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The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Patent No.:

US 12414579 B1

PDFFull Text
Date of Patent:
Sep. 16, 2025

Filed:

Jul. 14, 2021

Food processing system including extruder with hollow core screw assembly

Applicant:

Wenger Manufacturing Inc., Sabetha, KS (US);

Inventors:

Lavon Wenger, Sabetha, KS (US);

Allan C. Spellmeier, Fairview, KS (US);

Philip B. Wiltz, Sabetha, KS (US);

Assignee:

Wenger Manufacturing Inc., Sabetha, KS (US);

Attorney:

Hovey Williams LLP

Primary Examiner:

Anshu Bhatia

Int. Cl.
CPC ...
A23K 40/00 (2016.01); A23K 10/20 (2016.01); A23K 40/25 (2016.01); A23K 50/40 (2016.01); A23N 17/00 (2006.01); A23P 30/20 (2016.01); B01F 27/1143 (2022.01); B01F 27/2121 (2022.01); B01F 27/2122 (2022.01); B01F 27/27 (2022.01); B01F 27/272 (2022.01); B01F 27/722 (2022.01); B01F 27/723 (2022.01); B01F 27/726 (2022.01); B01F 35/95 (2022.01); B29C 48/40 (2019.01); B29C 48/84 (2019.01); B01F 35/90 (2022.01); B01F 101/18 (2022.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
A23K 40/25 (2016.05); A23K 10/20 (2016.05); A23K 50/40 (2016.05); A23N 17/002 (2013.01); A23N 17/004 (2013.01); A23N 17/007 (2013.01); A23P 30/20 (2016.08); B01F 27/1143 (2022.01); B01F 27/2121 (2022.01); B01F 27/2122 (2022.01); B01F 27/2721 (2022.01); B01F 27/2722 (2022.01); B01F 27/276 (2022.01); B01F 27/722 (2022.01); B01F 27/723 (2022.01); B01F 27/726 (2022.01); B01F 35/95 (2022.01); B29C 48/402 (2019.02); B29C 48/845 (2019.02); B01F 2035/99 (2022.01); B01F 2101/18 (2022.01);
Abstract

Apparatus and methods for food production including a food preconditioner () operable to heat and partially pre-cook food ingredients, and a twin screw extruder () operable to further cook the preconditioned ingredients to create final food products. The extruder () includes a pair of hollow core extrusion screws () having elongated hollow core shafts () equipped with helical fighting () along the lengths thereof. The fighting () is also of hollow construction which communicates with the hollow core shafts (). The fighting () also includes forward, reverse pitch sections (). The extrusion screws () are designed to impart high levels of thermal energy into materials being processed in the extruders (), without adding additional moisture.

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