Improved sieve for obtaining rice germ and by-products thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a sieve that works in synergy with ducts and trays that allow a continuous separation process that interconnects with different outlets and ducts to obtain rice germ, allowing paddy rice germ components to be separated and removed efficiently, effectively and in a continuous flow, to optimise profitability. The invention allows three by-products to be obtained from rice germ, broken rice or rice grits, rice germ oil and rice germ meal, in addition to others of less interest.

Description

[0001] IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SCREENING MACHINE FOR OBTAINING RICE MILL AND ITS BY-PRODUCTS

[0002] FIELD OF INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates to improvements to a sieve for obtaining rice by-products from rice husks, capable of producing a simple, efficient, and rapid separation between the different parts that make up the grain. These improvements impact the efficiency of the apparatus used to obtain rice by-products for conventional use, such as rice germ paste, rice oil, and rice bran. The invention is inherently mechanical and is therefore considered to belong to this field.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] In the processes of obtaining rice husks, there are some screens that simply separate the rice or clean it either to discard or to eliminate impurities found in heterogeneous mixtures with garbage or with other seeds, but the chaff and other by-products are discarded, privileging the grain over any other by-product of its harvest.

[0006] A separate application, MX / u / 2022 / 000598, describes a modified screen designed to improve efficiency. This screen works synergistically with ducts and trays to enable a continuous separation process. This process is interconnected with various outlets and ducts for obtaining rice hulls, allowing for the efficient and effective separation and extraction of raw rice hull components in a continuous flow, thus optimizing economic yield. This invention enables the production of three byproducts from rice hulls: rice grits, rice germ oil, and rice germ flour, in addition to other products of lesser interest.

[0007] The Spanish patent ES2527889, entitled "Comprehensive Utilization Process of Rice Bran," is known in the prior art. The present invention relates to a process for the comprehensive utilization of rice bran that allows for the extraction of five by-products from rice bran: broken rice grains, heads, decanted oil, wax, and ground rice paste. These by-products are separated from the rice bran, effectively removing impurities and maximizing the valorization of the rice bran. However, the separation process is complex and requires significant investment of human and financial resources.

[0008] Other documents known in the prior art include patent ES0207704 A1, which describes a new process for manufacturing rice oil. This process uses byproducts obtained from rice milling as a byproduct, characterized in that, as a preparatory step, the byproducts are first dehydrated by passing them in a delayed manner through curved or zigzag ducts through which a current of hot air at approximately 60 degrees Celsius or a few degrees Celsius circulates in the opposite direction. This is followed by centrifugation of these byproducts to separate the germ from the remaining byproducts. Dehydration eliminates many of the properties of rice, including the finest components such as bran and the husks.

[0009] Another invention related to this invention is patent WO201 4003197, a process for obtaining rice oil and defatted rice bran from fresh rice bran. This process consists of obtaining, from rice bran, an excellent rice oil with a high yield and also obtaining excellent defatted rice bran. A method for obtaining excellent rice oil and excellent defatted rice bran is provided, the method comprising: a first treatment step for contacting fresh rice bran immediately after it is obtained in a rice milling step with superheated steam to inactivate enzymes therein; a second treatment step for extracting rice oil from the rice bran obtained in the first treatment step; and a third treatment step for separating and obtaining defatted rice bran.It is preferred that, in the first step of the treatment, the rice bran be exposed to superheated steam at 250–650°C for 0.5–60 seconds. The rice oil extracted in this way has a low acidity index. The defatted rice bran thus obtained is germ-free and odorless, and is therefore suitable for consumption.

[0010] Rice grains have two coverings: an outer, very fibrous layer and a second, inner layer, corresponding to the endosperm and also called bran. It consists of part of the floury kernel, the aleurone layer, and the germ, and represents approximately 8% of the grain's weight.

[0011] To remove the second layer (the endosperm) from the rice, a machine called a whitener is used. This machine rubs the grains against each other and against the edge of the machine, scraping off the endosperm and removing it as flour. This flour is then extracted by air suction. Along with the bran, the rice germ and a small piece of rice (the bran tip) are also drawn in. These two are separated in the whitener and are so small that they are absorbed along with the endosperm flour.

