US1765544A - Mixing machine - Google Patents

Description

June 24, 1930. K, R sc 1,765,544

MIXING MACHINE Filed Nov. 1925 Bf ATTORNEY;

Patented June 24, 1930 PATENT QFFICE KARL R. SCHUSTER, F HOPATCONG, NEW JERSEY MIXING MACHINE Application filed November This invention is an apparatus for mixingand' transporting materials of one kindor another, and while the invention is useful in I effect the mix and of applying that force or pressure to the mixed mass requisite to impel the latter within a conduit adapted for the I transportation of such mass from the mixing station to the place where the mixed mass is to he installed or used, or briefly, the utilization station.

Combined with the aforesaid rotary pump is a 'feed mechanism, usually in the form of a hopper the outlet of which leads to or is connected with the eye or intake of the pump mechanism, whereby said feed mechanism is operable for keeping up an adequate supply to said rotary pump of the materials to be mixed while the said pump is in motion, but such feed of the materials to said pump is controllable by a suitable valve mechanism operable to shut off the intake of material by said pump at the stage when the pump is charged and when it is rotated at a speed appropriate for mixing the materials.

Cooperable with the rotary pump are two other elements, one for driving the pump rotor at selected speeds, and the other for retaining within the pump at the mixing or agitating stage the materials to be mixed. The pump-driving means may be of any character suitable for the purpose. The material retaining means is of various structural forms, in one of which a valve is used at a point intermediate the pump outlet and the ofl-bearing conduit, whereas in another 50 structural -form of such material retaining 3, 1925. Serial No. 66,463.

means, the conduit is ofiset from a straight line at a'point adjacent the pump outlet.

Other functions and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of my apparatus.

Figure 2 is a similar view of another embodiment of the invention illustrating one form of the selective speed drive .for the rotary pump and showing, also, means associated with the conduit to apply pressure to the mixed mass in the case of elongated conduits for the transportation of such mass beyond the capacity of the pump mechanism.

Figures 3 and 4 are views in sectional elevation of other embodiments of the invention.

Figure 5 is an elevation partly in section of another embodiment of the invention illustrating another form of feed means, another form of pump rotor, and another form of material retaining means for the mixing pump.

Adesignates the pump mechanism, B an oil-bearing conduit, and (l the feed mechanism. The conduit is connected to or continuous with the pump outlet a, whereas the feed mechanism is in communication with the intake a of said pump.

The pump is of an construction suitable for the purposes of mixing the materials and of applying pressure to the resulting mixed mass in a Way to impel such mass within and through the conduit. In the form of pump shown, it embodies a casing and a rotor or rotary member, said casing having the axialintake at, the latter being substantially coincident with the axis of rotation of the rotary member, and said casing being provided, also, with the outlet a. The rotary pump member is indicated at A, comprising a shaft (1 and a plurality 'of paddles a said shaft being j ournaled in appropriate bearings on the casing and said shaft being furnished with a driving member, usually a pulley a. The paddles a of the rotary pump, member A are ofform and dimensions suitable for the purpose, and said member-A is positioned or mounted within the casing for the paddles to sweep relatively close to said casing in order that said rotary member may act in the manner desired to effect the agitation of the materials in mixing the latter and for exerting the propulsive force upon the resulting mixed mass to impel said mass within the conduit, B.

The hopper C occupies usually an elevated relation to the pump and said hopper may be in close relation to the pump as in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, or it may have a more or less distant relation thereto as in Fig. 3, in which latter case the hopper is connected at its outlet with the axial intake of the pump by an intermediate tubular connection, indicated at 0' in Fig. 3.

The hopper and the rotary pump are thus relatively disposed for the materials to pass or flow by gravity from the hopper to the pump, but the inflow of such materials to the pump is in a measure dependent upon the rotary motion given to the pump member A, whereby the feed mechanism and the pump cooperate to assure an adequate supply of materials to'the mixing pump. This feed of the materials is controllable, however, by an appropriate valve D, shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as a hinged valve positioned adjacent to the hopper exit 0, said valve having means of any desired naturev for shiftin it as and when required. Thus, to charge t e pump with materials from the hopper, the valve D, is moved by hand to an open position, and with member A in motion, the materials flow b gravity from the hopper or are drawn by tlie rotary motion of rotor or member A into the pump, but with the pump charged or primed with an adequate supply of materials, the valve D is shifted to a closed position, whereupon the pump rotor or member A continues in operation to agitate the materials and thus effect the mix, and such rotation of the pump member A is thereafter continued at the required speed and for a desirable period of time, so

as to expel the mixed mass from the pum and to impel such mass within and throug the conduit B.

