BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to processing straw to produce more nutritional products such as animal feed, flour, and/or alcohol.

2. Description of the Prior Art

[0002] U.S. Patent Number 8,322,272 of Wenger issued December 4, 2012 relates to a method of extrusion processing a food or feed material by: preconditioning said material by passing the material through a preconditioner vessel from an inlet to an outlet, with moisture addition and continuous agitation between the inlet and the outlet to partially moisturize and precook the material; positively conveying material from said outlet to the inlet of an extruder barrel, by rotating a pair of axially rotatable auger conveying screws having flighting extending from a point proximal to said outlet and into said extruder barrel, with the screws located within a substantially closed housing, said conveying step comprising the step of positively conveying said material substantially throughout the length of said housing; and passing said preconditioned and conveyed material through said extruder barrel and an end most restricted orifice die, and heating the material while subjecting the material to levels of pressure and shear, in order to fully process the material.

[0003] This reference is deficient in that it preconditions by heating and changing the water content prior to using the extruder which is inefficient and ineffective.

[0004] U.S. Patent Number 4,243,686 of Israiledes et al issued January 6, 1981 discloses a palatability as well as digestibility and protein content of straw is enhanced by treating it with a dilute aqueous solution of hydrochloric and phosphoric acids, ammoniating the acid-treated straw, and fermenting it with a yeast such as Aureobasidium pullulans. The so-treated straw is useful as a feed for ruminants and other animals.

[0005] This reference is deficient in that it uses chemicals which can degrade the nutritional value and dilutes the final mixture of materials to be used for animal feeds.

[0006] U.S. Patent Number 5,622,037 of Haimer issued April 22, 1997 discloses a pressing or pelletizing device for compacting vegetable materials, in particular grass blades, is disclosed for use with a harvester. In order to reduce the pressing forces required for the pelletizing process, the pressing channels are heated up to a temperature above 100 degrees C. It has been

demonstrated that by heating the pressing channels, local overheating of the device, which could otherwise lead to malfunctions, can be avoided. The pelletizing device has two co-axial hollow cylinders in which the pressing channels are delimited by radial lands which alternatively engage the pressing channels of the other hollow cylinder. The hollow cylinders are heated by means of a liquid circuit guided through the lands and linked to a heat exchanger that utilizes lost heat from the internal combustion engine of the harvester.

[0007] This reference is deficient in that it pelletizes to the extent that the material will be too rigid and of reduced value for the agricultural uses desired and not effective in processing the agricultural waste such as straw into nutritional products.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention is a method and apparatus to process various straw materials into nutritional products such as animal feed, flour, and/or alcohols. [0009] Therefore it is an object of the present invention to process straw materials in a way that makes them optimal for use in animal feeds, flours, and/or alcohols.

[0010] It is another object of the present invention to use an apparatus for accomplishing this task in the most efficient and effective way to produce nutritional materials.

[001 1] These and other objects of the present invention, will become apparent to those skilled in this art upon reading the accompanying description, drawings, and claims set forth herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 is a side section view of the extruder apparatus.

[0013] Figure 2 is an end section view of clamp 1 1 on housing sections 3 and 4.

[0014] Figure 3 is a side plan view of exit cone 10.

[0015] Figure 4 is a side section view of clamp 1 1.

[0016] Figure 5 is a side section view of shaft 5.

[0017] Figure 6 is a side section view of shaft 5and housing sections 2, 3, and 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

1. Definitions

[0018] Extruder apparatus is defined as seen in Figures 1 through 6.

[0019] Straw as used herein shall be defined as including; refuses of corn; refuses of artichokes; refuses of cereal culture; refuses of tobacco; refuses of sugar cane; reed and similar plant materials. 2. Best Mode of the Invention

[0020] The best mode contemplated by the inventors includes using the apparatus shown in the Figures 1 through 6 to process a straw into a nutritional products by using the apparatus under pressure of 34 to 45 Bars and at a temperature of 150 to 157 degrees Celsius to cause a chemical breakdown of long chain cellulose materials into smaller chain proteins. The proteins increase by about 356% when processed in this manner.

3. How to make the Invention

[0021] Figure 1 shows a side section view of the extruder apparatus. It includes a bearing assembly 1 ; the housing of the extruder sections 2, 3, 4 having a cylindrical interior; an extruder turning shaft 5; journal section 6 for guiding the turning shaft 5; a regulating nut 7 for limiting the extension of the extruder turning shaft 5; an exit nozzle 8, with an exit hole off center;

channels 9, in the cylindrical interior of housing sections 2, 3, and 4; the exit end 10 of turning shaft 5; and clamp 1 1, that holds together parts of housing sections 3 and 4 of the extruder apparatus. The raw material input hopper 12 is where the input material will be fed into the extruder apparatus for processing.

[0022] The extruder should be run at about 100 to 500 revolutions per minute to produce a temperature of about 130 to 170 degrees Celsius by mechanical action to extrude the straw raw material through the extruder. Pressure is measured in Bars wherein 1 Bar equals 1 atmosphere which equals 14.6959488 pounds per square inch and equals 1 million Pascals of pressure. Steam is generated to help achieve a pressure of about 30 - 50 Bars and temperature of about 130 to 170 degrees Celsius to reach the necessary processing conditions inside the extruder apparatus. These processing conditions are needed for the chemical breakdown to take place to change straw into a nutritional feed or feed supplement material.

