), each one comprising a raw food material in form of dehydrated material and/or paste and/or chunks; one or a plurality of dispensing and reconstituting chambers (10), each chamber being associated to at least one food container (20), each of the chambers (10) comprising a variable and/or exchangeable reconstitution and deposition device configured for hydrating and/or structuring and/or reconstituting in batches the raw food material provided by the one or more food containers (20) in order to create a homogeneous edible mass of food product, the device being further configured to deposit in-line with a controlled flow the edible mass of food product once prepared. The invention further relates to a method for operating a food processing system (100) as the one described in order to prepare an edible mass of food product starting from raw food material: the information on the kind of raw food material and on its processing is retrieved from identification means on the one or more food containers (20) and/or from a connected database, in order to process the raw food material in the one or more of the dispensing and reconstituting chambers (10) according to a certain recipe, acting on the hydration ratio and/or mixing speed and/or mixing time and/or temperature and/or viscosity and/or texture

A mobile crop processing system includes a self-propelled harvester that shears and chops plant material, a mobile extraction assembly that follows the harvester and receives the chopped plant material to produce a crude oil output while discarding unwanted moisture and biomass in the field, a field-based extraction assembly that separates the crude oil into reclaimed solvent and essential oil, and a transporter for carrying containers of crude oil and solvent between the mobile and field-based extraction assemblies. The mobile extraction assembly includes a pre-treatment assembly for mixing plant material with solvent, a dewatering and maceration assembly for removing moisture from the plant material, and a separation assembly for removing additional moisture and biomass. Using the system, crops can be harvested and processed in the field when they are ready to be cut. The system can operate continuously until a desired portion of the field has been cut and processed.

A dough kneading and feeding system includes a dough barrel that defines a dough handling space in which a screw shaft is provided to extend through a shaft hole and a discharge opening of the dough barrel. An ejection nozzle is coupled with the discharge opening. The screw shaft includes a blade for driving a dough material toward the discharge opening located at the front side to be discharged through the ejection nozzle. At least one assisting screw is arranged, in combination with a bearing, to be parallel with the screw shaft in the dough handling space. The assisting screw includes at least one helical blade, which is rotatable to drive the dough material in a direction opposite to the direction of the dough material driven by the screw shaft and also to drive the dough material toward the screw shaft in a radial direction of the screw shaft.

A printhead for an additive manufacturing system includes a hopper, an outlet, a mixing shaft, and a drive shaft. The hopper includes an inner volume configured to store a slurry material for mixing. The outlet includes a passageway fluidly coupled with the hopper. The outlet includes an open end for discharging the slurry material to a surface through the passageway. The mixing shaft extends through the inner volume of the hopper and includes a member that extends radially outwards from the mixing shaft. The member is configured to mix the slurry material within the hopper as the mixing shaft rotates. The drive shaft extends through the inner volume of the hopper and at least partially into the passageway of the outlet. The drive shaft includes a sloped surface configured to drive the slurry material from the hopper to the surface through the passageway of the outlet.