To effect a thorough, or even adquate, ad-- mixture of materials within and by the action of the pump, it is desirable to retain such materials within the pump casing for-a pe-' riod of time after the amp shall have been charged. To thus retain the materials within the influence of the rotary pump member A, I provide means for any suitable construction, and in the drawings, two forms of such material retaining means are shown, either of which may be employed. In the construction of Figs. 1 and 2, the retaining means are shown as valve E, positioned adj acent the pump exit a; thus, a sliding gate valve E is shown in Fig. 1, whereas in Fig. 2 a hinged or pivoted valve E is shown between the conduit B and the pump casing. In lieu of the valves of Figures 1 and 2, I may resort to the construction shown in Fig. 4, wherein the conduit B is shown as having member or rotor A at selective speeds, wherel by the mix of the materials may take place at comparatively slow speed Whereas to effect the transportation of the mixed mass, the pump member is driven at faster speed, and thus acts to impel the mixed mass by centrifugal action of the pump. Any variable speed mechanism suitable for the purpose may be associated with the pump, but in Fig. 2, I have elected to illustrate an electrical drive in the form of a motor-G,,the pulley g of which is belted at g to the pulley a of the pump rotor A. energized by current from the feed mains h, and is under the influence of a controller H shiftable at will with respect to a rheostat h',.whereby the speed of the motor may be regulated to drive the pump rotor A at desired variable speeds. Thus, in charging or priming the pump, the controller H is operated to turn the pump rotor A at relatively slow speed, and such slow speed continues for the period deemed necessary to mix the materials, valves D E being closed at such mixing stage. But after'the mass shall have'been mixed, the gate E is opened, and the speed of The motor G is the pump rotor is increased, whereby the pump acts centrifugally to impel the mixed mass Within the condu1t B.

The transportation of the mixed mass within the conduit may be obtainedby the centrifugal action of the pump, especially in the case of a relatively short conduit, butwhere a longer conduit is deemed advisable or necessary, I supplement the centrifugal action of the pump upon the mixed mass b feeding air or gas under pressure into t e conduit, at one or more places intermediate the ends of said conduit. Thus, in Fig. 2, I have shown a plurality of j ct nozzles I for feeding air or gas under pressure into the conduit, one of said nozzles opening into the conduit adj accnt the gate E, and another of said nozzles feeding the fluid pressure into the conduit intermediate the ends thereof. The nozzles I may be used or omitted as required by the exigency of the service, or one nozzle or any desired number of nozzles may be used, dependent upon the distance required for the transportation of the mixed mass.

As hereinbefore indicated, the feed means may be modified with respect to the relation it occupies to the combined pump and mixer.

Instead of feeding the material to the pump is shown a hopper C over or above the pump casing and provided with anoutlet c which opens into the pump chamber above the rotor. A valve or gate E shuts off the feed of material when required.

In the example shown inFigure 5, the pump rotor A is modified by providing straight paddles (1 extending radially to the axis of the rotor or to its shaft, and said rotor is positioned in eccentric relation to the casing, to enable the tips of the paddles to sweep close to the bottom of the casing and to allow space at the top of the pump casing for the material supplied by the hopper 0 Again, the material retaining means is shown in Figure 5 as comprising a tubular outlet conduit or pipe B extending tangentially to the pump casing, and suchtubular tangential outlet or conduit is shown as having a reversed member B in depending relation and provided with a gate or valve B". This construction provides for loading a batch of mixed materials into a hand barrow, or other receptacle, which is adapted to be placed below the reversed outlet and by opening the valve or gate at the exit point, the mixed batch is forced by the action of the pump rotor through\and out of the exit, for loading the batch into the barrow, as is apparent.

In my invention the admixture of the components of a mass is carried on wholly within the pump mechanism, the latter acting in the dual capacity for eflecting the admixture and for transporting said mixture,,and the mixing operation and the application of propul sive force to transport the mixture being carried on at successive stages. To the end that the components of the mixture may be mixed wholly within the pump mechanism, it is preferable to employ a centrifugal pump, the casing or drum of which is of a capacity to contain a batch of the materials and the rotor of which pump is so proportioned and arranged that said rotor acts upon the components of the mass for lifting such components and as they approach the top of the drum or casing such lifted components are free to fall back by gravity whereby the coarse mineral aggregates, sand, cement and.

water of a concrete batch, are thoroughly mixed by a tumbling action within the pump casing or drum.

Cooperating with the centrifugal pump are the charging or priming means, C, the gate, D, for closing the connection between the pump and the charging means, the va riable speed mechanism, G, and a gate, E, or its equivalent for precluding the outflow of the materials during the mixing stage.

At the mixing stage, the pump rotor is driven at relatively slow speed in order that the components may undergo a tumbling action within the pump casing or drum, and at this stage the gate D is closed, and gate E or its equivalent acts to confine the mass within the pump casing. The valve or gate D shuts off the flow of material to the pump during the slow speed action of the pump rotor, whereby the components of a batch to y the pump rotor at the mixing stage being insuificient for the transportation of the batch or charge. Accordingly, at the transportation stage, the gate E is opened and the change speed mechanism operated for the motor to drive the pump rotor at a faster speed during the transportation stage, and thus the pump rotor acts upon the batch or mix to apply propulsive force thereto,whereby the batch or mix is forced through the offbearingconduit, with or without the aid and assistance of compressed fluid supplied by pipe I of Figure 2.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1 1. A mixer including arotor operable for mixing the materials by a tumbling action and for applying propulsive force to the mixed mass for discharging the same, and a conduit or pipe extending upwardly from the mixer substantially tangentially thereto.

