CA1069101A - Method and apparatus for moisturizing seedlike fruit such as grain - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A method and apparatus is disclosed for moisturi-zing seedlike fruit such as grain. The moisturized material is brought to an inlet end of a cylindrical chamber and brought into the state of a turbulent layer spread on the inside, cylindric wall of the chamber, by the action of a rotor extension across the chamber. The rotor has a large number of impact members which assist in maintaining the said layer and which also provide impacts to individual kernels to maintain the turbulence of the layer in order to achieve a uniform distribution of moisturizing water on the kernels, the water being introduced at the grain inlet of the apparatus. A
second water or additive inlet is also disclosed together with various shapes of the impact members and different speed of the rotor for different applications. The apparatus provides for a surprisingly more uniform distribution of moisture content, compared with the known auger-type moisturizing devices.

Description

``- 1069101 ` -The invention relateæ to a meth.od and apparatus for intensive moisturizing of seedlike fruit, particularly of grain. ..
It is known that freshly harvested seedlike fruit has to pass several processing stages between i.ts delivery to a flour mill plant and its actual milling. The most significant among the processing stages is the cleaning. Was.hing machines had frequently been used in th.e cleaning of grain until some time ago.
- When using the w-ashing machine& or whizzers.whi.ch are -always arranged downstream of the washing machine, the grain shows an increase in moisture content by 2 - 3%. Th.e corres-ponding increase in moisture content is 1 - 1.5~ when using wet scouring machines. In both. cases, it is not possible to pre-determine in advance the exact overall i.ncrease in moisture con-tent. Yet, it is desirable th.at th.e actual moisture content for the milling of grain be withi.n predetermined, verr narro~
limits. In order to achi.eve th.e required moisture content, 20 the missing water volume is added to the grain. Th.e moisture .
content often h.as to be increased several times by 5 - 6%, particularly when working with dry-cleaned grain. In the known methods and devices, a uniform moisture distribution is achieved in such. a way that th.e stream of the grain is caused to pass through a chute by th.e action of a slow~lr driven and thus extremely gently operating auger or conveyor scre~, with simultaneous addition and intermixing of water in the grain.
The moistening process has a great significance in the milling industry as th.e moisturizing of the wh.ole grain :
30 kernels has a strong influence on subsequent process~ng stages such as milling, sifting, etc. .
The moisturizing process has h.eretofore often been considered to-be a somewhat simple process. Water is intermixed - 1 - ~

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`- ~069101 with the grain by using th.e moisturizing auge.r, During an extended rest in a tempering bin, w~ater h.as to be uniformly~
distributed and to penetrate into the kernels th.rough passages~
in the kernel structure, thus providing th.e outer layers of the kernel with elastic properties~
Different ty-pes of grain are known to have kernels:
of different æhape. For instance, wheat kernel has a crease.
On the other hand, rice and millet have no s~uch crease. The portion of the surface of a kernel containing such crease can form a considerable percentage of the overall surface area of the wheat kernel. rn earller methods of mois~turiz~ng it had been assumed to be an established fact that it was~ pos$~i~1e for the moisturizing w~ater to penetrate only in a limited volume into the crease during the moiaturizing operation and that the burr and the germ portion of the kernel would sim~larly be defficiently moiætened. Such deff.iciencies ~ould partly be compensated during the subæequent tempering s~t~rage, Contrary~
to the overall type of the surface of the ~h.eat kernel, con~ider-able differences are encountered particularly in the trpe and shape of the crease.
It is known that an irregular di.stribution of :
moisturizing water within the same sort of ~h.eat can be of disadvantage from the standpoint of subs~equent proce$~sing steps, Th.is problem is even greater when working ~ith ~ixtures of different sorts of wheat.
It has now been æurpriæingly found out th.at wfien applying the meth.od of intensive moisturizing of $~eedlike fruit according to the present invention, th.e difficulties as~æociated ~ith. the moisturizing, particularly in the area of the crease of the kernel, are con~iderably avoided. It h.as further been sho~n th.at when using the meth.od of the present invention, a uniform .
distribution of moiæturizing water takes place In the wh.eat . .

~069101 kernel, particularly at ita~ burr portion and at s~milar irregular surface portions.
The present inventiGn i.s~ characterized in that th.e seedlike fruit is introduced into a substantiall~ cy~lindrical, enclosed housing provided ~ith. a grain inlet and an outlet for .
th.e material and furth.er comprising a rotor arranged foP a h~,gh.
speed rotation, said rotor bri.nging the seedlike fruit material into the state of rotational movement, th.e speed of ~uch.
rotational movement 6eing at least so high. as to form ~i~thin said housing an annular, continuous, turbulent la~er of s~aid material, said layer moving continuouæly from said inlet to ~a.id outlet, whereby following an introducti.on of a metered ~olume of ~ater, th.e entire surface of all kernels i.s~ uniforml~ moisturized and:' the kernela can be moiæturized to a predetermined ~alue.
The moisturizing process~ according to the preæent invention thus allows for a uniformity in mois~ture distri,hution over the entire surface of th.e kernel, th.e uniformit~ being of '' a degree which. could not be ach.ieved h,ereinbefore.
It h:as heen established i.n proce~s~ng w,~h,eat grain that when using the new moisturizing method, an aVera~e of 20 to 25% greater ~urface can ~e moisturized as compared w~i`th.
the traditional auger-moiaturized ~h.eat grain. Yet, it came as a great surprise to those skilled in th.e art that a porti.on of the moisture was able to penetrate t6rough th.e narrowest part of the kernel crease into the solidi~ enclosed h.ollo~i,nside s~pace of the kernel.
By use of colori.ng methods, com~on in grain p~o-cessing chemistry, it ~as possible to viaually obserye ~ater di$~
tribution immediately following the moisturizing and th.us to compare the new method with the old one. In doing so, it ~as;
found that with the new moisturizing process total uniformity h.ad been achieved over the entire aurface of the kernel, . ~ . : . . . - :. . - , ` 1069101 ~h.ich was particularly observed in the case of th.e burr and the germ portion of th.e kernel and in the crease. In a kernel moisturized 6y th.e heretofore known method using the auger, the above noted parts are irregularly moistened which was demonstrated 6y different colouring of the portions in question.
It is thus o6vious that th.e problems of flour milling are attri6uta61e to a great degree to th.e crease and to : the germ of the kernel. Th.e very frequently expressed desire of the milling industry calling for a creaseless kernel can only 6e understood 6y realizing that until th.e present invention one could not imagine bringing the water during the moisturizing operation into these very inaccessible, strongly concave and convex portions of the kernel.
It is th.erefore an ob~ect of the meth.od according to the present invention to enable to a large degree a metered and predetermined moisturizing in wh.ich water is distributed uniformly onto all kernels and on th.e surface of each k.ernel, particularly in its poorly accessi61e portions, in order to bring the moisture of ~he kernel to a predetermined value.
An opinion prevaila in th.e milling ~ndustry that ~heat cleaned in the known wash.ing devices, as compared with th.e presently more popular dry cleaning meth.ods, provides flour having th.e best baking quality; such. oplnion appears to haye 6een proven in at least one case by an experiment carried out on industrial scale.
It is therefore anoth.er object of th.e pre.sent invention :~
to improve the dry cleaning meth.od in such. a way that 6ak~ng qualities of the final product, as compared ~ith th.ose of the product of wet cleaning, are the same.
It h.as been found th.at there is a factor in the art of moisturizing kernels which. has an influence on caking pro-perty of flour, wh.ich has heretofore been unknown, namely, that .: : , . . .

