US2053876A - Apparatus for mixing fluid masses - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 8, 1936. G. M. PFAU ET AL 2,053,876

APPARATUS FOR MIXING FLUID MASSES Original Filed Aug. 9, 1932 M i WIIIIIIIII/I? Patented Sept. 8, 1936 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR MIXING FLUID MASSES corporation of Texas Original application August 9, 1932, Serial No. 628,064. Divided and this application May 17, 1933, Serial No. 671,428

' 3 Claims. (01. 259-9) This invention relates to an apparatus for the agitation or intimate mixing of liquid or semiliquid masses of two or more materials and more particularly relates to an apparatus which will bring about a shearing action on the respective substances as they pass through the device. This application is a division of our copending application Serial No. 628,064, filed August 9, 1932.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus capable of effecting extremely intimate contact between two or more liquids in minimum periods of time.

Another of the objects of this invention is to provide a multiple series form of agitator having a plurality of separate compartments adapted to progressively receive and intimately mix two or more semi-fluid or fluid substances and to squeeze the substances during passage from one compartment to another in such manner that a shearing action is eifected, thereby accomplishing a mixing in which even the smallest particles or portions of the diverse materials are contacted and in which clots of untreated material are prevented from forming.

Another object of our invention is to provide a multiple series agitator comprising a number of separate compartments of substantially identical construction so designed that one or more compartments may be added to or taken away from the complete unit to either increase or decrease the amount of agitation applied to the material passed therethrough.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multiple series agitator including a plurality of separate compartments each of which con-' tains a rotatable paddle constructed in such form that when rotated it progressively forces the substances entering at one end, through the compartment and out at the other end while maintaining a constant rotation and intermixing action.

Another object of the invention is to provide in the multiple-step agitator one or a series of shearing units each cons'isting of a baflie having Further objects and advantages of our invention will appear from the following description thereof taken in connection with the attached drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the apparatus.

In many industries the mixing of liquids and semi-liquid masses requires a very intimate admixture of the respective materials not only to make the contact as complete as possible, but also to prevent the formation of clots of untreated material. We have found that the paddles, air blasts and other devices heretofore used to bring treating agents into contact with materials are in many cases very inefiicient, and often make necessary the use of large quantities of treating material far beyondthe amount theoretically required. In the present apparatus we have provided for such thorough and intimate mixing of liquids and semi-liquid masses that thequantity of treating liquid or agent may be reduced by a surprisingly large percentage.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a multiple series agitator with parts broken away and other parts in section to show the internal construction;

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing the rotatable disk;

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken particularly on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 showing the fixed baille;

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the paddle.

The multiple agitator as shown in Figure 1 is composed of a plurality of separate chambers or units I2, l4 and I6. The intermediate units M are the same in size and shape. All of the units are standardized as to flanges or other fittings so that they may be bolted together to form a complete agitator. The end units l2 and iii are similar in size and construction to the intermediate units and difier only in that the inlet end section I2 is provided with intake conduits 20 and 22 and has no rotatable disk, and the outlet end section -Hi is provided with a discharge conduit 24 and has no baflie plate. It is not essential to have two intake conduits, for the materials to be mixed may be brought together at an outside point and introduced into the agitator in a single intake conduit. Additional inlet and outlet conduits if desired for any special purpose may be provided and connected directly to any of the compartments, to the end or the intermediate sections.

The multiple agitator, preferably cylindrical in form, has its compartments or units separated by stationary baifie plates'ZS, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. Each baiiie plate preferably has a plurality of holes 21 through which the liquid mass is forced. Mounted on the shaft 32 immediately adjacent each baiile plate there is a rotatable disk 28 having several vane type slots or grooves 29 which extend from near thecenter to a point at the periphery of the disk which grooves serve as conduits for the mixture passing through the baifie and assist in obtaining the shearing action on the mixture by the rubbing contact between the fixed baille plate and the rotatable disk. The clearance between the disk and the baiile is pref.- erably small, and while it will vary with different products it should be not more than one-eighth inch for most liquid mixtures for good results. A

clearance as little as one-sixty-fourth inch gives best results in many cases.

Each compartment or tank also has a rotatable paddle means having ,a blade support 30 mounted on the central driving shaft 32 which in turn may be conveniently rotated by the pulley 34 mounted on an outer end thereof. Suitable packing boxes 35 are used on the ends of the agitator to seal the compartments against leakage at the shafting.

The rotatable paddlepreferably has two blades 3i and 33 which may be of a curved or ribbon type. Withreference to Figure 1 the interior of the compartment I6 is illustrated, the casing being merely broken away thus showing the whole paddle means including both ends of the blades.

The adjacent compartment M is illustrated as a I central section through the blade support and thus shows the blades 3! and 33 broken at the center line. The arrangement of the shaft, the blade support and the blades is more clearly shown in Figure 4.

