GB1271071A - Automatic milling and mixing system - Google Patents

Abstract

1,271,071. Milling and mixing cereals. E. H. BENTALL & CO. Ltd. 24 March, 1969 [22 Dec., 1967], No. 58413/67. Heading A2Q. A food processing plant for producing a mixture of preset amounts of different granular materials, e.g. cereals, comprises a mill, a mixer, two or more containers for the materials and control means which actuate means for measuring and delivering the preset amounts from the containers and means for delivering the amounts to the mill. In the embodiment shown the apparatus comprises barley, wheat and maize silos 22, 24, 26 each of which supply cereal to a bin 10, 12 or 14 under the control of a two level sensing switch in each bin. Below each bin is a weighing device 28, 30 or 32 in communication with a suction head 36, 38 or 40. The suction heads communicate with the mill via valves 54, 56 and the mill is connected to a cyclone separator 64 and mixer 62. Each weighing device comprises a pivoted double bin so that when one half is full the bin tips to empty the contents into a suction head and the other half of the bin is ready to receive cereal from the bin 10, 12 or 14. In operation each weighing device 28, 30 or 32 is operated successively for a preset number of tipping operations under the control of controller 42, for supplying cereal to its associated suction head. The cereal is sucked from each suction head 36, 38 or 40 in turn into the mill 58, the valves 54, 56 being appropriately positioned depending on which weighing device is operating. Each weighing device has a senser which initiates stoppage of cereal thereto when there is no flow of cereal from the suction head. The milled cereal is passed in an air stream to cyclone 64 and then to mixer 62. When the mixer has received the preset amounts of all cereals, the mill is stopped and the mixer is operated for a preset period of time by the controller 42. On stoppage of the mixer the cereal mix is discharged by gravity and when this gravity discharge ceases the mixer is restarted to expel the residual mix. In another embodiment the bins are associated with one weighing device comprising a Bourdon tube, which device weighs and collects all the preset amounts of the cereals before passing them to the mill.