Provided is a water-absorbing agent that causes no or little fluctuation of feed rate when fed with use of a feeder. A water-absorbing agent containing a water-absorbing resin as a main component, the water-absorbing agent satisfying the following (a) and (b): (a) K-index is 70 or more; and (b) Moisture absorption blocking ratio, after 30 minutes of standing at a temperature of 25° C. and a relative humidity of 80% RH, is 70 weight % or less, the K-index being defined by the following equation: K-index=100−(−438+3.6×angle of repose+3.5×angle of difference+7.9×compressibility rate+290×bulk density (EDANA method)).

A powder/granular material spreader that allows easy cleaning of a passage for powder/granular material includes a housing that houses motors, a passage that extends through the housing and provides a passage for the powder/granular material, a roller provided in the passage to feed the powder/granular material and that is driven by one of the motors, and a spinner driven by the motor to spread the powder/granular material. The passage includes an integral first wall that shields the motor from the passage, an integral second wall that shields the motor from the passage, and an opening located at an inlet of the passage. The opening is integral with the first wall and the second wall. The housing includes an integral cover that covers tops and sides of the motors, and fits over an outer surface of the opening. A seal is provided at a location where the opening and the cover are connected with each other.

A powder/granular material spreader that allows easy cleaning of a passage for powder/granular material includes a housing that houses motors, a passage that extends through the housing and provides a passage for the powder/granular material, a roller provided in the passage to feed the powder/granular material and that is driven by one of the motors, and a spinner driven by the motor to spread the powder/granular material. The passage includes an integral first wall that shields the motor from the passage, an integral second wall that shields the motor from the passage, and an opening located at an inlet of the passage. The opening is integral with the first wall and the second wall. The housing includes an integral cover that covers tops and sides of the motors, and fits over an outer surface of the opening. A seal is provided at a location where the opening and the cover are connected with each other.

A system conveying material-other-than-grain (MOG) from a harvesting machine to a packaging machine towed by the harvesting machine. The system includes an joint pivotably joining a harvesting machine hitch to a packaging machine hitch. An accelerator is mounted to the packaging machine hitch. The accelerator has a housing with a top-side inlet and a side outlet. A MOG-propelling disk is disposed in the housing and is rotatable about an axis. A conduit is disposed above the packaging machine hitch and has an inlet end and an outlet end, the inlet end coupled to the side outlet. The conduit has first and second opposing side portions and a top side portion without an opposing bottom portion, with at least part of the top side portion is parallel with the plane of the disk. The accelerator, conduit, and packaging machine are collectively in pivotal arrangement relative to the harvesting machine.

The present disclosure relates to a tobacco flavoring machine, comprising: a drum (1) capable of rotating about an axis thereof as a rotation center; a nozzle (6) disposed in the drum (1) to spray a liquid flavor to tobacco shreds in the drum (1); and a shoveling plate (5) arranged on an inner wall (11) of the drum (1) and extending from an inlet end of the drum (1) towards the interior of the drum (1), the shoveling plate (5) being disposed obliquely with respect to a generatrix (9) of the drum (1). The present disclosure improves the problem of the related art that tobacco shreds cannot flow smoothly from an inlet end toward an outlet end because a shoveling plate (5) is parallel to an axis of a drum (1).

The present disclosure relates to a tobacco flavoring machine, comprising: a drum (1) capable of rotating about an axis thereof as a rotation center; a nozzle (6) disposed in the drum (1) to spray a liquid flavor to tobacco shreds in the drum (1); and a shoveling plate (5) arranged on an inner wall (11) of the drum (1) and extending from an inlet end of the drum (1) towards the interior of the drum (1), the shoveling plate (5) being disposed obliquely with respect to a generatrix (9) of the drum (1). The present disclosure improves the problem of the related art that tobacco shreds cannot flow smoothly from an inlet end toward an outlet end because a shoveling plate (5) is parallel to an axis of a drum (1).

Provided is a water-absorbing agent that causes no or little fluctuation of feed rate when fed with use of a feeder. A water-absorbing agent containing a water-absorbing resin as a main component, the water-absorbing agent satisfying the following (a) and (b): (a) K-index is 70 or more; and (b) Moisture absorption blocking ratio, after 30 minutes of standing at a temperature of 25 C. and a relative humidity of 80% RH, is 70 weight % or less, the K-index being defined by the following equation: K-index=100(438+3.6angle of repose+3.5angle of difference+7.9compressibility rate+290bulk density (EDANA method)).

A work machine includes a motive portion, a work portion driven by the motive portion, a discharge path for discharging a work object obtained as a result of the work portion rotating, and a control portion for controlling the motive portion. The control portion includes a detection portion for detecting that the discharge path is clogged with the work object, and a work control portion for, upon the detection portion detecting that the discharge path is clogged with the work object, controlling the work portion and performing an elimination operation for eliminating the clogging with the work object in the discharge path.

A powder/granular material spreader that allows easy cleaning of a passage for powder/granular material includes a housing that houses motors, a passage that extends through the housing and provides a passage for the powder/granular material, a roller provided in the passage to feed the powder/granular material and that is driven by one of the motors, and a spinner driven by the motor to spread the powder/granular material. The passage includes an integral first wall that shields the motor from the passage, an integral second wall that shields the motor from the passage, and an opening located at an inlet of the passage. The opening is integral with the first wall and the second wall. The housing includes an integral cover that covers tops and sides of the motors, and fits over an outer surface of the opening. A seal is provided at a location where the opening and the cover are connected with each other.

In one embodiment, a hopper spreader apparatus for spreading granular material is provided. The hopper spreader apparatus includes a hopper, a spreading unit, and a dispensing unit. The hopper has a storage cavity for storing the granular material to be spread. The spreading unit spreads the granular material. The dispensing system transports the granular material from the hopper to the spreading unit. The dispensing system includes a conveying unit and a rotating first roll. The conveying unit conveys the granular material toward the spreading unit. The rotating first roll controls a flow of granular material from the hopper to the conveying unit. The use of the rotating roll allows for control of high flow material (such as for example dry salt) while allowing for improved collapse and break-up of low flow material (such as for example wetted sand).