METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING PROTEIN-VITAMINED CONCENTRATE FROM GREEN PLANTS Russian patent published in 1997 - IPC

FIELD: food-processing industry. SUBSTANCE: method involves plant grinding, introduction of adsorbing additive and drying. Grinding is conducted by combined flattening, splitting, rubbing, tightening of green plants and cutting. A portion of released moisture is redistributed into adsorbing additive and mixed till moisture content reaches 60 plus and minus 5% by weight, with portion of ready product being used as additive. Concentrate may be produced in pellets. To do that, the mixture with moisture content of 60 plus and minus 5% by weight is pelleted, with particles being simultaneously compressed. Apparatus has grinder, mixer (former) and drier. Grinder is formed as auger-cutter-screen-cutter device. Segment-shaped openings of screen are arranged in concentric openings. Former has shaft with disks mounted within housing. Side surfaces of disks are formed as spherical segments. Inlet opening is positioned above disks and outlet opening is positioned below disks. Ridged knife is positioned below disks. Ridges of knife are extending in the direction of rotation of shaft behind outlet opening in radial direction between disks. Drying unit may be formed either as fluidized bed unit or "cyclone-fluidized bed" type unit. EFFECT: increased efficiency, simplified method and apparatus and enhanced reliability in operation. 3 cl, 9 dwg, 1 tbl