[0023] The extruder apparatus must have rotational power attached to shaft end point 13 so as to rotate the turning shaft 5 at a rate of about 100 to 500 revolutions per minute to achieve the working temperature in the range of 130 to 170 degrees Celsius and a working pressure of about 30 - 50 Bars. The feed of ground straw having dimensions of about 5 to 10mm needs to be wet and put into the hopper 12 feeder end of the extruder. From the feeder the wet ground straw is transported to the shaft and being processed in extruder to the exit where because of the decreasing extruder shaft 5 screw pitch seen in Figure 5 the extruder apparatus can achieve the working pressures and temperatures to chemically process the ground straw into a more nutritional material.

[0024] While it is going through extruder it gets hot because of friction inside of extruder apparatus and the generated steam. Temperature varies from about 130 to 170 degrees Celsius. Steam adds to the temperature and the pressure of about 30 - 50 Bars and mixed mass goes to the exit nozzle 8 of the extruder apparatus. The exit hole as seen in Fig 3 is off center in such a way that it is opened half a revolution and closed the other half. When it is closed, it increases the internal pressure and temperature in extruder apparatus.

[0025] This way the processed straw comes out of extruder and the pressure that is created inside of the pieces of straw make the straw explode, causing a chemical breakdown of the long chain cellulose molecules. Thus, it becomes a candy cotton like mass. The process leads to breaking the long chain cellulose molecule and the outcome becomes very nutritional smaller chain proteins. The proteins increase by 365% by using this process. 4. How to Use the Invention

[0026] Using the apparatus of the drawings set forth herein above, one can feed the agricultural waste of grain products otherwise known as straws into the hopper 12 as seen in Fig 1. The processing inside the shaft 5 should be at temperatures in the range of about 130 to 170 degrees Celsius and at pressures in the range of about 30 - 50 Bars to accomplish the chemical breakdown of long chain cellulose molecules to significantly increase the nutritional value of the materials so processed. The processed straw material can be used as animal feed, ground into a flour that can be used as a nutritional supplement in food or animal feeds, or it can be further processed by fermentation to produce alcohols.

5. Examples

[0027] Example 1. Grind a straw to 5 to 10 mm, or 0.25" to 0.50", add 20% water from the dry weight of the straw and process it through the extruder apparatus. After processing, 30 to 35% of the straw changes in to a nutritional feed material.

[0028] Example 2. Grind a straw to 5 to 10 mm, add 50% of water and process it. After processing, 70 to 75% of the straw changes in to a nutritional feed material.

[0029] Example 3. Grind a straw to 5 to 10mm, add 75% of water and process it. After processing, 95 to 100% of the straw changes in to a nutritional feed material.

6. Table of results of processing. [0030] The following table shows chemical testing results of the beginning straw material and the final product after processing to show the changes that result from processing the straw material in the extruder apparatus.

Straw Units Processed Straw Units

Calories from Fat 3 Cal/lOOg 13 Cal/lOOg 430%

Fat (Total 0.28 g/100g 1.49 g/100g 530% Triglycerides)

Saturated Fat 0.14 g/100g 0.45 g/100g 320%

Trans Fat <0.10 g/100g <0.10 g/100g

Polyunsaturated Fat <0.10 g/100g .060 g/100g 600% - cis, cis

Monounsaturated <0.10 g/100g 0.44 g/100g 440% Fat - cis

Cholesterol <3.26 mg/lOOg <1.62 mg/lOOg

Dietary Fiber, Total 69.5 g/lOOg 47.2 g/100g

Sugars, Total 1.47 g/100g 1.80 g/100g 20%

Fructose 0.70 g 100g O.20 g/100g

Dextrose 0.78 g/100g 0.58 g/100g

Sucrose O.20 g/100g 1.23 g/100g 615%

Maltose O.50 g/100g O.50 g/lOOg

Lactose <0.50 g/100g <0.50 g/lOOg

Protein 2.52 g/lOOg 9.18 g/lOOg 365%

Iron 20.9 mg/lOOg 25.4 mg/lOOg 21%

Moisture 5.51 % 10.7 %

Ash 7.70 % 6.66 %

[0031] Straw is one of the less expensive sources of cattle feed and it can be considered as back up food. Regular straw has very low nutritional and biological value and it is not consumed and digested by cattle. Many researchers note that regular straw is badly consumed and digested by animals. Cell shells of straw consist of hard lignin cellulose complex, that practically

doesn't hydraulically processed in the digestive system of the animal and goes through the system as not digested left over. That is why feeding an animal regular straw is a non-effective use of value that feed has. In the meantime some components of lignin cellulose complex such as cellulose and hemi cellulose, if freed from lignin, or braces are weakened, it can be digested by cattle 100%, like starch (farina). In this case the importance and scale of the problem of increasing nutritional value of straw is becoming more obvious.

[0032] Processing technology that we created can increase the digestibility and consumeability of straw. After processing straw by our technology we have a product of small fibers, like cotton, that is sterilized during processing. There is no growth of lactic acid (probiotics) bacteria on the unprocessed straw because there are no growth enhancing foods in regular straw. After processing, the sugar, protein, sucrose, nitrogen and other growth enhancing products are released in the straw and that helps lactic acid bacteria to multiply dramatically, which adds to the nutritional value of the processed straw by adding Vitamin B complex, amino acid, protein, etc. Processed straw is put in sterile plastic bags and mixed with probiotics microbial barm. In 12 days it becomes ready to be consumed by animals and it has almost the same nutritional value as milk. [0033] Nutritional value comparison depending on kind of wheat and straw.

Calculations based on bacteria growth on substance. Shelf time increases to 3-4 month by adding probiotics.

[0034] The straw treated as set forth above is a very good nutritional media for the growth of lactic acid bacteria. During a period of 10 - 12 days, lactic acid bacteria growth is in the range of 10 to the 8 ^th power of colony forming units, or about the same amount of bacteria that would grow in milk, in serum milk, or in commercial bacterial growth media.

[0035] A few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. All such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the following claims.