GB722760A - Improvements in or relating to a machine for treating cereals or the like - Google Patents

Abstract

722,760. Apparatus for puffing cereals and other materials. QUAKER OATS CO., Sept. 3, 1952 [Sept. 19, 1951], No. 22168/52. Class 58. In a machine for treating cereals and other materials such as minerals, which are exploded to increase their bulk for heat insulating purposes, by subjecting to heat and pressure and, suddenly releasing the pressure, comprising a rotatable turret, a plurality of treating chambers on the turret, and movable closures at the ends of the chambers, means located at one point in the cycle of the turret acting on the closures to bring them successively onto the ends of the chambers, means to admit steam to the interiors of the chambers, and means to release the closures at a further point in the cycle of the turret, the turret is constructed and arranged for continuous rotation and all the means are constructed and arranged so that they are operable during the continuous rotation of the turret. As shown a turret T rotatable on a shaft 20 supports 8 separate treating chambers 42 into which as each passes a measured amount of cereal is fed from a charger in a shoot 12 through a spout 13 at the charging station B, the charger being controlled by a switch 14 which is depressed momentarily by the gun closure 120 in passing. The gun closure 120 which comprises a head 121 pivoted at 118 and a cap 136 is previously held raised by a hook 210 engaging the outer ends of the head 121 which as the turret rotates slides along a cam track 240 which curves so that the head overbalances and moves by gravity to the closed position this movement being controlled by the head 121 being received by another cam track 244 so that when the gun reaches the 12 o'clock position the closure is effected and the closure is locked bv a roller 147 at the end of a pivoted arm 142 entering a groove 123 in the head 121 due to the movement of a lever 170 caused by a roller 178 at its end riding on a cam track 258 and then the roller 147 being moved towards the gun by the further movement of the lever 170 due to its roller 178 now engaging the underneath of a further cam track 260, the arm 142 being kept in this locked position by a roller 154 at its opposite end engaging between cam track 246, 253 until the firing position A is reached where the track 253 terminates and allows the roller 154 to move outwardly thus releasing the chamber heads and discharging the material which is puffed by the sudden release of pressure built up in the chamber during its rotation from the loading stage by steam admitted after the loading. There is provided a bumper block 157 to absorb the shock and arrest the arm 142 which is thrown outwards by the explosion and a bumper 182 to absorb the repeated blows as the caps 136 of the chambers are thrown against it which are then held open by the hook 210 until closed as described above. Specification 603,785 is referred to.