` 1069101 it iæ not solelr the exact percentage of moi&ture whIch ~s th.e determining factor, but also th.e. ~ay in ~h.ich mois~ture i& applied to the kernels. In further carrying out of the ~nvention, it : has no~ been found that surprisin~ advanta~es are present when a stream of dry-cleaned grain is moisturized ~ith. at least 0.1-1% of ~ater or water vapor, the said stream is th.en brought i.nto the state of a high-speed rotational turbulent ~ove~ent in a tubular, enclosed h.ousing case and sub~ected to an intensi~e ..
impact and frictional action, th.e ad~ective "intensive" as used in this di&closure and claims referring to a h.igh frequency~
rather than to the force of th.e impact or of the friction.
The intensive impact and friction process pro~ides a "massage" and softening of the outer layers of the kernel without causing the breaking of same. As it has already been proven by experiments, the impact and friction processing of drr cleaned kernels with simultaneous or imme.diately pre-ceding moisturizlng by a small amount of ~ater has a very advan-tageous influence on the baking properties of th.e flour, so that now the essentially last dra~back of th.e dry cleaning of the grain h.as heen overcome. Th.us, ~eedlike fruit proces~ed by way of a fully dry meth~od and sub~ected to th.e pre--milling processlng according to the present invention now~re6ults in the same baking qualitr of flour as that made from th.e ~et-cleaned kernels. Prom the:standpoint of th.e place and ti~e, th.e meth.od of the present in~ention can be carried out entirely~ independently on th.e cleaning process.
In a particularly advantageous example of th.e. method of th.e present invention, a predetermined a~ount of 0.1 - 5% and . .~-more, e.g. up to 6% water is added to the ~tream of clean grain, ~:
the stream is spread into the state of a turbulent, annular layer ~ithin an enclosed chamber of a h.ousing and brough.t to a high :~

rotational speed of preferably 5 - 30 m/sec Cmeters per second~

' ' :: ', , ' . " ' - . :' ~ ~ , -`` 1069101 and a rotor provided with. a large number of impact members is moved relative to-said layer within said moisturizing chamber so as to impact on individual kernels in the layer and cause same to rub against each oth.er to effect a uniform distribution of moisture in same.
In this way, it was achieved that the kernels were uniformly moistened during a shorter period of time with a larger volume of water.
Tw-o different systems exist for adding a metered volume of water for such devices.
In a first system, the volume of water to be added to a given volume of gr.ain to be moisturized is determined by taking several samples. The deviation from the required water content is then computed to a weight unit and can be adjusted by appropriate comparison of the rate of flow of the grain and ~f th.e added water and th.e apparatus can then be adjusted accordingly.
According to the aforementioned, particularly advantageous method, up to 6% of moisturizing water can be added in a single passage. Assuming that the rate of flow of the grain and of water is maintained constant with. the required accuracy, it is th.en possible to provide an exact deviation of the added water volume of the order within one tenth. of a percent. The increase in moisture of grain achieved by a single passage through. th.e machine can be anywhere between th.e values of ~.1 and 6% by weight. Even at th.e greatest moisturi-zing, the overall volume of water is distributed uniformly to all kernels and, in particular, th.e distribution is uniform over the entire surface of the kernel. ~ater is. preferably 3Q introduced at th.e inlet of the machine, i.e. at th.e beginning ~
of the intensive moisturizing process. -: :- ':

., ., . . . . . -: . - . , ~ : : : . - -It has been establifihed b~ experi.me.nt th.at th.e heretofore largest achieved addition of water of 5% by w-eight amounts to a two meters long intensive aggregate wh.ich., as i&
known, cannot be achieved when using a known ~oistur~zi.ng auger, or can only be achieved with considera~le difficulties.
In a second system of th.e control of add~tion of water, the effective moîsture of the grain is measured continu-ously in all instances after th.e moisturizing and it can also he measured prior to th.e beginning of th.e moisturizi.ng prQcess.
Inasmuch as the new moisturizing process. distr~butes the moisture uniformly on all kernels and on all portions th.ereof, it is possible to register the moi&ture content figures directly.
The moistening water located on the surface of th.e kernels, to-gether with th.at whi.ch has already penetrated i:næi~de t&.e k.er-nels, can be added to each. oth.er after a corresponding conver-sion. The very rapid passage through. the mach.ine can thus be utilized in that the flud~ations can be readily equalized regardless whether they are due to the irregular entry moisture :.
of the grain or due to differences in flow rate of ~h.e grain, or due to other reasons all of wh.ich may result in a deviation from the required exit moisture. Thus, the moistening process-according to the present invention makes it possible to arrlve close to an absolutely uniform moisture of the entire charge. .
Th.e intensive moistening can take place directly above the tempering bin and, if th.e tech.nological disposition allows, th.e moistened wh.eat can be conveyed directly into th.e tempering bins without any addi~ional horizontal conveying means. Due to th.e h.igh speed present in the meth.od of th.e present invention, the moisturizing aggregate is completely 3Q discharged. No residues remain within the apparatuæ, wh.ich provides a significant contribution for the solution of the problems associated with.bacteria.

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: Each moistening proceæs is sub~ect to ph.y~s~ical laws regarding molecular tension of w~ater surface, the so-called drop-buildup and to the laws of adhesion of w~ater to th.e sur-face to be moistened. A man skilled in the art kno~s ~ery w~ell from h.is daily experience that a w~ater drop can be very diffi-cult or even entirely impossible to introduce i~nto a cavity.
Yet, a uniform moistening, e.g. of a wh.eat kernel, calls for a uniform distribution and spreading of ~ater over th.e entire surface. The uniform distribution of water over th.e entire kernel can only be explained by the intensi~e process in th.e stage of high velocity, by a strong turbulence effect to w~.ich water particles or water drops are su6jected, by strongly acting centrifugal forces to wh.ich th.e kernels and the w~ater drops are sub~ected, and alao by further incluences. This is particularly noticeable in a relatively small crosæ aection of t6.e mois-turizing housing having a diameter of approximately 300 mm and wh.en working with a rotor having a very large number of impact and conveying members such. as 6ars or 61ades. .
As described above, 6etter baking properties ha~e :`
been establish.ed in flour th.e kernels of the. grain of w~hich have passed the new~moisturizing process, as compared with. flour produced from a conventionally moisturized grain.
In a laboratory experiment, a normal milling mi:x- ~ .
ture was used: Manito6a - 15%, Harder inland wh.eat = 5Q%, soft wheat - 3a%, rye - 5%. The intensively moîs~tened mi.xture as compared with that processed by regular moistening at -;-almost the same graîn showed a better result w~ith reference to flour yield, to ash and to color. The yield of 63% w~as the same :
in both cases, the ash content was improved by 0.02% and the color by 0.4 to 0.8 points. The great significance of moistening itself, which h.as never 6een contested in the milling indus~try, ~069101 will be emphasized still further due to the ~o~i$~tenin~ process according to the present invention.
Based on w~hat h.as been des~cri~ed a~ove, i.t ~s~ .
further not surprising that th.e tempering peri.od after the moistening according to the present inventiQn in the temperi.ng 6ins is substantially sh.orter.
It will readil~ occur that it is feasihle to o~æ~er~e the moistening of at least unknown mixtures ~ coloring of individual sample kernels in order to be able to deter~ine tbe optimum moisturizing intensity and moisture content.
In th.e cases wh.erein onl~ extraordinaril~ lo~
values are allowed due to ~acteria attack, th.e. ne~ moistening method makeæ it possi~le to effectively operate ~ith ge.rm and burr portions 6y the use of appropriate solutions, to pro~ide a result which was not ach.ieva~le by th.e auger-type moistening used heretofore.
The preæent invention further relates to a moistur-izing apparatus for intensification of the moisten~ng of seed- :
like fruit and the like, particularl~ for grain, the apparatus~
having a moisturizing h.ousing w~ith. a material ~nlet and a material outlet and ~ith a rotor which. is radiall~ s~paced within~
the moisturizing h.ousing, and also including a ~ater metering ~.
means, for adding w~ater into said housing.
The device can ~e used, with. minor modifications of same, upstream of the milling process, in th.e cleaning house as well as for special purposes, wh.erever th.e known moisturizing devices are required to distribute th.e given volume of ~ater uni-formly over th.e surface of th.e kernels.
The known types of moisturizing devices are norma-lly provided with. continuous or discontinuous mois~turizing augers ~h.ich, ~asically, also have a conveying or mixi.ng function. rt .

