CA2199178A1 - Universal mixer - Google Patents

Abstract

The universal mixer is comprised of a revolution container body (1), preferably cylindrical and capable of rotating during the mixing phase, and characterized in that its revolution shaft (7) integral with the container body (1) adopts a substantially skewed position with respect to the geometrical axis of said body, specifically traversing its bases at marginal and diametrally opposite points.
There is provided at one of said bases (3), and opposite to the shaft (7), a filling-emptying mouth (4) closeable by means of a sealed closure lid (5), so that said mouth or opening is susceptible of adopting an upper extreme position for filling the mixer and a lower extreme position for emptying the mixer after homogenization of the mixture. Inside the container (1) are provided blades (11) which may rotate in conjunction with said container or which may be displaced independently in order to improve the removal of the mixture, the blades being optionally provided with cutting edges so as to have a complementary cutting effect.

Description

2~ 99 1 78 WO ~'7/0~0~ P~T/ES9~/00144 - UNI~ERSAL MI~ER
-j E S C R I P T I O N
SU~CT ~' TI~. IN~EN~ION
The pr~sent invention rel~tes ~o a ~ixing devi~e whi~h i9 ~peci~lly de~i~ned ~or stirring various g~anular, pulverul~nt and~or liquid product~ with a v~ew t~ obS~i~in~ a homo~eneou~ m~xture thereo~.
llh~ object of t~le invention is to ~ke it po~-~i~le t~ ach.ieve æaid ho~o~e~leity of ~he mi~t~re wi~
minim~ erer~y ~unS~pti~n and ~ ~ignif ic~n~ly shc~rt ~irrin~ time, i . e . a high output.
The ~ xer whic~ is a~lvocated may be u~ed ~ot~h indu~tri~lly arld ~y iIldividu~ls anywh~:re i~ i~ necessary to ~hi~ve a m~xture of two or more su~tance~.
BACK~ROUh~ OF THE TNVENTION
~ ixer~ ~hat have b~en k~lown hit~erto have ~he qo~mon de~4~in~0r of incorporating a ~ody of revolution whiCh ifi able to rotate on its ow~ ~ometr~l axiS such that the ma~erial~ to be mixed ~re stirred by mean~ of a combill~tion o~ the ~ctu~ rotary ~lovement o~ th~ body, the centri~u~l force yenera~d i~ ~ai~ rota~ mavement arld the force of ~ravity, ~id rotary axi~ ge~erally being located in a ~kewed positio~ wi.th re~pec~ to the te~e~rial ver~ic~l. ~ series of ~ddition~l paddle~
fa-ilitate the upward ent.rainment of the m~terial~.
Thi~ me~ns tha~ sai~ mate~ ~si~ally ~eceive two movem~nt~, o~e tr~nsver~e or rat~ry and ~he other ~ertical, i.e. the ~as~ mo~e~ prackic~lly a~cording to two of ~he a~eA of a Car~.~sian coor~inate ~ em.

WO g7/0~089 - 2 - P~TJ13sg6/00l44 Mi~ r~y wc~uld o~:~vi~usl~ e more rapicl and ~ore ho~logeIle~u23 if stirri~ w~re to take pl~ e ~acording to the thr~e axe~ o~ ~ ~arte~3ian coordin~te system, whi~h, t~o dat~, ha~ not been ac~hie~ed by ~ny type of mi5cer.
VESCI~IPTION OF THE IN~E~TION
The univer~;al mixer wh:L~h ~he inve~tion proposeg wa~3 de~igned sp~fi~lly t~ make thi~ thi~d ~l;me~ion a~ sæible, i . e . to achiev~ ~o~ple~e stirrinSr accord~Ilg t:o the thr~ axes of a C~rte~ian coordin~e sy~tem which/
~ h~s ~ust; been ~tated, me~ns tha~ homo~eniz~tio~ csf the mixture i~ ~chieved in ~ consid~rahly ~horter ti~e and, con~:qu~ntly, ~ th improve~ energy ~onsump~ion, leading t;o a con~iclerable inc~e~s~ in k~roductivity and also a con~iderable r~3du~tion in co~t~ o~rer c~nven~o~l mixers.
