Patent ID: 7883263

Claim:
A preconditioner operable to moisturize and partially cook feed materials prior to downstream processing thereof, said preconditioner comprising: an elongated housing presenting an inlet and an opposed outlet, said housing having a larger diameter end proximal to said inlet and a smaller diameter end proximal to said outlet, and a tapered wall section between said housing ends; and an elongated, axially rotatable shaft extending along the length of said housing and having a plurality of axially spaced apart, outwardly extending mixing elements supported by the shaft and each presenting an outer margin remote from the shaft, the spaced apart outer margins of said mixing elements being spaced from said housing a distance of no more than about ½ inch and cooperatively defining a taper along the length of the tapered section of said housing, selected ones of said mixing elements being oriented at a neutral position relative to the rotation direction of said shaft and other ones of said mixing elements being oriented in a negative angular position relative to the rotation direction of said shaft, such that the residence time of such materials passing through said preconditioner is increased, said shaft operable to rotate at a speed of from about 400-900 rpm, said preconditioner operable to precook said materials and achieve a cook value of from about 15-60%.