1~69101 is known that the speed of rotation of such auger is very low, as a rule between 60 and 120 rpm. A furth.er increase in speed would result in breaking of th.e kernels and also would impair the uniformity of th.e moisturizing.
In the known moisturizing devices, the efficiency of the moistening of the kernels was limited by the length of the auger. There is a direct proportion between the amount of increase in moisture content and the required length of the auger so that it often happens that a single passage th.rough the device of the grain does not provide for sufficient increase in moiature content of the material.
The apparatus according to the present invention iæ
characterized in that its moisturizing housing includes a tubu-lar, enclosed moisturizing jacket, and that the rotor is provided `.~;
with a large number of individual impact members, such as blades or bars preferably arranged in a plurality of longitudinal rows. .
The drive for the rotor is arranged to provide peripheral speed of the outer end of the impact members in th.e range of at least :
6, but not more than 30 meters/sec. The device further comprises 20 a water metering means wh.ich. communicates with. the material inlet, for adding moisturizing water into th.e apparatus.
The apparatus of this invention makes it possible, by use of surprisingly simple meanæ, not only to solve the above ob~ect of the invention but also to attribute to the moistening -~
devices a greater significance th.an hereinbefore, particularly ;.:
in connection with. th.e milling of grain.
The invention entirely deviates from the process of .
slow motion moistening and intermixing in the known moistening devices.
The moistening apparatus according to th.e present invention moreover operates with a fast and intensive moistening process. There are three particular features~ ~f the apparatus:
- a tubular, enclosed mois~turizi.ng ch.amber, .
- a large number of the. impact blades or bar~, - a periph.eral speed of th.e impact members in the region of 6 - 30 meters per second.
The above features operate in combination ~ith. one anoth.er and provide an entirely ne~ type of moisturizing proce~s.
Due to th.e very high. peripheral speed of th.e impact ; members of 6 - 30 m/sec and also due to the large number of such members in a tubular chamber, a layer of th.e mate.rial is generated in proximity to th.e inside ~all of the moisturi.z~ng ch.amber which is maintained in a fast, turbulent circulation, No disadvantageous air disch.arge has been obser~ed at the material outlet of th.e apparatus accord~ng to th.e present invention. Th.e layer is brought into a h.igh-speed rotat~onal movement by th.e impact members of the rotor. ~y th.e.breakdo~n ::
of intermediate spaces between the large number of th~e impact members, a provision is made for individual kernels to h.aye th.e ' greatest possible freedom of movement. .
The chamber, which. is preferably stat~onary, re.-tards the movement of the kernels slightly and thus generates a relative velocity between the said layer or between th.e indi~i-dual kernels and th.e impact members so that th.e kernels are h.it by the impact members at a high frequency. Th.e kernels are not arranged in a firmly packed state sucb as in th.e h.ereto$ore known moistening augers; instead, they are free to move. An impact of the bar on an individual kernel has no milling effect as the layer of the material wh.ich is present ln the water-lubricated, enclosed casing, moves at a speed wh.ich is almost as fast as that of the rotor. The high. circulatory speed of the .
layer guarantees the uniform distribution of ~ater.

' ' ', , ' .. ~ : , The solution according to the pres.ent invent~on h~as still furth.er advantages not expected b,y thos~e. s~killed ,i~n the.
art.
- The moiæture is d~stributed unifor~l~ oyer the entire individual kernels; as mentioned above, it was not possible in th.e known devices to prov~de for water diætri~ution in th.e crease typical for a wheat kernel.
- It was possihle even with. a comparatively short ',~ 10 device to increase the molsture content of s,eed~ ,'.
like fruit by 3 - 5~. Th.e corresponding volume.
of water was added at th.e inlet of th.e material . .~:
of the device. ~ ' - The wheat kernels processed with th.e moistening ,,.
apparatus according to th.e present invention possess better baking properties of the flour ', milled from the grain.
The uniform moiatening of the entire æurface of the kernels inclusive th.e depres-sions such as the cre.as:e of th.e wh.eat kernel is likely to be attributable to th.e movement of ::
water drops or of individual kernels in the enclosed housing and also due to the rotational movement of the kernels. It contributes to the improvement of ~he caking properties of t~e ' flour.
According to anoth.er feature of th.e present in~ention, .
it is of advantage to provide the periph.eral æpeed of the outermost tips of th.e impact members to be betw~een 12 and 3a m/sec. When moisturizing wh.eat, th.e correspondi.ng optimum s~peed is betw,~een 20 and 25 m/sec.
A large number of impact members of th.e rotor i& of advantage in order to secure th.e required control of th.e inten- ~- -sive moisturizing. ', - 12 ~

`"-` 106910~

The number of impact mem6ers relati~e to the s~ur-face of one square meter of the ins~i:de s~urface. of the moi~.s.turi-zing ch.amber should never be less than 2Q.
In most cases the number of the impact mem~ers is more than 80 but less than 3aO per m of the inside surface. of the chamber. Until now it was not poas.i61e t~ es~tablisb. an~
upper limits for the number of impact members, if one. bearæ~ ~n mind only the quality of opera.ion. The number of th,e impact mem~ers is additionally limited h~ th,e manufactur~,ng costs.
-; 10 Th.e impact members are auita~ly mounted on longitudinal mounting channels of the rotor and are preferably~ offset ; with respect to each, other in axial direction, Cona~idering æuc6.
a rotor, an image of a th.read-like arrangement of th.e impact - members is thus achieved. "
Inasmuch as a lasge number of the impact mem6e~a~ is used, it is sufficient to produce th,e members from a ~làt aec-, tion material. The total of such impact ~ladea~ gu,idea~ th~e la~er ; of the kernels. Contrary thereto, in the kno~n mois:tening appara-' tus, the advancing elements are 6ent to form an auger-li,ke surface in order to avoid any impact.
Contrary to prior art, a controlled impact step i.s~
t~pical for the solution according to the preæ~ent in~ent~on.
In order to provide th.e most intensive moistening, aa many~ as~ ' '-possible impact points or impact blades are to be arranged. :', The offset arrangement of the impact 6ars of i,ndi,~idual ' longitudinal rows in axial direction is prefera61e to th.e arrangement of th.e ~ars i.n a pluralit~ of rad~al planes, ~uch '~, arrangement in radial planes forms r~ng-æh.aped inter~ed~ate spaces wherein the relative speed between the impact ~ars~ and the kernels is less controllable. Howe~er, th.i,s is of a mi.nor significance in many cases.

.: ;:, . .
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10691()1 The impact members extend from the rotor preferably in radial direction 6ut are inclined with respect to th.e axis of the rotor to assist in the advancing of th.e material.
It is also possible to provide only a portion of same to be . inclined in order to advance the material in the direction of ~ .:
passage of same through the chamber, while anoth.er portion located in the region of the material outlet i& inclined in .
opposite direction.
~: Preferably, the rotor is manufactured as a hollo~ ~.
; 10 shaft with the diameter of the root circle of th.e impact bars ~
amounting to 20 - 50% of the entire diameter of the moistening . -.
chamber. The relatively small cross section of th.e annular layer - facilitates the maintaining of the inner space of the moistening c6.am6er in clean condition. As a rule, the inside wall of the ~; moistening chamber ig of the type of an impervious smooth. g~ur- .:.
, .
face as the intensive processing by th.e impact bars gh.ould suffice itself, particularly in th.e prefera61e embodiment wh.erein the moistening chamber is stationary with only the rotor 6eing brought into rotation. It has now been found out that alth.ough an optimum diameter of th.e moiatening ch.amber for grain is about 300 mm, it can nevertheles6 be with.in the range of about 250 ~ .:
to 600 mm. The peripheral speed, when working with. an appara- ..
tus h.aving a larger diameter, h.as to be only slightly lower in view of the fact th.at th.e impact of th.e kernels. agains~t the smooth. inside wall of th.e h.ousing has a smaller significance.
In order to prevent breaking of th.e kernels at the :- :
material inlet and at th.e outlet, the said portions are s-ui`tably arranged to be tangential and to be arranged in th.e s~ame : sense of advance of the material as th.e rotor.
The particular operation of th.e apparatus according : to the present invention makes it possihle to operate with a '` "''.