To thi~ end ~nd more ~pec~ifically~ ~ fu~d~me~t;a~
characteri~ti~ of t~le mixer which i2 ~dvoc~a~ecl i!3 the f~ ha~ its cont~iner ~o~ly i~ p;cuvided with a rota-t.ianal 3haf~ which forms an acu~e ~le with its geo~etri~al ~xis ~o th~t, ill ~he cl~sical rot~}ry ;move-m~llt of the container b~dy, a longitlld; n~l ~oc~kin~
movement :i.s ~lso achieved, wh~c}~ impart~ an alternating axi~1 di~plac~tent to She mass, c~bviously ~s ~ supple~ent ta th~ c~la:3si~1 vertical ~d ~rall!Y~e~e dif;pl~qemel~t~.
As a ~uppleme.nt to th~2 ~;tructure desc~ribed, ~ai~l ~o~tainer body, either on one of its end wall~ or in the zone of i t~ l~te~l wall clo~e to one of sai~ kn~l w~lls, will in~rpora~e the ~orre~E~ondin~ fi~ s3/emptyin~ mouth whi~h, ln thi~ ca~e, ~nd ~wing to the speçi~l m~bllity of the container ~od~, should be assisted })y a sealed WO ~7/~08~ - 3 ~ PCT/ES9~/GO144 ~1O~Ure On the ~a~is of t;his ~a~.ic ~.OI1StrUC~iOn, ~e c~nt~iner ~dy ma~ be equipped wi~h intern~l s~-irring ~la~e~ a.ssocia~ed with it~ ac~ual i~ner w~ll, a~sociated w~th it~ ~ha~, or may e~en lack ~uch blades.
The sh~t of th~ ~ixer ~ay ~e a~t~ated by an-y type oE conventional drive unit or may eve~ b~ a~tuated ~a~lually when it~ ca~a~lty and px~ti~al ~pplication s~
adv.i~e.
Tn ~c~cordance with a furt~er embodLnlent of the in~e~i~n, ~aid in~ernal ~tirring blade~ ~ay ~e ~i~en ~heir own m~ement, i.e. instead of ~eing mount~d ei~her o~ the inner wall ~f the ~ontainer or on the latter's rc~ary ~haft, ~hey will ~e moun~ed on an independe~t sha~l: whi~h is preferably co~xial with ~he ~haft ~f the con~ er and eyuipped wi~h i~ own ~uatin~ m~an~ ~hich e~le the ~iciency of the bl~e~ to be enhan~ed.
~ other o~ the im~rovement.~ ~dvocat~ consist~ in ~id blade~ ~dopting the confil3uration v~ a ~rew pro-eller, ~lthou~h with the ~peci~l fe,~ure that s~id s~ew~ropeLler will h~e pairs o~ blades of opposin~ pitch so t.hat, when operated, a~ alternating effect i~ pro~u~d in p~rallel ~i~h thç ~ltern~ting ~iæ~ace~ent of the ma~
p~ovide~ innide the c~ntain~r ~dy This is eEpe~ially ~dvantageous in that, when a ~peed of 100 rpm i~ exceeded, the eff~ o~ gravity ~is~ppear~ a~d the produ~t m~ is no lonyer displ~ed in~ide the container since the effe~ of ce~trifuyal f~r~R c~ncels out the yr~vi~ational effect, the incor-WO g7/02~ CT/~S~6/00144poratlon ~n~ m~bll..i~y of the~e bl~des of oppo~ing pitch a~hievin~ the sou~h~-aft~r and nece~ y di~pl~ce~ent of ~h~ produ~t frvm the C~Ilte~' of the container to it~
walls.