[0012] In the past, rice mills sifted the rice bran. Everything that didn't pass through the sieve was called "morret," and the powder that did was called "cirión." Over the years, this process was discontinued due to several factors:

[0013] • Rice bran contains 12% fat and this, along with the flour, clogs the sieve screens and causes the mills to have to stop frequently to clean the screens.

[0014] • Labor became more expensive over the years.

[0015] • The difference between the price of selling bran and selling morret is relatively small.

[0016] • The rice industry worldwide has been consolidating and scaling up; mills are larger, and stopping the mill to clean the cloths entails a very high opportunity cost.

[0017] It is for all these reasons that the production of rice husks fell into disuse and was forgotten over the years. Now, the aim is to make the most of the byproducts inherent in separating the grain as a primary raw material, and on the other hand, the byproducts known as husks.

[0018] In a conventional way, the separation of by-products would only be achieved with a conventional screen; however, the different outputs and separations of the screen do not end in separation, but the synergy obtained with each of the outputs and achieves a unity of invention with the traditional screen, allows to reach, after the desired by-product is separated, the obtaining of a transformed raw material that comes from elements that until now represent waste and remain unused.

[0019] DESCRIPTION

[0020] The characteristic details of this novel sieve for obtaining rice hulls and its by-products are clearly shown in the following description and in the accompanying figures, where reference is made to the parts and figures shown, following the same reference signs.

[0021] Brief description of the figures:

[0022] Figure 1. Shows a schematic of the sieve with a "fisheye" close-up to highlight elements that are not visible from the presented perspective and confine the elements that synergize to obtain the separation of the rice husk of the present invention and of the by-products.

[0023] An improved sieve for obtaining rice hulls and its by-products comprising a first hopper 1 whose outlet is connected to a vibrating magnetic conveyor belt 2, located at the bottom of the hopper 1, said conveyor belt having at least one first magnet 3 whose intensity is regulated by a controller 4 to polarize a metal piece 5 to cause vibrations; said conveyor belt 2 having an inclination that is within a range between 1 o and 5 oof inclination, with respect to the horizontal line where the magnetic conveyor 2 is located; the magnetic conveyor 2 has a mesh 6 with a mesh size between 1 and 2 mm, which allows the husk and dust to pass by gravity to the lower part of the mesh 6, leaving only the rice husks on top. At the opposite longitudinal end from where the first hopper 1 is located, there is a second hopper 7 where the rice husks are deposited. At the outlet of this second hopper 7, there is a vibrating magnetic conveyor belt 8 with at least a second magnet 9 whose controller 10 regulates the intensity of magnetism to vibrate a second polarizing metal piece 11. The magnetic conveyor 8 is coupled to a conventional frame with at least two oscillating paddles 12 that cause the vibrations. The magnetic conveyor belt 8 is inclined to one side at an angle between 5 oand 30° with respect to the horizontal line; this inclination causes the morret to fall onto a rotary valve 13 whose outlet is coupled with a first air duct 14 through which the morret is propelled; the propulsion air comes from at least one fan 22; the rotary valve 13 has a lateral outlet 15 through which the morret is directed to a second outlet duct 17; at least one rotating blade(s) 18 that press the morret into the outlet 15 which connects to the duct 17, since the rotation of the blade(s) 18 allows it to push it up to a third duct 19 and propel it by air pressure from a second fan 20; a sprinkler 21 in communication with the third duct 19 to suction the impurities, safeguarding them in a container A;a duct 14 connected to the rotary valve 13, and a third hopper 33 which has an internal coil 21 to constantly supply the morret in the form of a “curtain” through which air is passed orthogonally, completely separating the straw and dust and directing it to containers 23; an encapsulated vibrating table 24 on which the rice husks are deposited due to their weight, falling by gravity, which has at least three different mesh sizes B, C and D so that, in accordance with the advance, the table 24, as it oscillates, sieves the by-products and separates them into germ and husks; a fan 25 makes the germ float, while the rice grain remains on the meshes B, C and D and is transported on the vibrating table 24 thanks to its inclination, preferably between 5; oand the 30°; a PLC-type controller 26 connected to a spindle 31; at the exit of meshes B, C and D there is a trio of ducts 27 for cleaning and selection by means of an infrared beam E; a hopper 28 connected to one of the ducts 27 which has a doser 29 at its lower part; a mill 30 connected to another duct 27; a spindle 31 joined with a hopper 32 and inside it a spindle 33 connected to one of the ducts 27; a second helical spindle 34, is arranged transversely to the exit of the hopper 32; the helical spindle 34, has between its conventional threads perforations in communication with trays 36 that are extracted from the encapsulation by a gate 37 that allows it to come out.