The blades 3i and 38 extend substantially the whole length of the compartments leaving a small .clearance from the interior end and side surfaces thereof. Because of this arrangement of parts, the paddleexerts a conveying or pumping action on the liquid introduced therein, thus agitat ing the liquid mass and simultaneously pumping the same through and out of the compartment through the holes in the baffle into the space between the disk and the baiile wherein a shearing action is obtained.

The operation of the device is substantially as follows:

The liquid or semi-plastic mass to be treated may be introduced into the first compartment to- 'gether with the treating liquid through one inlet conduit or the treatingliquid may be introduced through a separate conduit. In this compart- ,ment the paddle rotates throughout the mass, in-

timately mixing and stirring the products together. Due to the pumping action of the paddle,

the mass is continuously pumped through the due to its rotation and close relationship to the baiiie causes the mixture to travel to the periphery.

compartment, through the apertures relatively near the center of the compartment. As the mixture discharges from the apertures, it comes into immediate contact with the shearing disk which,

to be discharged into the second compartment wherein it is again intimately mixed, and again is pumped to the next baille. In each unit the liquid starts at theperiphery of the chamber and in passing therethrough is forced substantially to the center to pass through the apertures in the bailie after whichit is squeezed outwardly to tained.

v. The outward movement along the face of the baflle is accompanied by a shearing action on the liquids aided by the vanes which conduct some of the mixture from the apertures, the whole mixture moving radially in an outward direction and at the same time moving spirally as a result of the disk.

Because of the novel construction of the instant apparatus, the material to be treated and the treating agent are continuously forced therethrough during continuous agitation. The probability that any'of the materials being treated escapes without a very intimate contact with the treating agent is at a minimum. This intimate mixing in combination with forced feeding prevents the overtreatment of any part of the material as well as the undertreatment of any part.

Although the apparatus is general in application, it is particularly adapted for the intimate mixing of sulphuric acid and heavy lubricating oils. In such a process the agitator is preferably constructed of a corrosion resisting metal to prevent damage by the acids. It is of course apparent that other treating agents may be agitated in the instant apparatus with any other material of sufliciently fluid quality that can be pumped through the agitator. It is also obvious that the treating agent can be added to more than one unit if sequential addition-is desirable. It is also obvious that the size as well as number of the units will depend on the materials to be treated and the treating agent. If necessary or desirable within the terms of the claims appended hereinafter.

We claim: 1. agitating apparatus of the class described for intimately mixing substances forming a pump able liquid mass which comprises, a plurality of communicatively connected mixing compartments, inlet and outlet means for said compar ments, bai'iie members between each of the compartments for restricting the free flow of mass, 9. driving shaft, rotatable paddles carried by the shaft, said paddles .being adapted to force'the mass past the baiiles from one compartment to another, and disks closely adjacent the baffle members, said disks being adapted'to cause a shearing action and a greater surface contact between the liquids passing through the baflles.

2. An agitating apparatus for intimately mixing sulfuric acid and lubricating oil without emulsifying the same comprising a plurality of agitating tanks of similar construction detachably arranged in series means for introducing sulfuric acid and heavy lubricating oil into the first tank in the series, a shaft extending through said tanks coextensively therewith, a rotatable impeller paddle mounted on said shaft in each tank, said paddles being adapted to agitate the mixture of-liquids in their respective tanks and impel the same progressively from tank to tank, a

' stationary plate between each tank through which said shaft extends, said. plates being provided with comparatively small perforations adjacent their centers and being imperforate adjacent their peripheries thus providing throttling means i for retarding the flow of liquids between the tanks increase the area of contact between the oil and sulfuric acid, means to rotate said shaft at a constant speed to cause said paddles to impel the liquids through said tanks at a constant speed, and an outlet for the intimately mixed liquids in the last tankin the series.

3. An agitating apparatus for intimately mixing sulfuric acid and lubricating oil without emulsifying the same comprising a plurality oi agitating tanks arranged in series, means for introducing sulfuric acid and lubricating oil into the first tank in the series, a shaft extending through said tanks coextensively therewith, a rotatable impeller'paddle mounted on said shaft in each tank, said paddles being adapted to agitate the mixture of liquids in their respective tanks and impel the same progressively from tank to tank, a stationary plate between each tank through which said shaft extends, said plates being provided with comparatively small localized perforations thus providing throttling means for retarding the flowof liquids between the tanks and providing baffle means for causing the liquid toconverge in passing from one tank to another, a disk mounted on said shaft adjacent each plate and adapted to rotate therewith, said plates and disks presenting opposed minutely separated smearing surfaces, the smearing surfaces on said disks being provided with grooves overlying the perforations on said plates whereby the liquids in passing from one tank to another will pass through said perforations and be smeared through said smearing surfaces to increase the contact between the oil and sulfuric acid, and means to rotate said shaft, and an outlet for the intimately mixed liquids in the last tank in the series.

GEORGE M. PFAU. DAYTON C. BOLIN. ERNESTW. ZU'BLIN..

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