F~na~ly, and in ~ccordance with another of ~he mpro~e~ent~ of the ~ ntion, provi~ion has bee~i made ~or 5ai~ hlade~ to hav~ the form of knives which, i~
ad~ition to acting ~ stixring ele~en~-s, al~o a~t as cut~er~s, whi~ giv~s the ~ixer a novel ope~ating dimen-sion, speci~lly that o~ a cru~her/mixer.
O~RIPT~ON ~F THE D~AWIN~S
To su~plement ~h~ ~e~Criptlon bei~ly gi~en and with a view to ~æsisting b~tter ~4mprehen~ion of the ~h~r~teri~tics ~ the i~lven~c~ on~ ~che pr~sent sp~cifica-on i~ ~ccom~ani~d, as an integr~l part thereof, by a~et of drawings which, with ~n illu~r~ive and non-iny ch~r~cter, ~how the ~ollowin~:
Fiyure 1 sh~w3 a diagrammatic repr~e~t~tio~ in p,3r~ec~tive of a universal ~ixer constr~ucted according to ~he sub~ ~c t of ~he pre~ent inven~ion .
Figure 2 ~hows a urther diagramm~tic repxesent~-ti o~ of the s;~me mixer, in later~l ele~ratio~, in ~hich ~rok~n line~ show ~he element8 ir~side ~he contain~:r body, ~he latter beirly in ~he filling position.
Fi~ure 3 sh4w~ ~ representatioll similar to that o~ the previou~ fiyure, b~t i.~ which ~he mixer adop~;s th~
~m~7tyir~ po~ iorm Fi~ure 4 show~: ~ persp~ctive view similar to t~t of Figure 1, ~orresp~rl~lin~ to the vari~nt e~nbo~limen~ in WO ~7/0208Y - 5 - P~T/E~g~/00144 whlch the blsdas are ~iv~n ~heir own mo~ement independen~
o~ ~h~ move~ent of the cont~iner, the latter ~ei~y par-tially cut away to ~how its internal ~truq~ure.
Fi~re 5 shows a di~ran~atic repre~nt~tio~ in la~el~al ele~aticn of th~ url~t shown in the precedin~
figure in which th~ ~wo drive elem~t~, th~t o~ the cont~ er a~d that ~f the internal ~lade~, ~re ~l~o ~hown ~ncorE~rate~ .
Fiyure 6, finally, al~o 3how3, a~c~rding to a dia~ammat~c ~epresen~tio~ he ~et of 3tirrin~ blade~
when th~se h~ve the pax~llel config~ration of cutt~ng kni~s.
PREFERRE~ EMBODIM~NT OF THE I~v~ ION
OI~ ex~i n; ng ~hese fiyures an~, more spe~
c~lly, Figure~ 1 to 3, i~ ~an be s~en how the mixer advoa~t~d ~on~i~t~ of ~ hollow eyli~dri~al body ~1) base~
o~ any suita~e ma~erial, ~hich may ~e sk~el/ pl~t~, gl~s~, etc., ~ependi~ orl the ~ype o~ ~ater~als to be mi~ed and the capacity the mixer h~s to offe~ ai~
cy~ dri~al body (1) havin~ one of i~s basen (~) totally cl~sed wllile, in ~t~ other ~se, th~re i~ a ~losed ~e~tor (3) and an ~pen ~ector (4) determi~ filling/~mp~ying ~perture, this mouth (4) hein~ as~i~ted hy a lid (5) which, in the p~tical illu~tr~ti~e embodimen~ repre-s~nted in the fiyure~, is ~ whi~h rock~ by mean~ of ~ hing~ (~) ~ut whi¢h may be equ~pped wi.th ~ny other clo~u~e me~ns provi~ed the mo~th (4) ca~ be closed in a lea~tight m~nner to pr~v~nt disc~arge ~u the out~i~e of the liquid praduct~ wh~h may be in the mixtur~ during WO ~7/020~9 - ~ - PCT/ES96/00144 n~rm~l ~perat;ion of the Inixer.