Claims

CLAIMS Having sufficiently described my invention, which I consider to be an invention and therefore claim as my exclusive property the contents of the following claims:

1. An improved sieve for obtaining rice hulls and its by-products comprising a first hopper 1 whose outlet is connected to a vibrating magnetic conveyor belt 2, located at the bottom of the hopper 1, said conveyor belt having at least one first magnet 3 whose intensity is regulated by a controller 4 to polarize a metal piece 5 to cause vibrations; said conveyor belt 2 having an inclination that is within a range of between 1° and 5° oof inclination, with respect to the horizontal line where the magnetic conveyor 2 is located; the magnetic conveyor 2 has a mesh 6 with a mesh size between 1 and 2 mm, which allows the husk and dust to pass by gravity to the lower part of the mesh 6, leaving only the rice husks on top. At the opposite longitudinal end from where the first hopper 1 is located, there is a second hopper 7 where the rice husks are deposited. At the outlet of this second hopper 7, there is a vibrating magnetic conveyor belt 8 with at least a second magnet 9 whose controller 10 regulates the intensity of magnetism to vibrate a second polarizing metal piece 11. The magnetic conveyor 8 is coupled to a conventional frame with at least two oscillating paddles 12 that cause the vibrations. The magnetic conveyor belt 8 is inclined to one side at an angle between 5 oand 30° with respect to the horizontal line; this inclination causes the morret to fall onto a rotary valve 13 whose outlet is coupled with a first air duct 14 through which the morret is propelled; the propulsion air comes from at least one fan 22; the rotary valve 13 has a lateral outlet 15 through which the morret is directed to a second outlet duct 17; at least one rotating blade(s) 18 that press the morret at outlet 15 which connects to duct 17, since the rotation of the blade(s) 18 allows it to push it up to a third duct 19 and propel it by air pressure from a second fan 20; a sprinkler 21 in communication with the third duct 19 to suction the impurities, storing them in a container A; a duct 14 connected to the rotary valve 13, and a third hopper 33 which has an internal coil 21 to constantly supply the morret as a “curtain” through which air is passed orthogonally, completely separating the straw and dust, and directing it to containers 23;an encapsulated vibrating table 24 on which the rice tips are deposited due to their weight, falling by gravity, which has at least three different mesh sizes B, C and D so that, in accordance with the advance, the table 24, when oscillating, sieves the by-products and separates them into germ and tips, a fan 25 makes the germ float, while the rice grain is kept on the meshes B, C and D and is transported on the vibrating table 24 thanks to the fact that it has an inclination preferably between 5; oand the 30°; a PLC-type controller 26 connected to a spindle 31; at the exit of meshes B, C and D there is a trio of ducts 27 for cleaning and selection by means of an infrared beam E; a hopper 28 connected to one of the ducts 27 which has a doser 29 at its lower part; a mill 30 connected to another duct 27; a spindle 31 joined with a hopper 32 and inside it a spindle 33 connected to one of the ducts 27; a second helical spindle 34, is arranged transversely to the exit of the hopper 32; the helical spindle 34, has between its conventional threads perforations in communication with trays 36 that are extracted from the encapsulation by a gate 37 that allows it to come out.

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