A system for agitating products in a retort includes a clamping assembly configured to selectively impose a first clamping force on a first end of at least one product carrier and a second opposing clamping force on a second end of the at least one product carrier, and a reciprocating assembly configured to apply linear forces on the product carriers for reciprocal movement of the product carriers along the retort. A method of processing products in a retort includes arranging products in at least one product carrier for movement along a retort and reciprocating the at least one product carrier along the retort in a non-sinusoidal pattern of movement.

The present invention relates to a hand mixer having a heat activation function. The heat activation function preferably allows a user to heat ingredients that are to be mixed by a hand mixer. The hand mixer may include a cavity that has each of a fan, a motor to drive the fan, heated coils, and an output area or mouth. When a user wishes to activate the heating function to soften ingredients in a bowl or other vessel to be mixed, he or she may use a controller to activate the fan and blow air through the heated coils and out from the output area toward the ingredients to be mixed and/or mixing devices used to mix the ingredients, so that the ingredients may be softened.

A bean roasting system includes a roasting subsystem and an air handling subsystem. The roasting subsystem includes a housing, an agitator actuator, an agitator, a bearing and a door. The housing has an inner surface defining an inner chamber for holding a batch of beans during a thermal roasting process. The agitator is coupled to the agitator actuator and includes a central shaft and a blade set mounted to the central shaft. The bearing supports the central shaft and is configured to prevent the blade set from contacting the inner surface of the housing. The door has a transparent window to allow viewing of the thermal roasting process. The air handling system is coupled to the roasting subsystem, includes a blower and heater, and is configured to circulate heated air through the roasting subsystem during the thermal roasting process.

A caffeine reduction apparatus includes: a main housing provided with an inlet and outlet pipe; a mixing portion including an accommodating portion through which coffee grounds are input inside the accommodating portion, and a blade configured to be rotated inside the accommodating portion such that the coffee grounds are mixed; a driving portion configured to rotate the blade; and an ultraviolet ray emitting portion positioned at an upper portion of the main housing and mounted at an inner side surface of a door that seals an inner portion of the mixing portion, the ultraviolet ray emitting portion being configured to emit ultraviolet rays toward the mixing portion.

A caffeine reduction apparatus includes: a main housing provided with an inlet and outlet pipe; a mixing portion including an accommodating portion through which coffee grounds are input inside the accommodating portion, and a blade configured to be rotated inside the accommodating portion such that the coffee grounds are mixed; a driving portion configured to rotate the blade; and an ultraviolet ray emitting portion positioned at an upper portion of the main housing and mounted at an inner side surface of a door that seals an inner portion of the mixing portion, the ultraviolet ray emitting portion being configured to emit ultraviolet rays toward the mixing portion.

Method and equipment for conditioning wet concrete (703), the wet concrete (703) being agitated in a revolving-drum concrete mixer (702), thereby bringing changing portions of the wet concrete (703) to a free surface (706) of the wet concrete (703) inside the mixer (702), the agitated wet concrete (703) being cooled and partially carbonated in that liquid and/or solid carbon dioxide is supplied to the concrete mixer (702) simultaneously with liquid nitrogen so that both the supplied nitrogen and the supplied carbon dioxide contact the free surface (706) of the wet concrete (703).

Method and equipment for conditioning wet concrete (703), the wet concrete (703) being agitated in a revolving-drum concrete mixer (702), thereby bringing changing portions of the wet concrete (703) to a free surface (706) of the wet concrete (703) inside the mixer (702), the agitated wet concrete (703) being cooled and partially carbonated in that liquid and/or solid carbon dioxide is supplied to the concrete mixer (702) simultaneously with liquid nitrogen so that both the supplied nitrogen and the supplied carbon dioxide contact the free surface (706) of the wet concrete (703).

A method of processing products in a retort having a length includes arranging products in at least one product carrier for movement along at least a portion of the length of the retort and reciprocating the at least one product carrier along at least a portion of the length of retort in a non-sinusoidal pattern of movement.

The invention relates an extrusion device (100) for extruding a semi¬finished product made of elastomeric material, comprising an extrusion body (10) extending along a feeding direction (A) and a pump (20) arranged downstream of the extrusion body (10) along said feeding direction (A). The extrusion body (10) comprises a hopper (30) for loading an elastomeric material and an extrusion screw (50) extending along said feeding direction (A) and having an inlet portion (50a) arranged close to the hopper (30) and an exit portion (50b) arranged close to the pump (20). The extrusion body (10) also comprises a motorised roller (40) arranged at the inlet portion (50a) of the extrusion screw (50) and configured to receive the elastomeric material from the hopper (30) and feed it to the extrusion screw (30). The extrusion screw (50) has a length and a diameter such that the ratio between length and diameter is comprised between 4 mm and 8 mm. The invention also relates to an extrusion process carried out through the aforementioned extrusion device (100).

The invention relates an extrusion device (100) for extruding a semi¬finished product made of elastomeric material, comprising an extrusion body (10) extending along a feeding direction (A) and a pump (20) arranged downstream of the extrusion body (10) along said feeding direction (A). The extrusion body (10) comprises a hopper (30) for loading an elastomeric material and an extrusion screw (50) extending along said feeding direction (A) and having an inlet portion (50a) arranged close to the hopper (30) and an exit portion (50b) arranged close to the pump (20). The extrusion body (10) also comprises a motorised roller (40) arranged at the inlet portion (50a) of the extrusion screw (50) and configured to receive the elastomeric material from the hopper (30) and feed it to the extrusion screw (30). The extrusion screw (50) has a length and a diameter such that the ratio between length and diameter is comprised between 4 mm and 8 mm. The invention also relates to an extrusion process carried out through the aforementioned extrusion device (100).