The body (1) thuæ ~o~tituted i~ tra~rer~3ed by a ~h~f t (7), t;he spec-ial i~e~ture of saic~ ~haft k~eing th~t ` t ad4p~s ~ m~rkedly ~kewed poæitiuI~ with re~pect to the g~omet~ical axiæ o~ the cylindric~l bo~Ly ~1) æu~h that it emerges vi~ ~ne of its ~a~e~3 ~3~ in a markedly off-~enter position oppo~ he mouth (4) while ~ ~ emerye~ fro~ it~
other b~se ~2) also with the same de~ree o~ lac3c of centering, l~u~ oppo~ite, ~ h tha~ the m~ dpoint of the sector of th~ shaft (7) h~u~ed i~side the mi~ g cham}~er int~r~ec~ts the ~eometri~l axi~3 of t~e cyl~ndri~l boc~r (1) at ~h~ midpoint of said axix.
The ~ha~t (7) rçS~, via it~ ends, by me~ns of ~earin~s or other ~ui ~able a~t~friction eleInent~; (not i3h~WIl in 'che f igure~ on ~upport~ ( 8 ) shown ~ ram-matically in Fi~ur~ 1 ~nd which ~n prac~tice w~ 11 be integ~ated iIlto a æingle ~uppvrti~y frame.
This sh~ft (7) is rigidly joined to the l:~a~3e~3 (2) ~nd (3) c~ ~he ~ontAinçr l~ody (1~ ællch that, in i~s r~ary movement, it entr~ R said body, it bein~ pos~ible ~or this ~o~ry movement to ~e geslerated, wi~hout di~
~inc~ion, to the riyht o~ to the lef ~, a~ ~hown by ~he arrows i}l Figure 1~ ~d whos~ ~ctuat~o~, a~ stated e~rlier/ m~y be ef~ected by ~ny type of electric;a~, pneumatic, etc., drive unit, and even mamlally.
~ rhe s~ructure cle~3cribed i3 ~upple~nented with serie~ of in~ernal ~l~de6 (9) which may kle sec:ur~d to t~e shaft (7~, as in ~he praatiaal illu:~tra'cive em~oc1i~hent ~;hown i~ ~he fig4re~, ~ut which m~y iiL180 b~ sec~recl t~

WO ~7/0~08~ - 7 PCT/ESg~/00144 the in~r ~ac~ o~ the co~'c~iner hody (13, wi~h the co~f i~uration of the f i~ure~ or wi ~h any other ~o~$igura~ion de~med appropri~te, an~i wh~ch may even be e~t, In any C~se, a~ sta~e.d p~riou-~ly an~ as may be a~cer~.airled fr~m an ex~m;n~tion of Figure l, t~e in~en-tion i8 th~t the -~ha~ (7) should ~Ld~p~ a horizon'cal po5i.~ion such th~t, in i~s rot~Lry ~ovemen~, the çontainer ~od~ ~1) is able to adopt th63 po~ition repre~en~d in Figure ~, ill w~ich its mou~h (4) adop~ a~ upper extrern~
po~ition, c~orr~polldiny ~o filliny, pre~era~ly as ~r as the le~e~ yiv~n the referen~e rlum}~er (1(7) i~ Figure ~, in whic:h ~he mi~cture of materials i~ repreæented by me~ns of ~lots; in ~his posi.t.iC~n and after sealed closure of ~he lid ~5), a8~is'ce~ by lo~kiny ~ean~ (nc)t ~;hown), whiçh ~uarantees eompleLe stability of ~he ~id in sllçh a ~losure po~ition, ~he rotary mo~eme~ of the ~h~ft (7) a~d ~onæ~quentl~ o~ the a~tual container (1) prod~es a ~obiliz~tion of the m~æ ~hi~h is di~placed trans~erse~y, i~ ~ifted, ~n~rained by the b~ade~ t and whi~h is alEo pl~ced longi~u~in~lly from one end to the other of the cantai~er ho~y, as may ~e ascert~ined from the g~aphic co~p~ri.