. , virtually complete freedom as to the choice of arrangement -~ of the rotor axis. The rotor is preferably horizontal or slight-ly inclined forwardly or backwardly. Located at the lower end can be the outlet so that the inside of the hou&ing can be - rinsed from the opposite side.
The water metering device communicates preferably - , with the material inlet. For this purpose, an atomizer ~et , or a side-feed device can be provided. It iæ essential that the water or vapor inlet be located in th,e region of the~material inlet and not too far from the effective operational part of the moiætening device because otherwise a non-unifor~ water distri-bution can occur on the kernels which could subsequently be no longer equalized by the moistening device according to the present invention.
A feeler disposed in the material passage automatically switches the water or vapor supply on or off. However, the volume of the incoming water or vapor is adjusted independently from same and can 6e arranged to be remotely controlled.
It has furth,er been found out that in particular applications it i8 of advantage to use different ty~pes of rotor. ~'~
Many types of seedliRe fruit and partially also seeds, are extremely brittle and sub~ect to breaking and, at the same time, have to be undamaged i~ any ~ay, although a pre-determined moistening of all kernels is to be achieved with a maximum uniformity. In the region of the gra~n i,nlet an accelerator auger can be arranged or a portion of the impact blades can be 6uilt as accelerator elements by inclining same in an oblique direction.
An extremely gentle processing of the material can be achieved when the impact members have a rounded or o~al cross section. The accelerating elements in the region of ~ 1069101 th.e grain inlet can be produced as~ flat, obl:iquely~ ~ncl~i~ned flat-section pieces, i.e. blades.
: The acceleration elements can Çurth.er be produced ~ as a single or mult~ple spiral auger elements op thPe.adæ, :': According to an ad~antageouæ embodiment o th.e present invention, all of the impact blades- are ar~anged at an angle of a~out 50 to 85 with respect to th.e longitud~nal ..
- axis of the rotor. It is also possible to arrange a portion of ~. , .
th.e impact 61ades rectangularly to th.e axi.s of th.e~otor w.~ith.
lO alternately arranged inclined impact bars, each.be~ng inclined ;
by 45 - 80 with respect to the longitudinal axiæ of th.e rotor. :.
The rotor can have a central portion of a re.duced :r diameter in th.e region of th~e acceleration auger. .
In certain cases it iæ of advantage to arran-ge th.e:
water addition device to communicate into th.e first port~an of the moisturizing chamber so that th.e-mois,turizi.ng ~ater enters in a region wherei.n the. kernel s:tre.a~ already has -`
assumed an annular shape. In some cases at least one subæequent ..' water addition device iæ arranged between th.e. grain i.nlet and 20 the material outlet. If an additive i.s introduced ~.nto th.e ' device through the second water inlet apparatuæ, then th.e device,~ .
according to the present invention also contributes to a more : :
: uniform distribution of the additive.
, The use of th.e apparatus according to the present invention before milling or before tempering of wh.eat, r~e, barley and oat, th.e surface of kernels of wh.ich is known to contain a crease or uneven surface, provides advantages which , ~.
are surprising even for those s.killed in the art as to th.e quality of th.e resulting product.
The invention will now be deæcrihed with. reference to æeveral embodiments with reference to th.e accompanying . `` 1069101 ~ drawi.ngs in ~hich;
.~- Figure 1 is a total s~ch.ematic ~i,ew~of a mo,istening ~ unit with the mois.tening chamber s~hown in section;
.~
Figure 2 s~hows the structure of th.e rotor of Figure 1 in the region of the material outlet, at a slightl~ enlarged ,- scale than that of Figure l;
"~ Figure 3 is an axial sectional view of the region .;~ of the material inlet of apparatuæ as shown in Fig. l;
~ Figure 4 is a diagrammatic repreæentation of one example of use of th.e new moisturizing de~ice;
Figure 5 is a schematic longitudinal section of a moiaturizing device having the impact members of round cros:s~-section;
Figure 6 iæ a schematic longitudinal sectiQn of a further embodiment of the moisturizing de~ice;
-~ Figure 7 is a section VII - vrI o~ Figure 6;
' Figure 8 is a æecti,on vrIr - yrII of Figure 6;
,~. Figure 9 is one emhodiment of the ~o,to~ ~ith th.e :~;"
impact blades arranged alternatel~ ohliquel~ and pe~pend~cular , 20 to the axis of the rotor;
Figure 10 is a combination of an accelerati`on auge.r l:
' and impact members of drop-shaped croas sect~on.
The embodiment of the moisturizing apparatus~ shown in Fig. 1 comprises a moisturizing housing 1, a tubula~ mois~-turizing chamber 2, a rotor 3 as well as dri~e means~ 4. Shown ., i~ at the left of this figure is a material inlet 5, and to th.e right of the figure a material outlet 6, both of which are fixedl~
connected with the housing 1. A w~ater metering de~ce 7 communicates into the moisturizing housing in th.e region of th.e material inlet 5. The material inlet 5 i5 hroadened upwardl~
and a known control means 9 for detecting the material flow~is~
arranged in the broadened portion of same. An inclined feeler ` 1069101 plate la is mounted for tilting mo~ement on a lever 11, The movement of the lever 11 provides~ control i~puls.es,~for a not ~ , shown pneumatic or oth.er sw~itching device connected via control l$nes 12 with a valve 13. A metering val~e 1~ controls th.e rate of water flow~, the control being effected by operating th.e metering valve 19 eith.er by h.and or by a remote control. Th.e instant value of the rate of flow can be determined from the rate of flow measuring device lS. Extendi.ng from the outlet of the rate of flow measuring device lS is a water conduit 16, th.e oth.er end of which communicateæ with.th.e mo~sturizi.ng h.ousi~ng 1 or with the material inlet S, A distributor 17 on wh.ich is.
provided a plurality of nozzleæ 18, i,a arranged to reach. ~nto the material inlet S. Above th.e detector plate 10 ~i,s a deflec-tor plate 20 ~h.ich ia diaposed directly beneath. an inlet feed pipe 21.
The rotor 3 comprises a large number of impact ~ars 30 wh.ich extend in radial direction from longitudinal supports~
31. The rotor 3 is supported by t~o ~ournals 32, 33 located in bearings 34 and 35, th.e journals extending bey~ond the ends of h.ousing 1. The bearings; th.emsel~es are each s~ecured to th.e h.ousing 1 b~ means of a bearing support 36 which. also ser~es as a mounting of the bearing to the floor, A drive motor 36 is '' fixedly aecured directly to th.e support 36 and ~s ar~anged to drive the rotor 3 by a pulley 38, belts 39 and pulley~ 40 fixedl~ '`
secured to the end of the ~ournal 33.
The operation of th,e inten&ive moi.s:turizing device is as follows:
Grain is fed th,rough, th.e feed pipe 21, Th.e stream of the grain is; deflected immedi,ately beneath the ~nlet pipe 21 by the deflector plate 20 onto the suitably supported detecting plate 10. The falling stream of grain presses onto the plate 10 and causes it to tilt downwardly far enough to cause th.e opening of the valve 13 b~ a not s.~ho~n s~i,tch means, The exact ~- water volume requ$.red for the moisturizing is~ then ad~us~ted on .,~ the metering valve eith.er simultaneously or subæequently.
Water Is supplied through the water canduit 16 and nozzles~ 18 ,in, to the down-falling ætream of grain w.~ith only a short delay~.
As soon as. the grain stream reacheæ the moistu~i-', zing chamb,er 2 in the region of impact 6ars 30, it is~b~ough.t : into the state of h.igh velocity movement b.~ the. alades. The chamber 2 has an enclosed, round sh.ape. The grain s~tream is th.us spread into an annular lay~er on the inæide ~all of th.e ch.amber 2 and rotated at a æpeed wh.ich is almost the same aæ the speed of the rotor 3. The rotor 3 itself prov~de.s a strong guiding for th.e material due to the large numbeT of its. impact bars 30. The moisturizing,ch.amber 2 of th.is emb,odiment is stationary and is prov$ded with. a relatively smooth. ~nner SUT - :
face. Thus, the spread layer of th.e material is only~ ælightly ,~' decelerated. The ind-ividual grain kernels: are sub~ected to high ~ frequency $mpacts, also referred to as intensive impacts, but ,~l they can move in any direction after such an impact. The impact effect i8 due to relative velocity between the impact blades and the kernals and also due to rèlative velocity of the kernels within the turbulent mass. The con-:
:i stant inlet of freshly entering grain causes the spread layer of the material to move to~ards the material outlet. After h.aving ad~uæted j a constant feed of grain in th.e feed pipe 21, a constant time ,. period is established necessary for the passage of th.e grain kernels.through the h.ousing 1.
The kernels rub against each other dur$ng their passage through. th.e housing but do not 6ecome dis.$ntegrated by~
such a movement. The movement only results $n a maximum turbul-ence and intermixing of the kernels. Th.e differences 6et~eenthe degree of moisturizing of the kernels are th.us equalized --" 1069101 , . .
during a single passage through th.e device. The ~h.ole procesæ
takes place at a h.igh velocity of at least 5 meters~sec to 30 meters/sec Cm/sec). It is also to be noted th.at th.e portions ~ :
of the surface of the kernels h.aye eyen a considerably higher instant absolute velocitr values due to the rotation of kernels ~ about their own axes... Th.e water is thus uniformly~dis:trihuted over the entire surface of the kernels. ~r ~a~ of turhulent motion, regardlesæ w-h.ether it is in the form of tinr droplets or in the form of a film. Th.us, a uniform moisturizing i.æ .
. 10 established even in the area of the crease of the kernel, wh.ich could not ~e achieved heretofore.
The impact action on the kernels furth.er provides for ~,~
a very strong intenæification of th.e moistening. Th.e kernel is slightly deformed during an impact. A portion of the moistening water is thus "ruhbed-in" into th.e outer larer ; which clearly explains the intensive moisturizing operation of the new type of th.e moisturizing apparatus, The resulting sotness of the outer layers of th.e kernel h.aæ a favourahle effect on the milling, sifting and finally ~n the ~aking quality, particularly when processlng kernels th.at h.ave .
heen solely dry cleaned.
Ohvio.usly, the moisturizing apparatus: is not limited in use to the moistening of dry cleaned seedlike fruit. Th.e w~et or liquid cleaning h.as thus far proyided a more or less considerable moisturizing effect, howeyer, as a rule, it was not possi~le to predetermine an exact value of moisture content in the material. On th.e contrary, the moisturizing apparatus according to th.e present inyention makes~ it possible to achieve predetermined moisture content figureæ. Th.e uæe of the moisturizing apparatus according to th.e preæ~ent inYention is therefore æuitable ~oth for dry cleaned and wet cleaned kernels.