2. A mixer including a rotor operable for mixing the materials by a centrifugal action and for then applying centrifugal propulsive force to'the mixture for discarging the same, and a conduit or pipe extending upwardly from the mixer substantially tangentially thereto, said conduit or pipe having a depending exit member provided with a valve.

3. A mixer including a casing, a rotor eccentri'cally' mounted therein and operable to mix materials by a tumbling action and for applying propulsive force to the mixture for dischargin the same and a conduit extending upwardly rom the casing substantially tangentially thereto.

v4;. A mixer including a casing, a rotor eccentrically mounted therein and operable to mix materials by a tumbling action and for applying propulsive force to the mixture for discharging the same and a conduit extending upwardly from the vcasing, substantially tangentially thereto, said conduit having a depending exit member provided with a valve.

5. An apparatus of the class described, including a casing, a rotor eccentrically mounted therein and operable to mix materials'by a centrifugal action and for applying centrifugal propulsive force to the mixture for discharging the same and a 'discharge conduit associated with the casing.

6. An apparatus of the class described, embodying a cylindrical casing provided with a valved outlet, a rotor mounted therein and provided with radialpaddles and operable at one stage to effect the mixing by a centrifugal action within the casing at one rotor speed and operable at a subsequent stage for applying propulsive centrifugal force to the mixture at a hi her rotor speed to effect the transportation t ereof, and means for driving therotor a selected speeds during the mixing stage and the transportation stage.

7. An apparatus of the class described, in-

eluding a casing, a rotor therein formed with radial imperforate paddles and having a loose fit with the casing, said rotor being of smaller size than the interior of the casing, and being operable to mix material by a centrifugal action and for applying a centrifugal propulsive force to the mixture at a subsequent stage for discharging the mixed material, means whereby material is fed to the casing and within the field of said rotor, means for retaining the material in the casing during the mixing operation and means whereby the rotor may be driven at selective speeds to effect first the mixing and then the transportation of the mixed'material.

8. An apparatus of the class described, including a casing provided with an inlet and an outlet, a rotor mounted therein and provided with imperforate radialpaddles, said rotor being operable to mix material by centrifugal action and for applying centrifugal propulsive force to the mixture at a subsequent stage for discharging the mixed material, means whereby charges of material to be mixed are admitted to the casing and within the field of said rotor and material retaining means adjacent the outlet of the casing.

9. An apparatus of the class described, including a substantially circular casing provided with an axial inlet and a peripheral outlet, a rotor mounted in said casing and formed with imperforate radial paddles having a loose fit with the interior of the casing, said rotor being operable to mix material by a centrifugal action and for applying centrifugal propulsive force to the mixture at a subsequent stage for transporting the mixed material, means whereby material is fed into the casing, and valve means adjacent said outlet for retaining the material in the casing during the mixing stage.

10. An apparatus for mixing materials and for transporting such mixed materials, including a casing having an inlet and an outlet and a rotor provided with radial paddles mounted within said casing, said rotor being operable to mix material a centrifugal action and for applying centrifugal propulsive force to the mixture at a subsequent stage for transporting the mixed meterial, means for feeding material to be mixed to said casing and within the field of said rotor, means adjacent said outlet for retaining the material in the casing during the mix-.

nreaeae ing stage, and means for driving said. rotor at increased speed whereby subsequently to the mixing stage the pump rotor applies a larger centrifugal propulsive force to the mixed material for effecting the removal of such mixed material from the pump casing.

11. An apparatus of the class described, including a casing formed with an inlet and an outlet, a rotor therein formed-with radial paddles, said rotor being of smaller size than the interior of the casing, a valved inlet conduit communicating with the casing inlet, a valved outlet conduit communicating with the casing outlet, and means to drive the rotor at one speed during the mixing stage to agitate the material by a centrifugal force and at a higher speed at a subsequent stage to efiect the transportation of the mixed material by a centrifugal action.

12. A method of mixing materials which comprises admitting a charge of material to a confined space, subjecting the material to a centrifugal mixing action in the confined space, and then expelling and transporting the mixed material by a centrifugal force greater than the mixingcentrifugal force.

18. A method of mixing concrete materials and the like which comprises allowing a charge of material to fall by gravity into a confined space, retaining the material in said space while subjecting the material to a centrifugal mixing action for a suflicient length of time to thoroughly mix the same, and then removing and transporting the mixed material by a centrifugal force greater than the centrifugal force used for mixing the material.

In testimony whereof I have hereto signed my name this 29th day of October, 1925.

' KARL R. SCHUSTER.

Images