~n of ~gures ~ and 3, or, amounti~$ to the same tl~ g, ~he mo~ilization of Raid ~ pr~duced ac~ord-in~ to th~ tl~ree ~xeæ o~ ~ C~rtesia~ coordina~e ~y~e~, i.e. unde~ opti~um condition~ for th~ ~ixture to a~hieve co~plete homogeneity over ~ ~in;m~lm ti~e pe~iod ~nd with con~u~p~ion o~ e~ergy ~hich is also ~i ~
E'inallyr ~nd ~s m~ also ~e ascerta7ned from ~n 21~9178 ~O g7/0~0~9 - 8 - PCI~E$~6~00144 ex~m;n;~tion of Figur~ he mixer 3hould be ~opped ~uch ~hat i~s m~uth ~4) is in the lowe~ limi~ positio~ in whi~h openin~ of the lid ~5) ~ive~ ri~e t~ ~otal and ~utom~ti~ clischar~e o~ i~S corltents.
In a~a~rdance with the vari~rlt ~mbo~;me~t o~
~igure~ 4 and 5, ~he abovemèntioned stirring blades ~ave the ~G~m 0~ a s~rew prop~ller ~11), pre~erably with four ~l~des, ~u~h ~hat ~wo of t~e ~lade3 of ~aid s~rew pro-peller ha~e a pitch whi~h i~ opposite to th~ of the oth~r two, as may be ~een specially in ~igu~e 4. The special co~figuration of the3e blAde ~11) means t~atr when the mi.x~ure i8 tr~n3ferred un~er ~ra~i~y ~rom one ~Se to t~e other of ~he c~ der (1), ~ai~ blad~s will tend to ~ispl~ce the mi~ture in the opposite direc~ion, ~her~by improving ~he ~tirring condition~, These bl~des may op~ionally form a ~ingle -~crew pro~eller (11), a~ in the practi~al illu~rati~e embodi-mer~t repre~ented in Fi~ure 4, or may form ~arious ~crew prop~llers conveniently ~istrihuted a}on~ the shAft (7).
In ~ddition, ~he scre~ prope~l~r (11) or, a~
~ppropr.iate, the various ~rew pr~pellers ~ontained in~j.d~ the ~ntainer body (1), are phy~ lly independen~
of the sh~ft ~7) such that, ~hile the cylindri~l con-~iner (1) re~eives ~he movement from ~h~ corresponding ~ri~e unit (12) by mean~ of said ~h~ft (7), the scre~
propell~r ~r ~et o~ sqrew prop~llers (11) recei~eQ the mo~ement il~dependently ~ro~ a ~cond drive unit ~13 ), for which purpo~ a~ s represented diagr~mati~lly in F igure 5, ~he ~3cr~ propeller (11) may be ~ounted o~ a WO 97~020~g - ~ - PC~/ESg~5/00144 hollo~ sha~ 4), c~xial with the sh~ft (7) but inde-p~Ildent ther~o~, ~on~ecte~ ~o i~, for ex~mple, ~ me~n~
uf he~rinys. In thi~ w~, if the movemen~ o~ the screw ~ropeller or propellers- ~11) is no~ depe~ent upo~ the movement of the container ~ody (l), a ~ubst~ntial imp~ovement in ~h~ stirrin~ c~ndi~ions of the prodù~t cor-tained in saifl container tl) ~s feasible.