106910~ :

The effect of the new.~ intenæive moistuPi.Zing apparatus haæ als:o been establish.ed 6.~ using an experimental unit and has shown that a single moisturizing of grain makes~.it po6sib.1e to increase the mois:ture content b,y~ up to 5% w,hile using a relatively short rotor. On the oth.er hand, it i5 also possible to add to the kernels the s~mallest amount of ~ater of several tenths of per-cent b,y w.~eigh.t wh~ile achieving the s:ame - .
uniformity in distribution. .: ' The invention enables various: furth.er developments~, Thus, when moiatening wheat, the optimum speed of th.e outermost tips of the impact bars iæ between 20 to 25 m~s~ec. rt is~
of much advantage to provide a great number of th.e impact bars~, : Inasmuch as the æpread layer i.s distributed over the ins~ide ; of the tubular chamber 2, it is posaible to relate the num6er of the impact baræ 30, ~h~ich have a small radial clearance bet~een their tips. and th.e inæide of th.e ch.amber 2, to the ~ surface area of the inner surface of the ch.amber. As~sAuming ,', that the rotor 3 as sh.own in Figure 1 has a diameter of 250 - 300 mm and a length of approximately 1 m (:meteP), the.n it is feasible to provide in such embodiment a number of th.e impact blades 30 correaponding to about 200 blades or bar6 '!
per square meter of the inside surface of the chamber.
As clearly sh.own in Figure 2, th.e impact bar~ 30 of a still further embodiment are supported by a plurality of longitudinal supports 40. Th.e longitudinal s:upports 40 are secured to the rotor 3 by means of screws 41.
lt has further been found out to be of advantage to offset the individual longitudinal supports 4a on th.e rotor 3 by one half of th.e distance X (as shown in Figure 2).
In this way, the impact blades~ are not located i.n individual radial planes with large intermediate spaces betw~een t~o ' , ~, - ' , . .

~ `` 1069101 ~. ad;acent planes of such ty~pe, ~uch offset aTrange~ent makes it possible to obtain an even s~tronger guiding of the material with a smaller amount of impacts ~mparted to th.e layer of the material. Based on h.ygiene and cost grounds~, th.e rotor 3 is preferably produced as a~h.oll~ow~shaft-45. Such arrange-- ment makes it possible to substantially reduce th.e effecti.ve portion of the same. The diameter DF of th.e root circle of '. the impact bars 30 amounts preferably to about 20 to 50%of the inside diameter of th.e moisturizing ch.amber 2. Th.e processing space can easil~ be cleaned and, ~.hi.ch. is~ even more important, it cleans~ i.ts~elf during regular operati.on : of the device.
: Figure 3 æh.ows a tangential arrange~ent of th.e. material inlet 5. As the rotor 3 is driven in th.e s.ame sense as tK.e .-~ movement of the material takes place, such arrangement :~:, results in a gentle acceleration of the mov:ement of th.e - -.
~ kernels. Th.e feed is indicated by the arro~50 and th.e.
sense of rotation of the rotor by arro~51, rt ~ill be appreciated from Figure 1 th.at th.e material outlet can als~o ~ :
20 be arranged in the same sense, Figure 4 a~ho~s~ a preferable application of the moisturizing device according to th.e present invention associated with. and arranged immediately - downatream of the cleaning h.ouse.
I The figure shows diagrammatically~ a s~eries~ contai.ni.ng a ,' grain s~eparator 100, a dry stoner lQl, a cockle cy~l~nder la2, a dry scouring machine 103, a grain aspi.rator 104, a mo~s~tur- ~.
izlng apparatus 105 according to the pres~ent invention and finally, a tempering bin 106.
Th.e grain separator 100 removes large impurities s~uch.
as strings, hay, stones etc. as well as kernel fractions~ etc, Th.e stoner 101 removes all stones and other heavy~ impurities.

:

:- . ,. , : ~ .: :, . : . , , , :: : -` lQ69101 Th.e cockle cylinder 102 is us~ed in removing fr~m the grain corn cockles, vetch. and fraction&. Th.e æcouring ~achine cleans the grain itself and removes dust and loose shell portions of same.
For safety reasons, the scouring machine 103 iæ frequently connected to an aspirator which. is used in removing dust and :.
shell portions:. Th.us, a fully cleaned w~heat enteræ th.e moistur- -izing device. The moisturizing device adds an exact volume of water to the grain, moistens same by the above deæcri.hed intens.ive impact-and-turbulence effect and transfers th.e ~ 10 material into a tempering bin 106. After the exp~ry of the ; tempering time, the material is directly~ con~ey~ed to th.e milling.
In the shown example of application of th.e device, a ~ fully dry cleaning ia involved in connection with.th.e new~
:l intensive moisturizing, wherein th.e latter is used to a considerable degree i.n t~e pre-milling preparation of th.e material.
However, th.e moisturizing device can also be uæ~ed in applications wherein the grain kernels and s:imilar material has to be only sligh.tly moistened with. an exactly metered volu~e of water, and in which.it is desired to provide a partial i introduction of water into the outer layers of th.e kernel.
The moisturizing device shown in Figure 5 contains a moisturizing housing 201, an enclosed moisturizing chamber 202 as well as: a rotor 203. Th.e drive means. corresponds to th.at of the embodiment of Figure 1. At the left of Fig, 5 is.
shown a material inlet 204 and at right is an outlet 205.
A water distributor 206 can be provided with one or - as shown - several nozzles 207.
The rotor 203 is shown schematically and i.s provided at its ends with a support journal 208 and a drive ~ournal 209, particularly wh.en the overall length of the rotor ` 1069101 is: over 1 meter. The rotor is~ of th.e type o~ a hollow sh.aft 210, whereby, on the one hand, th.e weight o~ same is~ maintained low and, on the other hand, th.e free space between the shaft 210 and the moisturizing ch.am6er 2Q2 is~ l~.mited to a particular processing space. ln the region of th.e materi~al inlet 204, the shaft 210 is provided w~ith acceleration blades 211. The remaining part of the rotor 2Q3 or of the shaft 210 . is provided with impact 6ars. 212 hay~ng a round cros~s s.ection : and arranged in mutually offset rows.
The operation of this particular embodiment corresponds~
- to a great degree to th.e embodiment according to Figures 1, 2 ~l and 3. The main difference resi.des~ in that th.e rotor 203 :
is provided with acceleration 61ades 211 only in the area of material inlet 2Q4, the acceleration 61ades correspondi.ng to the impact bars 30 of Fig. 1. The impact 6ars~ of the remai.n~ng . portion of rotor 2Q3 are formed 6y impact bars 212 having round !~ cross section and als:o having rounded th.eir free ends.
; Whether or not the acceleration blades 211 correspond in shape to the impact bars 30 of Fig. 1, the.ir function in the embodiment of Figure 5 ia primarily to accelerate the movement of the incoming grain and to secure at the same time the required passage of the material th.rough th.e .
apparatus. The grain stream is brought into a atate of a very high rotational movement in th.e form of an annular, turbulent layer within the moisturizing ~acket 2Q2, wh.~ch. is~
effected without causing any damage to the kernels due to the break-down of th.e acceleration blades into a large number. ~Iater is distributed uniformly into th.e grain s:tream already in the area of the material inlet 204.
The basic idea of the solution according to Figure 5 :`
resides in a still further movement of individual kernels, 1()69101 `
wh.ich is required wh.en working with. certain t~pes. of k.ernels.
and partly when ~orking with.seeds. Th.e impact effect des.cribed in the main patent is deliberately reduced. Substantial tur- `
bulence effects on the individual kernels as well as on fine and finest water drops are used in this case. Th.e working intensity of individual round impact bars 212 iæ reduced in comparison with the impact blades 3Q of Figure 1, so that even a greater number of same can be us~ed per æquare meter of the inside surface of th.e ~all of the moisturizing chamber, Th.e number of round impact bars. 212 should not be less than 100 .. . .
`` and sh.ould preferably be about 2ao to 400 pieces per square - meter of the inside wall of the moi:sturizing chamber 202. The round impact bars 212 the length of ~hich corresponds approxi-mately to that of fingers, are preferably~ arranged in offset rows, as is apparent from Figure 5. Th.e impact bars 212 can also h.ave an oval or even another rounded cross~-section, The embodiments deviating from the round shape can be oriented obliquely to assiæt in advance of the materi:al and, if required, even h.ave an opposi.te inclination, e,g, in th.e region of the material inlet 205.
In all variations of th.e shape of the impact bars it i.s still essential that a large amount be used and that the speed of the rotor 203 relative to the inside diameter o the moisturizing chamber be about 400 to 1800,preferably ~00 to 1200 rpm.
Figure 5 shows a still further particulaT feature of the control of moisturizing. Inasmuch as the intensive mois.tur-izing provides a particularly uniform moisture content, it is j possible to measure the moisturizing effect directly after the moisturizing device and to control the moistening ~ater volume correspondingly. Th.is provides for a very simple .
' ' ;: .

. .
arrangement from th.e standpoint of control. A flow-th.rough -'.
measuring apparatus 215 is connected via a control line 216 with a control apparatus 217 and is supplied w~ith current by a power line 218. Th.e control apparatuæ 217 is connected with. a , valve 220 over a line 219, which in itself provides a control ''.
impulse for opening or for closing of the metering valve 221. Th.e instant flow-througK. volume can 6e determined by means of a rate of flow~indicator 222 by visual control.
,, The control apparatus 217 is furth.er connected ~ith a mois.ture, ~ ,.
measuring appa~atus 223, by means of a control line 224, Th.e.
moisture measuring apparatus can be of a known ty~pe operating on the principle of radiatlon, e.g. microwave absorption. Th.e.
: control device 217 can be connected w~ith a control switchboard ~, .
by means of a control line 225. It can be adjusted to a required value of th.e moistening either b.~ the. control line 225 or directly on th.e control device 217. Th.e a6Ove noted moistening '. can be checked by the control device and can readil~ be made .
" visible on an indicator 226 of the control unit 217.
'', Figures 6, 7 and 8 show~a still further embodi,ment of ,.20 the moisturizing apparatus. The moiaturizing housing 301 is provided with. a moisturizing chamber 302 in wh.i.ch. is :arranged a rotor 3. It also has a material inlet 304 and a material outlet 305. Th.e water metering device is~
divided into a flrst injection unit:~306 and a second injection unit 307 arranged between th.e material inlet 304 and the material outlet 3a5. Th.e volume of water delivered by s~uch, injection unit can be controlled by an adjustment ~alve 310, The rotor 303 is provided with an acceleration auger 308 in the region of th,e material inlet. The remaining portion :30 of the rotor is formed by impact bars 309 which. are arranged substantially rectangularly to th.e longitudinal axis of tK.e ., . . ~ .

, . .

: rotor~
This particular embodi~ment is~ s~uitable fo~ m~s~turiz,i.ng of kernels or mixtures~ thereof which are more res~i.s~tant to breaking or abrading.
The division of the ~ater inlet into t~o in~ection units in this embodiment is of particular interefi~t, A firs:t iniectien unit 306 is arranged in a first portion of the mois~te.ning chamber wherein the grain stream is being accelerated, A
- second injection unit 307 is located in the region between " 1 the material inlet 304 and th.e material outlet 305, Depend-ing on the type of grain, th.e second in~ection unit can be located e.g. in the firat th.ird or in the middle of th.e entire length of the rotor 303, Th.is can s:ti.ll furth.e.r ~ improYe the uniformity of water dis:tribution~ I~t ~a~ also ,~ readily conceivable to use the æecond in~ection un~t i,n special cases for injection of special additi,~es: while t~e first injection unit 306 delivers clean ~ater or ~.ce vers~a.
Such. additives can be di.strib,uted more unifor~ly ,if th.e kernels have alread~ been moiætened. S'uch.po~a~ibi.litieæ are, of courae, also a~ailable in all of th.e abo~e noted em~odiments and can also be preaent in other combinations.
In Figure 9 is ah.o~n onlr the rotor ~n tKe s~ame position as in th.e foregoing emhodiments. Th.e rotor 401 is provided w~ith. obliquely inclined impact blades or ~ars 402 and ~ith ' rectangularly arranged impact blades or bars 403. Ind~,vidual ,~ impact blades can easily be arranged an oppoaite inclination.
,' Th.e material inlet 404 ia~ indicated hr an arro~404.
., Figure 10 sK.ows a schematic view of a further em~odiment of the rotor. The rotor 501 h.as, in the region of th.e material inlet 502 wh.ich is also schematically indicated by an arrow, : a narrowing section wherein th.e rotor 501 is limited to a smaller : .. - : . ' 1069101 :
:, ' croæs-section of the sh.aft 5Q3, ~h~ch blends~ over a conical . . .
portion 504 into the tubular portion of th,e r0tor 50,1, An acceleration auger 505 is formed by an uprigh.t thread-shaped ` portion. Between th.e auger section 505 and the s~haft 503 i5 a '~ comparatively large free intermediate space. The: ~mpact bars, - -., 506 in th.is particular portion h,ave a semi-ci.rcular section, . This particular embodiment is designed for a gentle acceleration and movement of ~he processed product. Th.e ring s.~h.aped embodiment of the acceleration auger provides a desirabl~ cushioned trans-~ 10 fer of force to th.e material.
.`~ Obvioual~, the material inlet and outlet can be produced in a different form from th.at shown in th.e draw~,ngæ, e.g.
~I~ th.e inlet can be radial, tangential etc. rt ia also po&si.ble ,' ,~ .
'~ to use in all embodi,ments an~th.er t~pe of th.e ,i,mpact memb-ers, .-:

" e.g. curved blades, wh.~.ch may provi.de advantages in certain ,: cases.

