General Mills, Inc.

Stanley G Liedman

Ronald D Hurd

Daniel R Green

Ronald W Hegner

Glenn M Campbell

A dry raw cereal material having a starch fraction is fed into the inlet (38) of a twin screw preconditioning unit (10). The dry material is rapidly advanced and mixed in the first two zones (31, 32) and conveyed into a third zone (33). Water is introduced by ducts (42) and is admixed with the dry material to form a well mixed wetted cereal material. The screws (14, 16) include blank segments (14c, 16c) having radially extending pins (40) to create a material plug in the barrel (30) of the preconditioning unit (10). Steam is added to the wetted material in the next zone (34) to form a heated wetted cereal material which is worked in the fourth zone (34) to form a heated precooked non-continuous cereal compacted dough material which is generally maintained below its gelatinization point. The dough material exits the outlet (41) of the preconditioning unit (10) and enters a low shear extended time cereal cooker (46) which finish cooks the dough material to a fully cooked cereal dough which is formed into desirably shaped and sized pellets.

Twin screw preconditioner unit and method

Method for preparing cooked cereal dough using twin screw

Mechanism (10) for removably securing a die (22) to the flange (18) of a discharge (14) of a cooker (12) is disclosed including first and second connector rings (30, 56). The first connector ring (30) is rotatably mounted to the flange (18) of the cooker (12) by its securement to C-shaped carrier members (38) rotatably mounted to C-shaped collar members (32) secured to the flange (18). The first connector ring (30) includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced, wedge-shaped teeth (46) extending radially inwardly. The second connector ring (56) is secured to the flange (24) of the die (22) and includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced, wedge-shaped teeth (66) extending radially outward. The second connector ring (56) is axially movable such that the teeth (66) thereof pass axially between the teeth (46) of the first connector ring (30) in an unlocked position. The first connector ring (30) can be rotated by a hydraulic cylinder (52) to a locked position with the teeth (46, 66) of the connector rings (30, 56) axially abutting and camming the flanges (18, 24) of the cooker (12) and the die (22) together to secure the die (22) to the cooker (12).

Cooker die removably securing mechanism

Method and apparatus for preparing a chip-type snack is disclosed. A dough is prepared and sheeted. An elongated shaped ribbon is cut from the dough sheet. The ribbon is passed through a deep fat fryer and then separated into individual chips by fracturing the ribbon.

Growing community of inventors

Maple Grove, MN, United States of America

Stanley G Liedman