FinA'ly, another of the i~provements of the ~nv~ntion cent~rs upon the f~Ct th~t the ~lades ha~e bee~
prv~ided wi~h a cutting ~Lect in su~h a ma~ner that this is achieved, ei~her retainin~ ~he ~crew-propeller- ~on-;tigur~tivn ~or said blades de~cri~e~ hi~herto ~n~ simply ~har-peniny the ed~es of ~ blade~ in an appro~ri~e m~n~er, or by means of the use of ~ctual kni~es ~15~, such as tho~ repr~ented in Fiyure ~ ed on high-~tre~th steelr whi~h ~a~ be 3ecured radially to the ~haft ~7~ if they mov~ toyether with ~he a~tual c~n~ner (1), or moun~e~ o~ the auxiliary, i~dependent sha~t (14~
~e~cri~ed above, when the l~tter' 8 a~tuation ~s al30 independen~ of ~hat of the ~ontainer body ~l).
In ~his wayr oll the one hdnd improved ~tirring conditiGns are achie~ed for ~he produ~t cont~ined in the contai~er (1), i.~. improved perfo~L~ce level~ in term~
of the mi~er, by ~i.r~ue of the ~pe~ial scre~-~rop~ller coniguration of the ~lade~ a~d ~y virtue of the ind~pelldent movement o~ the bl~des, and, on the vther hand, the po~sibility o~ eonverti~g ~aid mixer into a mixer/Gru3h~ hieved by converting the s~irri~
~lade~ (ll) into cutting knives ~15).

Claims

C L A I M S
1. A universal mixer of the type which incorporates a container body (1), able to receive the materials to be mixed and able also to receive a rotary movement determining the mixing operation inside it, wherein, essentially, said container body (1) is rigidly joined to a shaft (7) which adopts a markedly skewed position with respect to the geometrical axis of said body (1) such that the rotary movement of said shaft (7), and consequently of the tank (1), gives rise to an alternating longitudinal displacement of the mass within said container body (1).
2. The universal mixer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shaft (7) adopts a horizontal position, resting on end supports (8) by means of bearings or any other suitable antifriction means.
3. The universal mixer as claimed in the preceding claims, wherein the container body (1) incorporates, in one of its end bases (3), or in the zone close to its lateral surface, a filling/emptying mouth (4) which, as a function of the oblique position of the shaft (7), is capable of adopting both a position of maximum elevation in the context of the mixer and a lower limit position.
4. The universal mixer as claimed in claim 3, wherein said filling/emptying mouth (4) is assisted by a sealed closure lid (5).
5. The universal mixer as claimed in the preceding claims, wherein the container body (l) has a cylindrical configuration and the shaft (7), to which it is rigidly joined, traverses one of its bases (3) in a limit position opposite the filling/emptying mouth (4) while it traverses its other base (2), also marginally and opposite the first one.
5. The universal mixer as claimed in the preceding claims, wherein the mixing chamber defined within the container body contains stirring blades (9) which may be, without distinction, fastened to the shaft (7) and/or to the actual container body (1).
7. The universal mixer as claimed in the preceding claims, wherein the blades for stirring the product accommodated inside the container body (1) have the form of at least one screw propeller (11) appropriately secured to the rotary shaft (7) of said container (1), with the special feature that said screw propellers define pairs of blades (11) of opposing pitch, it being possible for said pairs of opposing pitch to be located on the same screw propeller or on different screw propellers.
8. The universal mixer as claimed in claim 1 to 5, wherein the interior of the container body contains stirring blades (11) on a shaft (14), which is independent of the rotary shaft (7) of the container, so that said blades (11) receive movement from a drive element (13) which is also independent of the drive element (12) of the container body (1).
9. The universal mixer as claimed in claim 8, wherein the complementary shaft (14), belonging to the blades (11), is tubular and is mounted axially, by means of bearings or the like, on the main shaft (7) for actuating the container body (1).
10. The universal mixer as claimed in claim 1 to 6, wherein the interior of the container body (1) contains stirring blades (15) provided with sharpened edges which, in parallel with its stirring function, confer on it a cutting effect, it being possib1e for said blades to have the form of real cutting knives (15).