.l . 20 ' ~!

, , -- ................................................................... :.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclu-sive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A method for intensive moisturizing of seedlike fruit, particularly of grain, characterized in that the seedlike fruit is brought into a substantially cylindrical enclosed housing provided with an inlet for material and an outlet for material and with a rotor having a large number of impact mem-bers such as blades or bars and rotated at a speed which is at least sufficient to generate an annular, continuous turbulent layer of kernels moving in the direct on from the material inlet to the material outlet, so that following an addition of a metered volume of water, the entire surface of all kernels is uniformly moistened and the kernels are moistened to a pre-determined degree.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least 0.1 by weight of water or water vapor is injected into a stream of dry-cleaned grain stream, the grain stream is brought into the state of a high peripheral velocity in a tubu-lar, enclosed housing and subjected to an intensive impact and frictional action.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a stream of cleaned grain is moistened to a predetermined value of 0.1 to 6% by weight of moisture content, spread into a turbulent layer within a tubular, enclosed housing, and brought into the state of a high peripheral speed of 5 - 30 meters per second and a rotor provided with a large number of impact members is moved relative to said layer of the material in the moisturizing housing, for the purpose of impacting indi-vidual kernels in the laxer and cause their movement with res-pect to each other, whereby the moisture is uniformly distributed.
4. Moisturizing apparatus particularly for seed-like fruit such as grain, said apparatus comprising a moisturizing housing with a material inlet and a material outlet, a rotor arranged for rotation in said housing and being radially spaced from same, and a water metering device, characterized in that the moisturizing housing includes a tubular, enclosed moisturizing chamber and the rotor is provided with a large number of individual impact members preferably arranged in a plurality of rows, and drive means for the rotor arranged to drive said rotor at a peripheral speed of the outermost ends of the impact members in the region of at least 6 meters per second but not more than 30 meters per second, said water metering device communicating into the region of said material inlet.
5. Apparatus according to claim 4 for use in moisturizing seedlike fruit having an irregular surface, such as wheat, rye, barley or oats, said apparatus being arranged to moisturize said fruit prior to its tempering, said tempering preceding the milling of said fruit.
6. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said peripheral speed of the outermost ends of the impact members is in the range of 12 - 30 meters per second.
7. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said peripheral speed of the outermost ends of the impact members is in the range of 20 to 25 meters per second.
8. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the rotor is provided with at least 20 impact members per square meter of the inside peripheral surface area of the moisturizing chamber.
9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein 80 to 300 impact members are provided per one square meter of the inside surface of the moisturizing chamber, said impact members being arranged in six to twenty rows disposed about the periphery of the rotor.
10. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the inside diameter of the moisturizing chamber is at least 250 mm but not substantially more than 600 mm.
11. Apparatus according to claim 4 or claim 9, wherein the rotor is of the type having a hollow shaft member, the root circle diameter of the impact members being 20 - 50% of the diameter of the moisturizing chamber.
12. Apparatus according to claim 8 or claim 10, wherein the impact members are arranged about the rotor on elongated supports, said supports being secured to the shaft of said rotor longitudinally thereof, the individual impact members being blades made from a flat-section material.
13. Apparatus according to claim 4 or claim 9, wherein the rotor is of the type having a hollow shaft member, the root circle diameter of the impact members being 20 - 50% of the diameter of the moisturizing chamber, characterized in that the impact members of one longitudinal support are offset with respect to the impact members of the longitudinal support adjacent to said one longitudinal support, whereby thread-shaped rows are formed with respect to the periphery of the rotor.
14. Apparatus according to claim 8 or claim 10, wherein the impact members are arranged about the rotor on elongated supports, said supports being secured to the shaft of said rotor longitudinally thereof, the individual impact members being blades made from a flat-section material, at least a portion of the impact members being arranged obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rotor, in order to assist in advancing or accumulation of the material.
15. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the moisturizing chamber is made from a tube.
16. Apparatus according to claim 8 or claim 10, wherein the impact members are arranged about the rotor on elongated supports, said supports being secured to the shaft of said rotor longitudinally thereof, the individual impact members being blades made from a flat-section material, at least a por-tion of the impact members being arranged obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rotor, in order to assist in advancing or accumulation of the material, characterized in that the material inlet and the material outlet are arranged tangentially with respect to said rotor and that the sense of rotation of the rotor is the same as that of the movement of the material through the material inlet and the material outlet.
17. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the axis of the rotor is arranged horizontally.
18. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the axis of the rotor is inclined in such a way that the material outlet is located at a higher level or at a lower level than that of the inlet.
19. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the impact members are bars of a round or oval cross section.
20. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein an acceleration auger is arranged in the region of the material inlet so as to act as an acceleration element for bringing the incoming material into said state of a continuous turbulent annular layer disposed on the inside surface of said moisturi-zing housing.
21. Moisturizing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the acceleration auger is of the type of a single or multiple-thread auger.
22. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein a portion of the impact members in the region is of the type of obliquely arranged blades so as to act as acceleration elements for bringing the incoming material into said state of a continu-ous turbulent annular layer disposed on the inside surface of said moisturizing housing.
23. Apparatus according to claim 20 wherein the impact members are blades arranged alternately rectangularly to the rotor axis and obliquely to same.
24. Apparatus according to claim 20 wherein the impact members in the region of the material inlet are obliquely arranged flat-section blades and in the remaining portion of the rotor have a round or oval cross-section.
25. Apparatus according to claim 20 wherein the shaft portion of the rotor has a reduced inner diameter in the region of the material inlet, the acceleration auger being arranged at a radial spacing with respect to the shaft portion of the rotor.
26. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the water addition device communicates into the moisturizing chamber at a point located between the material inlet and the material outlet.
, 27. Moisturizing apparatus according to claim 4 or claim 26, characterized in that a water inlet device is arranged to communicate with a first part of the moisturizing chamber for the purpose of adding water to the stream of grain that has already been accelerated and thus brought into the state of an annular, turbulent layer.
28. Moisturizing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the impact members are blades made from a flat-section material and arranged obliquely in the region of the material inlet, while those disposed on the remaining portion of the rotor are arranged rectangularly to the axis of the rotor.

29. A plant for the dry-cleaning and the treatment of grain wherein grain travels sequentially from apparatus to apparatus, the plant including a moisturizing apparatus comprising a moisturizing housing with a material inlet and a material outlet, a rotor arranged for rotation in said housing and being radially spaced from same, and a water metering device, characterized in that the moisturizing housing includes a tubular, enclosed moisturizing chamber and the rotor is provided with a large number of individual impact members preferably arranged in a plurality of rows, and drive means for the rotor arranged to drive said rotor at a peripheral speed of the outermost ends of the impact members in the region of at least 6 meters per second but not more than 30 meters per second, said water metering device communicating into the region of said material inlet, said plant further comprising at least one of the following, namely a grain dry-cleaning apparatus and a milling apparatus.
30. A plant as claimed in claim 29 wherein the dry-cleaning apparatus includes a dry-scouring apparatus.
31. A plant as claimed in claim 30, wherein the dry-cleaning apparatus includes at least one of the following, namely a stone removing apparatus and an aspirator cleaning apparatus.
32. A plant as claimed in claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein said moisturizing apparatus is of the type for use in moisturizing seedlike fruit having an irregular surface, such as wheat, rye, barley or oats, said apparatus being arranged to moisturize said fruit prior to its tempering, said tempering preceding the milling of said fruit.

33. A plant as claimed in claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein said peripheral speed of the outermost ends of the impact members is in the range of 12 - 30 meters per second.
34. A plant as claimed in claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein said peripheral speed of the outermost ends of the impact members is in the range of 20 to 25 meters per second.
35. A plant as claimed in claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein the rotor is provided with at least 20 impact members per square meter of the inside peripheral surface area of the moisturizing chamber.
36. A plant as claimed in claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein the rotor is provided with at least 20 impact members per square meter of the inside peripheral surface area of the moisturizing chamber, and wherein 80 to 300 impact members are provided per one square meter of the inside surface of the moisturizing chamber, said impact members being arranged in six to twenty rows disposed about the periphery of the rotor.
37. A plant as claimed in claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein the inside diameter of the moisturizing chamber is at least 250 mm but not substantially more than 600 mm.
38. A plant as claimed in claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein the rotor is of the type having a hollow shaft member the root circle diameter of the impact members being 20 - 50%
of the diameter of the moisturizing chamber.
39. A plant as claimed in claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein the rotor is provided with at least 20 impact members per square meter of the inside peripheral surface area of the moisturizing chamber, and wherein 80 to 300 impact members are provided per one square meter of the inside surface of the moisturizing chamber, said impact members being arranged in six to twenty rows disposed about the periphery of the rotor, and wherein the rotor is of the type having a hollow shaft member, the root circle diameter of the impact members being 20 - 50% of the diameter of the moisturizing chamber.
40. A plant as claimed in claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein the rotor is provided with at least 20 impact members per square meter of the inside peripheral surface area of the moisturizing chamber, and wherein the impact members are arranged about the rotor on elongated supports, said supports being secured to the shaft of said rotor longitudinally thereof, the individual impact members being blades made from a flat-section material.
41. A plant as claimed in claims 29, 30 or 31 wherein the inside diameter of the moisturizing chamber is at least 250 mm but not substantially more than 600 mm, and wherein the impact members are arranged about the rotor on elongated supports said supports being secured to the shaft of said rotor longitudinally thereof, the individual impact members being blades made from a flat-section material.
42. A plant according to claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein the rotor is of the type having a hollow shaft member,the root circle diameter of the impact members being 20 - 50% of the diameter of the moisturizing chamber, characterized in that the impact members of one longitudinal support are offset with respect to the impact members of the longitudinal support adjacent to said one longitudinal support, whereby thread-shaped rows are formed with respect to the periphery of the rotor.
43. A plant according to claims 29, 30 or 31 wherein:
(a) the rotor is provided with at least 20 impact members per square meter of the inside peripheral surface area of the moisturizing chamber;

(b) 80 to 300 impact members are provided per one square meter of the inside surface of the moisturizing chamber, said impact members being arranged in six to twenty rows disposed about the periphery of the rotor; and (c) the rotor is of the type having a hollow shaft member,the root circle diameter of the impact members being 20 - 50% of the diameter of the moisturizing chamber, characterized in that the impact members of one longitudinal support are offset with respect to the impact members of the longitudinal support adjacent to said one longitudinal support, whereby thread-shaped rows are formed with respect to the periphery of the rotor..
44. A plant as claimed in claims 29, 30 or 31 wherein the rotor is provided with at least 20 impact members per square meter of the inside peripheral surface area of the moisturizing chamber, and wherein the impact members are arranged about the rotor on elongated supports, said supports being secured to the shaft of said rotor longitudinally thereof, the individual impact members being blades made from a flat-section material, at least a portion of the impact members being arranged obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rotor, in order to assist in advancing or accumulation of the material.
45. A plant according to claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein the inside diameter of the moisturizing chamber is at least 250 mm but not substantially more than 600 mm, and wherein the impact members are arranged about the rotor on elongated supports, said supports being secured to the shaft of said rotor longitudinally thereof, the individual impact members being blades made from a flat-section material, at least a portion of the impact members being arranged obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rotor, in order to assist in advancing or accumulation of the material.
46. A plant according to claims 29, 30 or 31, characterized in that the moisturizing chamber is made from a tube.
47. A plant according to claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein the rotor is provided with at least 20 impact members per square meter of the inside peripheral surface area of the moisturizing chamber, and wherein the impact members are arranged about a rotor on elongated supports, said supports being secured to the shaft of said rotor longitudinally thereof, the individual impact members being blades made from a flat-section material, at least a portion of the impact members being arranged obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rotor, in order to assist in advancing or accumulation of the material, characterized in that the material inlet and the material outlet are arranged tangentially with respect to said rotor and that the sense of rotation of the rotor is the same as that of the movement of the material through the material inlet and the material outlet.
48. A plant as claimed in claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein the inside diameter of the moisturizing chamber is at least 250 mm but not substantially more than 600 mm, and wherein the impact members are arranged about the rotor on elongated supports, said supports being secured to the shaft of said rotor longitudinally thereof, the individual impact members being blades made from a flat-section material, at least a portion of the impact members being arranged obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rotor, in order to assist in advancing or accumulation of the material, characterized in that the material inlet and the material outlet are arranged tangentially with respect to said rotor and that the sense of rotation of the rotor is the same as that of the movement of the material through the material inlet and the material outlet.
49. A plant according to claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein the axis of the rotor is arranged horizontally.
50. A plant according to claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein the axis of the rotor is inclined in such a way that the material outlet is located at a higher level or at a lower level than that of the inlet.
51. A plant according to claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein the impact members are bars of a round or oval cross section.
52. A plant according to claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein an acceleration auger is arranged in the region of the material inlet so as to act as an acceleration element for bringing the incoming material into said state of a continuous turbulent annular layer disposed on the inside surface of said moisturizing housing.
53. A plant according to claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein an acceleration auger is arranged in the region of the material inlet so as to act as an acceleration element for bringing the incoming material into said state of a continuous turbulent annular layer disposed on the inside surface of said moisturizing housing, and wherein the acceleration auger is of the type of a single or multiple-thread auger.
54. A plant as claimed in claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein a portion of the impact member in the region is of the type of obliquely arranged blades so as to act as acceleration elements for bringing the incoming material into said state of a continuous turbulent annular layer disposed on the inside surface of said moisturizing housing.
55. A plant according to claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein an acceleration auger is arranged in the region of the material inlet so as to act as an acceleration element for bringing the incoming material into said state of a continuous turbulent annular layer disposed on the inside surface of said moisturizing housing, and wherein the impact members are blades arranged alternately rectangularly to the rotor axis and obliquely to same.
56. A plant according to claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein an acceleration auger is arranged in the region of the material inlet so as to act as an acceleration element for bringing the incoming material into said state of a continuous turbulent annular layer disposed on the inside surface of said moisturizing housing, and wherein the impact members in the region of the material inlet are obliquely arranged flat-section blades and in the remaining portion of the rotor have a round or oval cross-section.
57. A plant according to claims 29, 30 or 31, wherein an acceleration auger is arranged in the region of the material inlet so as to act as an acceleration element for bringing the incoming material into said state of a continuous turbulent annular layer disposed on the inside surface of said moisturizing housing, wherein the shaft portion of the rotor has a reduced inner diameter in the region of the material inlet, the acceleration auger being arranged at a radial spacing with respect to the shaft portion of the rotor.

58. A plant according to claims 29, 30, or 31, wherein the water addition device communicates into the moisturizing chamber at a point located between the material inlet and the material outlet.
59. A plant according to claims 29, 30 or 31, characterized in that a water inlet device is arranged to communicate with a first part of the moisturizing chamber for the purpose of adding water to the stream of grain that has already been accelerated and thus brought into the state of an annular, turbulent layer.
60. A plant as claimed in claims 29, 30 or 31 wherein the water addition device communicates into the moisturizing chamber at a point located between the material inlet and the material outlet, characterized in that a water inlet device is arranged to communicate with a first part of the moisturizing chamber for the purpose of adding water to the stream of grain that has already been accelerated and thus brought into the state of an annular, turbulent layer.
61. A plant as claimed in claims 29, 30 or 31 wherein a portion of the impact member in the region is of the type of obliquely arranged blades so as to act as acceleration elements for bringing the incoming material into said state of a continuous turbulent annular layer disposed on the inside surface of said moisturizing housing, and wherein the impact members are blades made from a flat-section material and arranged obliquely in the region of the material inlet, while those disposed on the remaining portion of the rotor are arranged rectangularly to the axis of the rotor.